In the early 1920s a group of Charles M. Russell’s closest friends in Great Falls, Montana, were partners in the Montana Newspaper Association, a venture that published advertising supplements in the state’s daily newspapers. They hit upon the idea to publish a series of entertaining stories chronicling the history of the Old West, and they prevailed on Russell to provide pen-and-ink illustrations for each one. These stories appeared nearly every Sunday for a year, from March 5, 1922, through February 18, 1923. Most of Montana’s 170 newspapers carried this popular series. For his part, Russell was glad to participate; he loved the history of the American West and avidly read many books on the subject. Today these wonderfully narrative drawings stand apart from the articles they once accompanied. The original ink drawing pictured here was originally in the estate of the artist’s widow, Nancy C. Russell. It is part of the largest selection of them to be found anywhere—almost half the number that the artist eventually produced for the series. In each of them, Russell’s fluid and dexterous lines create a vivid picture of truly historic events—elevating them to the power of epic and myth. Russell knew the story of Henry Plummer, the notorious road agent who preyed on the stages and wagons that traveled between the Montana gold camps of Virginia City and Bannack in the early 1860s, before Montana achieved territorial status. Like many of the outlaws of his time, Plummer managed to remain in the general vicinity and avoid arrest through the intercession of friends or the outright absence of organized law enforcement on the frontier. However, the time finally arrived when the local citizens had enough and organized vigilante groups to rid the region of robbers and rustlers. In 1865 Plummer was among a number of men who were captured and promptly hanged by the vigilantes. According to witnesses, just before he was to be executed Plummer fell down on his knees and appealed to God that he was too wicked to die.