Bucky O'Connor: A Tale of the Unfenced Border

William MacLeod Raine (1871-1954) was a British-born American novelist known for his adventure stories set in the American Old West. After migrating to Arkansas as a child, Raine eventually settled on a cattle ranch near the Texas-Arkansas border. He began his career as a school principal and newspaper columnist in Seattle before becoming a reporter and editorial writer in Denver. Raine's early novels focused on romantic histories in the English countryside, but his experience with the Arizona Rangers inspired him to shift his focus to the American West. Starting with the publication of "Wyoming" in 1908, Raine became a prolific writer, producing nearly two western novels per year. He was committed to accuracy and detail in his work, considering himself a craftsman rather than an artist. Raine's books gained popularity and were even sent to British soldiers during World War I. He was posthumously honored in the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1959.