Ten-year-old Rhett Gingyard and eleven-year-old Gaffney Dorn live on The Barony. Rhett's father serves as superintendent and Gaff's father as game warden. This story takes place around 1947. Dubbed "the crab boys" by folks living in the region, the two friends face adventure and danger as they confront copperheads, wild boars, hungry octopus tentacles, the incredible trap-like claws of the stone crab, rising tides, and sunken Civil War blockade runners. While eavesdropping on a conversation between estate owner John Blackhall and General George Marshall about the atomic bomb, the boys decide just what they'll do with their newfound treasures. These enjoyable, engaging, compelling stories are based on real life events from the WPA narratives.
The stories are as relevant now as they were in the middle of the 20th century when they actually happened. The escapades of two boys who lived on a coastal South Carolina barony are sensitive and warm with affection for their families and the nature that surrounds them. In this close friendship of two boys a cozy lamp shines a remarkable light on the way seacoast boys found entertainment, provided a staple for the dinner table, and learned an important lesson from a noted American General.