WE’RE celebrating the holidays with Harold F. Cruickshank—creator of those great Aces of the Western Front’s Hell Skies—Red Eagle, Sky Wolf, and Sky Devil. But this holiday season it’s going to be a down home Christmas featuring Cruickshank’s Pioneer Folk stories from the pages of Range Riders Western (1945-1952) on Mondays and Fridays; and Cruickshank’s own recollections of homesteading life from The Edmonton Journal’s The Third Column on Wednesdays.

Cruickshank wrote 35 stories chronicling the trials and tribulations of Dal and Mary Baldwin as they carved out their piece of the Wilderness in Sun Bear Valley, Wyoming and establish a growing community. The Sun Bear settlers are menaced by Mishe, the she-grizzly, and Acheeta, the cougar and Dal knew that to grizzly and cougar alike, there was no more succulent food in all the wilds than young horseflesh. In a night, either species of varmint could wipe out the whole of Dal’s horse stock and his cow and her calf as well.

From the February 1946 number of Range Riders Western, it’s Harold F. Cruickshank’s Pioneer Folks in “Terror Neighbors!”

Dal and Mary Baldwin face the supreme test of their courage when four-footed death comes stealing into Sun-Bear Valley!

• Download “Terror Neighbors” (February 1946, Range Riders Western)

Be sure to stop back Monday when the Baldwins seek “Wilderness Justice!”