Sam, a Native American boy, saves a swan's life and studies birds. The camping area where the swan and cob nest is swampy and contains bullet pellets, as well as other wildlife like coyotes and foxes. The cob has a bullet in his chest, so Louis, a swan medic, helps solve the problem by assisting the injured cob. The author's opinion is expressed that pinioning birds is disliked, and that birds should be free to fly wherever they want, not kept by people if they accidentally fly somewhere.