On the Trail of Geronimo

On the Trail of Geronimo; or, In the Apache Country

By Edward S. Ellis. Published by Street & Smith (1901; originally 1889).

This adventure narrative opens with protagonist Dick Whitcomb's four-year tenure at West Point Academy, culminating in his dramatic final charge astride an unruly black mare. Graduating as second lieutenant in the cavalry, Whitcomb is assigned to Fort Grant, Arizona for September. At West Point he meets the charming Miss Fanny Harland, whose father owns a ranch in eastern Arizona, spurring romantic interest.

The narrative follows Whitcomb's arduous journey westward by rail and stage coach through the scorching Arizona Territory—thermometers reaching 118 degrees—covering the desolate, alkali plains toward his posting. En route from Tucson, he befriends Buck Bragg, a youthful cowboy employed on the Harland ranch. Their conversation reveals that Miss Fanny has preceded him to Arizona just days earlier, intensifying Whitcomb's anticipation of reunion. The text breaks mid-sentence, but the adventure premise—a cavalry officer's posting amid Apache country—is established.