Bransford in Arcadia : $b or, The little eohippus

"Bransford in Arcadia" by Eugene Manlove Rhodes is a novel written in the early 20th century. A lively Western with humor and romance, it follows cowboy Jeff Bransford as he navigates frontier justice, a crooked land contest instigated by Stephen W. Lake, and a sudden, disarming attraction to the spirited Ellinor Hoffman. Set across the New Mexico ranges and small towns, it blends banter, action, and moral choices with a light touch and sharp dialogue. The opening of Bransford in Arcadia sets the scene on a roundup camp where cowboys trade wit about law, women, and the West before Wes Pringle tells how homesteader John Taylor’s claim (“the Butterbowl”) is jeopardized by Lake’s legal maneuver. To thwart the injustice, Jeff secretly steams open the Escondido mail and swaps Lake’s decision, buying time so the Taylors can preempt the land; later, when confronted by a land-office official and a U.S. marshal in Roswell, he bluffs them into backing off. The story then shifts to Rainbow Rim, where Ellinor witnesses Jeff’s breathtaking ride and dunk in a spring; the two share first aid, laughter, his “little eohippus” credo, lunch, and a song, hinting at a bond while skirting Lake’s orbit. Trying (and failing) to avoid Arcadia’s masquerade, Jeff is “kidnapped” by his roan into attending in a football disguise; inside, he fends off a Red Devil (likely Lake) and finds Ellinor dressed as a Quakeress, slipping with her into the garden for a private talk as the festivities whirl on. (This is an automatically generated summary.)