Tom Norton

The Roberts Boys Tom Norton

This is the story of two teenage boys living in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1850. Their lifestyle there was a not too unfamiliar story during that time, although they were much better off than most teenage boys because their father owned a bank. Due to their divorced father's authoritarian manner and unexpected marriage, the boys went from free bank labor to living in a shed behind the newlyweds' house. One thing led to another and the two boys were on the run for bank robbery. The lure of the new California gold strike where you just picked up gold lying on the ground was as good a place to run to as any. They were pursued by the law in California while they used their wits and what meager amount of money they had. They dealt with the opportunities in the new state of California and all of its mining issues, army soldiers, Mexican bandits and Chinese laborers.