Henry Latham and town Mayor Colton continue their misadventures in Smalltown, America. This time, twelve-year-old David Latham is testifying at the trial of his father, Henry, who is accused of burning down the McCluskey bridge. It seems, in flashback, that David and his friend Georgie Colton couldn’t pay the excessive toll—-two dollars American—-charged them for walking across the bridge recently purchased by Mr. McCluskey, so the old coot took Henry’s watch from David as security until the toll was paid. Meanwhile, back in town, Henry, not invited to his wife’s Pioneer Committee meeting, planning the town’s centennial celebration, talks his friend the Mayor into the two of them doing an re-enactment of the burning of the steamboat “Prairie Queen” at the celebration. Nothing good can come of this.