
In the dead of an Arizona night, a blood‑curdling scream shatters the silence on the isolated Double Cross ranch. Owner Sam Bowser and his wife Sarah awaken to the sound, half‑convinced it’s a desperate cry from a woman in danger, while the surrounding desert seems to swallow any trace of the source. Their ranch hands—tough, weather‑worn cowpunchers—rush to the bunkhouse, rifles in hand, ready to confront whatever lurks in the darkness.
The men’s uneasy banter quickly turns to dread when, instead of a coyote or a simple prank, a pale, floating apparition appears above the cattle corral, its ghostly form illuminated by the moon. As fear tightens its grip, the ranchers are forced to decide whether to chase a possible human tragedy or confront a supernatural presence that defies explanation. The opening sets a tense, atmospheric mystery that promises a night of uneasy alliances and hidden dangers on the open plains.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (169K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Cleveland: Arthur Westbrook Company, 1910, copyright 1911.
Credits
Carla Foust, David Edwards and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2024-01-29
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Known from early 20th-century Western dime novels, this elusive writer left behind fast-moving frontier adventures published in the American Indian Weekly series. Little biographical information appears to survive, but the stories themselves suggest a pulp author writing for readers who wanted action, danger, and cliffhangers.
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