Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger

Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger This July 1905 issue features "Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger; Or, Old Rosebud's Boy Brigade," by Old Coomes, serialized western adventure fiction. Five young hunters—Scott Vail (20), Frank Bartlett (18), Philip Gregg (17), Pat Eagan (17), and Sol Warren (19)—camp on the Grand River in Dakota seeking buffalo. After thirty days on the trail, Scott hears an eastbound stage being robbed by masked road-agents. A cunning young boy-passenger betrays fellow travelers to join the outlaws, stealing valuables and a gold ring from a girl passenger named Adrian Field (17). Scott returns with his companions too late; the outlaws have escaped with the boy. The hunters shelter the traumatized stage passengers overnight. At dawn, the coach resumes toward Fort Rice, escorted by the five young hunters. They meet an old borderman named Old Rosebud Ben on the road, who learns of the robbery from passenger Mr. Deering. The narrative emphasizes frontier adventure, hunting, and the mysterious duplicity of the boy who became an outlaw.