The Trail Boys of the Plains; Or, The Hunt for the Big Buffalo

Chet Havens and his sturdy friend Dig Fordham spend their evenings swapping tall tales beneath the low‑hanging pines of a dust‑kissed frontier town. Their latest obsession is a fabled “king” buffalo—said to be as massive as an elephant—spotted in a stray herd that somehow escaped the great migrations to Canada. Between Chet’s measured skepticism and Dig’s eager imagination, they sketch out a daring plan to join a hunting party that might finally bring the legendary beast within reach.

The boys’ chatter reveals a world where once‑plentiful plains have thinned, where old hunters like Rafe Peters speak of vanished herds, and where townsfolk balance school, mining, and occasional show‑manship with a lingering sense of adventure. Even a restless cousin from Boston, dreaming of Bowie knives and pistols, is drawn into their vision of a real‑life chase. As the boys gear up, the promise of tracking the massive buffalo hints at danger, camaraderie, and a taste of the wild that still lingers on the open prairie.