Set against the dramatic backdrop of the dangerous Natchez Trace of 1811, this sequel to The Devil's Highway recounts the continued fast-paced adventures of brave young Zeb and Hannah.In Natchez Under-The-Hill, these two courageous and determined young people desperately try to reunite with their families, but end up head-to-head with sinister villains who stand in their way. Hannah boldly uses her quick wits and ingenuity to try and protect her family, Zeb, and herself from the evil sergeant and the angry widows of the infamous Mason Gang. Zeb finds life in Natchez Under-the-Hill just as perilous, for he fights desperately to stay alive on the streets, but finds himself locked up in jail, seemingly farther than ever from finding his beloved grandfather.Will Zeb find his grandfather? Can Hannah and Zeb survive the many dangers of the Natchez Trace and somehow return home?

Stan Applegate held degrees from Pennsylvania State University and Columbia University. He worked in education for many years, as a teacher, as chief of education science and technology for USAID in the Dominican Republic and Colombia, for the office of American affairs in education, and as vice president for research and sponsored programs at the University of South Carolina. He passed away in 2018.

James Watling lived in Canada, where he was a professor of art education at McGill University. He illustrated more than fifty books, many of them for young readers. He died in 2006.