Joe Bronson, a young boy who lives in San Francisco, has trouble at home and at school. The never ending arguments with his father lead him to run away and join the crew of the Dazzler. Joe dreams of an sailor's life full of freedom and excitement but he soon realizes that he signed on a pirate ship. The only new friend he finds is the young ship boy Frisco Kid. The two kids face many adventures and finally plan to escape and start a new life ....The young-adult fiction, originally published in 1902, was Jack London's second novel.Jack London was born in 1876 in San Francisco, California. After finishing school, he had several jobs including seaman, factory worker and gold prospector. By the age of 22, he decided to earn his living by writing and began to publish stories in magazines. His first novel, A Daughter of the Snows, followed in 1901. He became one of the most popular American authors of his times and is still widely read. Jack London died in 1916.