For Kip O'Reilly, life on the streets doesn't seem all that bad. At least he and the other rovers have each other, and that's more than enough to keep them happy - well, as long as they can steal to survive. Just selling newspapers doesn't quite cut it. When Kip is finally caught stealing one morning, he's sent to jail. Fortunately for Kip, Rev. Brace of the Children's Aid Society bails him out, but only on the condition he comes to live at the Boys' Lodging House and starts earning an honest wage. When the opportunity comes for the children at the Society to head west on the and "orphan train and " in search of families to take them in, Kip is on board. But when they reach the first town, it seems like everyone else is placed except Kip. Will his honesty about his past petty theft keep people from taking him in?