California Joe, The Mysterious Plainsmen

The book starts off by describing some immigrants who were heading West that had pitched camp for the night. Some of the men ventured out into the prairie to hunt some of the wild game when they saw a mysterious, beardless man dressed in all black on a snow white horse. He was armed with a black rifle that layed across his lap. Since the group's guide had died a few days earlier, they asked the "Phantom Rider" for directions to make it back to their encampment. While he never allowed the group to approach him, or talked, he led the group safely back to their camp. In chapter two, the story begins with a note that carried a warning that was delivered overnight to the camp. The note warned the travelers that they were on the wrong trial and they trusted him, he would lead them the right way. The group began following a trial of stakes and concluded it could only be the "Phantom Rider" guiding them because the trail of stakes were made by a single horseman. As the second night came and went, a second note was delivered to the camp. It explained that they were making the right decision to follow the new trial. Some in the camp feared a trap was being set but most believed they were making the right decision to follow the new trial. On the third night, much to the dismay of some women, the rider in black appeared in the camp.