Beadle's Pocket Novels No. 184: Mustang Sam

This is "Mustang Sam; or, The Mad Rider of the Plains," a western romance by Jos. E. Badger Jr., published by Beadle and Adams in 1874. The opening chapters follow Mustang Sam and two companions—Tom McKoun and Ralph Weston—as they ambush a wild mustang herd at a prairie watering hole. Their target is a magnificent black stallion leading the herd. Sam successfully lassos the stallion using a rope, then subdues it through a brutal taming process involving a "bow-stall" (a rope bridle), a rawhide quirt, and sustained riding. After the initial struggle, Sam rides the exhausted horse at high speed across the plains while his trained horse Comanche follows. The narrative emphasizes the beauty of the wild mustangs and the physical contest between rider and animal, with Sam pursuing the stallion toward a distant promontory overlooking the desert.