
A trio of teenage scouts—Rob, Corporal Merritt, and the big‑hearted Tubby—arrive by rattling train in the dusty outpost of Mesaville, Arizona. Dressed in crisp Eastern suits and sporting sombreros bought in Truxton, they immediately draw the curious eyes of the town’s loungers, sparking a playful banter that hints at the cultural clash ahead. Their visit is no accident; a cattle rancher they once rescued has invited them to spend time on his remote range, promising new horizons beyond their East Coast home.
As the heat of the desert swells, the boys set up camp and begin to explore the rugged landscape, testing their scout skills against the unforgiving terrain. Early encounters with local cow‑punchers and the mysterious Santa Catapina Range reveal both danger and discovery, while the camaraderie among the trio shines through each challenge. Listeners will be drawn into a vivid portrait of frontier life, where youthful bravery meets the stark beauty of the American West, setting the stage for the adventures that lie ahead.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (282K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Edwards, Barbara Kosker and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2011-01-25
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1879–1917
Best known for fast-paced boys' adventure series about aviators, scouts, and wireless operators, this prolific writer helped shape early 20th-century popular fiction. He also worked as a journalist and used several pen names, leaving behind a surprisingly varied career in a short life.
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