There are those born who are happy being agents of passivity, allowing fate or lifeas events to act helplessly upon them, thereby relegating their lives to chance and providence. There are a few others, on the other hand, like Alan Gannon, the protagonist of this story, who chose to act assertively upon his captive environment. As Herbert Spencer once said, aBe bold, be bold and everywhere be bold!a This story is about this forceful and brave, and yes, impulsive young boy who never settled for what society had wrought upon him. Alan became the surrogate parent of his three younger siblings when they were discarded and left with strangers in an orphanage, and he also became their protector when they were threatened. For this, Alan paid a heavy price.