The Red Coyote; or, The Flower of the Prairie

This Beadle and Company dime novel (No. 178) features "The Red Coyote; or, Lupah, the Flower of the Prairie" by Albert W. Aiken, published in 1909. The story is set in 1800 in the Mexican frontier village of Serie during Spanish rule. Commandante Don Miguel Castello hosts a fandango celebrating the eighteenth birthday of Manuelita, daughter of the wealthy hacienda owner Torrejon. Manuelita harbors affection for an American gold-hunter guest while fearing both Miguel and the scarred Sefior Riva de Morales. The narrative introduces the legendary brigand "Red Coyote," a mixed-race outlaw leader defeated three years prior by Miguel in the mountains of Sonora. Additional characters include Lupah (the "Flower of the Prairie"), described as a half-civilized Indian girl, and references to hunting expeditions and frontier conflicts with Apache and Comanche warriors.