The kind stranger is an old Indian, a friend of Ben's who is afraid of being kicked out of the marsh. Thanks to Kerry's tip, rangers round up the criminal. Kerry's photos convince the state to buy and preserve the land, and he arranges for Ben and his Indian friend to stay in their homes. Along the way Kerry leads Ben and Nancy to the Lord.

I read this book many times as a kid, although it was never one of my favorites of Dad's. Reading it as an adult, I find the action and the characters interesting, if a bit implausible. The wildlife was interesting. Dad included a large and unlikely combination of creatures — from loons and three-toed woodpeckers to pheasants, egrets and Summer Tanagers — and had Kerry spot 21 species of warblers and 9 species of sparrows during three days of looking out a window.

Still, there's no doubt Dad had some writing skill. It's not fine literature, but neither did it produce the goose-bumps I get when exposed to something awful.