Lonny's parents were settlers who were killed by white rustlers while they were crossing the Rio Valley in the Ohio region. He was only about 10 years old at the time, and so, he was taken in by a native american chief named Golden Eagle. Lonny took the name "The Silver Kid" when the natives pointed out the streak of silver that ran through his hair. Along with Golden Eagle's son, Hondo, the "Silver Kid" learned to ride, shoot and track. Hondo and Lonny became blood brothers during their rite of passage into manhood, but when they returned to the village, they found it had been raided by the same men who killed Lonny's father. Their tribe, including Golden Eagle, had been slaughtered. They set out on a quest to bring the outlaws to justice.