Cowmen and Rustlers: A Story of the Wyoming Cattle Ranges

A bright, bustling household in a small Maine town sets the stage, centered on the Whitneys—Hugh, a war‑scarred veteran turned aspiring cattleman, his thoughtful mother, and the lively twins, Fred and Jennie. Their home brims with laughter and the promise of new horizons, especially as Hugh’s recent letters speak of the wild open ranges out west, stirring both curiosity and admiration in his children.

One crisp winter evening the twins’ friends, Fred’s Boston schoolmate Monteith and a group of eager youths, decide to turn the frozen river into a daring skating trek. They plot a ten‑mile glide to Wild Man’s Creek and, spurred by Jenn’s adventurous spirit, even consider pushing onward toward the distant Wolf Glen. The night crackles with youthful bravado, hinting at the larger journey that awaits the family when Hugh finally trades his Maine life for the untamed cattle country beyond the mountains.