How The Raven Died 1902, From "Wolfville Nights"

In a dusty frontier town where the wind whistles through pine and prairie, a grizzled cattleman narrates his encounters with the oddball characters who drift through Wolfville. He describes two scout leaders—one a flamboyant buckskin youth, the other a stiff‑hated dandy—each followed by their own bands of Indians, and introduces Old Jeffords, a long‑bearded hermit who has spent years among the Apache. Jeffords, ever‑present in his black coat and stovepipe hat, sings hymns by the fire and remains a living riddle, both feared and fondly admired by the locals.

The story centers on a curious incident that has the town whispering: the sudden death of a raven, an omen that stirs superstition and suspicion. As the narrator watches the uneasy truce between settlers and the neighboring tribes, he wonders whether the raven’s fate ties to Jeffords’ mysterious past or to the restless spirits of the land. The tale promises humor, vivid dialect, and a slice of Western life that keeps listeners guessing what will emerge from the shadows of the Red River.