Book excerpt: Some people choose to be travelers, while others are forced, by neglect and mistreatment, to leave their lives behind, constantly traveling without a home to return to. This story is about a man who was abandoned by his parents, forcing him to ride the rails from town to town, finding work wherever and whenever he can. After young Jake Wagers meets the wayward traveler one afternoon, his life is changed for the better. There are great lessons to be learned from a man who has experienced so much of the world, lessons that will change the way Jake views his own existence. A Muddy Fork Short Story