43 pages • 1 hour read
Jean Craighead GeorgeOn the Far Side of the Mountain
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1990A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 11-13Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 11 Summary: “I Become Royalty”
Bando and Sam reach Manorkill Falls but see no sign of Alice or Crystal. Sam concludes that Crystal would be resistant to making the ascent to the waterfall since there is nothing that would entice the pig to do so. While Bando consults the map, Sam catches a trout for dinner and bakes it in an oven he makes by digging a hole, filling it with hot coals, and covering it with the fish inside. Bando spots a nearby farm on the map, along with a large waterfall at the Helderberg Escarpment. After dinner, Sam and Bando decide to go separate ways; Sam goes to the farm to ask if Alice has been there, and Bando goes into the nearby town of West Conesville to phone Zella. After they agree to meet at a cemetery beyond the farm to camp for the night, Sam attempts to make himself presentable as he knocks on the farmhouse door, and he learns from the farmer that Alice stayed there for a few days with Crystal before continuing to the Livingstonville fair with the farmer’s daughter, Hanni. (Having met Alice at the Roxbury fair, Hanni invited her to stay at her family’s farm until the 4-H club fair in Livingstonville). The farmer’s wife invites Sam to stay for a cup of tea, calling him “Mr. Van Rensselaer” (109) and causing Sam to wonder why Alice would use that as her last name. Leaving the farm, he goes to find Bando in West Conesville and locates him in the local hotel restaurant, where Bando admits that he needed a good meal before continuing their journey. Sam shares what he has learned, and Bando explains that the Van Rensselaer family is powerful and influential because of the large amounts of land they owned in the past. Sam feels Alice’s choice to use this name must be some kind of message to him, but he can’t figure out what she’s trying to convey. Bando invites Sam to stay the night at the hotel with him, but Sam declines, preferring to sleep outdoors. They agree to meet in the cemetery at dawn.
Chapter 12 Summary: “I Get News of Alice”
The terrain changes as Sam and Bando make their way from the Catskill mountains to the Helderbergs, and they explore several caves on their way in the direction of the fair. They reach the small, quiet town of Livingstonville the next day and go to the general store, which also functions as a restaurant. They learn from the waitress that the fair is actually a hog show taking place near Rensselaerville, and Sam realizes that Alice used the name of Van Rensselaer to reveal her travel plans to him; she knows that Sam is following her, and the clue is her way of playing On the Track. Bando finds a story about the fair in the local newspaper, as well as an ad in the personal column about a falcon hacking taking place at Huyck Preserve. The ad states that further information can be found at the library.
Sam believes Alice is likely on her way to a waterfall near Rensselaerville at this point, but he decides to stop at the fair to talk to Hanni just in case Alice left a clue for them. They also plan to watch the falcon hacking scheduled for that evening. When they reach the pig show, Sam finds a branch that has been deliberately bent in the direction of the falls and recognizes it as a message from Alice. Bando goes to view the pigs while Sam locates Hanni, who is taking charge of Crystal. Finding Hanni attractive, he tries to impress her by pretending to like Crystal. Although Sam also receives special attention from the other kids at the fair because they think his last name is Van Rensselaer, it soon becomes clear that Hanni is well aware this isn’t his real name, and Sam is pleased that Hanni is smiling at him even though he isn’t from a famous family. Sam finds Bando and they continue on, Sam now confident that Alice will return to the show at some point to retrieve Crystal.
Chapter 13 Summary: “The Dawn Breaks Over Me”
Near Rensselaerville, Sam goes to the falls to check on Alice while Bando goes to the library to learn further details about the falcon hacking. The ad strikes Bando as strange for several reasons: The advertised time for the hacking—6:00pm—is an inopportune time to hack a bird, and the ad itself targets a specific person, Skri, and is oddly placed in the personals section. Meanwhile, Sam hurries to the falls and finds Alice’s abandoned camp on a protected ledge near the waterfall. He decides to wait for her and observes a coyote use a dead bird as bait to catch a crow. Upon realizing that the bait-bird is a sharp-shinned hawk with jesses, swivel, and leash on its legs, Sam speculates that the bird must belong to one of the hackers and goes to investigate for signs of the hacking. He finds perch holes from birds of prey and castings, indigestible parts of prey like bones and fur that falcons, hawks, and owls regurgitate. Sam concludes that the coyote must have put an end to the hacking, and returns to town to find Bando.
On the way, he finds a water mill, which he explores a bit before heading to the library. The librarian tells Sam and Bando that many people in the area have been interested in hawks and falcons recently and that two men tried to offer his son Eric $200 to locate a sharp-shinned nest. He then shows Sam and Bando a new message for Skri posted on the library bulletin board, and they learn that the hacking has been moved to the morning of the 26th at Beaver Corners, with instructions to “go to church” (131). The librarian shares that a Saudi Arabian man employed by a sheik came earlier in the day to read and sign the message. Apparently, Arab sheiks will pay large amounts of money for falcons.
Pondering the librarian’s information, Sam and Bando head to a restaurant for dinner; Sam is pleased to find that the restaurant specializes in wild game, and he shares his knowledge of edible wild plants with the chef. Later that afternoon, Sam spots the man he knows as Leon Longbridge stepping out of the library, but Bando, who knows the real Leon personally, states that this man is an imposter. As the man speeds away in his car, Sam and Bando make a plan. Sam decides to go find Alice; he is worried since her camp is near the site of the hacking, which they now suspect was underhanded. Meanwhile, Bando will track down the real Leon and lead him to Beaver Corners to hopefully catch the illegal hackers red-handed. They plan to meet at Beaver Corners at dawn.
Chapters 11-13 Analysis
George introduces several key mysteries to intensify the rising action in this section. From Alice’s strategic use of a false last name to Sam and Bando’s discovery of suspicious newspaper ads, the tension continues to rise as George propels the narrative from one small mystery to another; the author plays her own little game of On the Track, inviting readers to play detective just as Sam and Bando must in their search for the truth. Combined with Bando’s suspicion that the ad in the paper is a cover-up for something more nefarious, clues from the town librarian suggest that the men associated with the ad are likely selling birds of prey illegally. Given the narrative’s earlier emphasis on the sacred bond between Sam and Frightful, this new plot development creates an immediate sense of urgency, raising both questions about Alice’s safety and hopes that Frightful may be nearby. Finally, with the revelation that the man who claimed to be Leon Longbridge is an imposter, the chapter ends on an exciting and suspenseful note as the plot moves quickly toward its climax.
Interspersed throughout the larger mystery are scenes that develop Sam and Bando’s friendship and contrasting personalities. Although these characters share a love for nature, Bando’s fondness for the comforts of civilization sharply contrasts against Sam’s contentment with subsisting on wild foods alone. Likewise, Bando sleeps in a hotel bed while Sam prefers to sleep under the stars, and the characters’ age difference is evident in Bando’s need to slow his pace at times. Yet despite these differences, George celebrates the pair’s appreciation for the natural world by showcasing Sam’s knowledge of plants and his ability to live off the land, as when the narrative vividly describes his preparations for just one meal of fish: He must dig for bait, bait the hook, wade in the water, catch the fish, clean it, wrap it in leaves, and then create an oven in the ground to cook it after building a fire. This laborious process shows readers that the convenience with which people cook in their homes is simply unavailable out in nature, but it also highlights Sam’s prowess as an outdoorsman and survivalist.
George continues to highlight the ongoing theme Respect for Nature in other ways as well. For example, she shows the variety that exists in nature as the terrain changes between the Catskill mountains and the Helderbergs. Sam and Bando explore caves with underground waterfalls, choosing to enjoy their journey rather than simply hurrying along to find Alice. Sam appreciates nature by learning from it, an attitude he demonstrates by observing the coyote’s hunting techniques. However, even though Sam appreciates nature, he fails to see the value in Alice’s pig, Crystal, and when other people show superior knowledge of her abilities, he becomes embarrassed by his ignorance and learns that even he, with all his specialized knowledge, still has room to grow in his love for nature. The different aspects of Sam’s character—both talents and flaws—represent the potential in humanity’s respect for nature. Even if a person already cherishes the wonder of nature, they can endeavor to deepen their knowledge and admiration for the natural world in all its forms.
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By Jean Craighead George
