Chapter 3: The Buckaroo of the Badlands
Dates: 1882
After a short encounter with Jesse James, Scrooge finds himself a cowboy in Montana, protecting a prize steer from cattle rustlers, the McVipers. He hopes to gain his fortune as the manager of a ranch in the future, but for now, he gains the nickname Buck McDuck, a friend whom he recommends should go back into politics, and a tough but ornery horse he names after his similar-tempered sister, Hortense, who will be around for a few chapters.
This chapter provides examples of:
- Accidental Athlete: Scrooge turns out to be a champion bronc buster, but only because his money belt gets snagged on the saddlehorn and yanks him back whenever Hortense tries to buck him off. He quickly learns to do this deliberately and ride the fastest horses without being thrown.
- And I'm the Queen of Sheba: While on a train, Scrooge meets a fellow who has some "Square Eggs" on him. Unbelieving, Scrooge crows, "If this is a square egg, then I'm the chicken that laid it."
- Bears Are Bad News: Scrooge and Roosevelt are cornered by a brown bear.
- Bizarre Seasons: When it rains in the Rocky Mountains, trouts can swim in it.
- Call-Forward: The square eggs the travelling scientist shows Scrooge are from Plain Awful, an isolated valley in the Andes, originally introduced by Barks in the 1949 story "Lost In the Andes", and eventually visited by Scrooge himself in "Return To Plain Awful" by Rosa.
- Cattle Baron: Scrooge meets Scottish-born cattle baron Murdo MacKenzie (1850-1939) immediatly after falling off the train, and would end up spending the next few years learning the cattle trade.
- Chase Scene: A hilarious one where everything chases everyone at the same time, namely a bison wearing a frightening dinosaur skull chases horrified Indians, a bear chases the McVipers, and Scrooge is trying to rein in his bull.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The unseen grizzly bear who Teddy is hunting reappears right before the Chase Scene to get involved in the shenanigans.
- Cowboy: The working type, those who guard and guide cattle. Scrooge becomes one in this chapter.
- Cowboy Episode: One of the few chapters featuring the Wild West and genuine cow boys.
- Dirty Coward: When one of the McVipers is tied to a grizzly bear, he evokes their family relationship while appealing to his brother for help. His fleeing brother barely glances back long enough to claim that he has no idea who he is and reiterate that he just wants to put space between them at the moment.
- Fingore: Scrooge tricks Jesse James into thinking there's a treasure hidden in his dentures. When Jesse tries to reveal it... *TUMP*
- Eldritch Location: The Dakota Badlands.
- Flyover Country: Scrooge travels to the Great Plains, and marvels at the unhindered view of the aptly named "Sea of Grass".
- Good Samaritan: Scrooge takes the time to save a stranger in the badlands, who turns out to be a young Theodore Roosevelt.
- Hollywood Darkness: Averted, Scrooge wanders around in a moonless night and doesn't see anything beyond his beak. He hilariously finds himself atop his own herd of cows.
- Instantly Proven Wrong: While on a train, Scrooge meets a fellow who has some "Square Eggs" on him. Unbelieving, Scrooge crows, "If this is a square egg, then I'm the chicken that laid it." A stray bullet cracks the egg, leaving Scrooge covered in square egg yolk.
- Meaningful Rename: Scrooge renames his horse "Hortense" in honor of his little sister, as they share the same bad temper. The namesake is not particularly fond of it when she hears about it in a letter.
- Moody Mount: Scrooge is given a temperamental horse named "Widow Maker".
- Naked People Are Funny: While riding Hortense, Scrooge loses all of his clothes as she jumps. Three times. Luckily, he doesn't fall off because his belt gets stuck on the saddle.
- No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction: Sums up why Roosevelt chose to seek his fortune in the West, instead of living comfortably with his family's fortune."Being born wealthy is no accomplishment! That's why I became a cowboy! To find the life I missed by not being born poor like you...To make yourself rich through the glory of hard work, with the beat of a healthy live in your veins—by Godfrey, that's an accomplishment!"
- Peek-a-Boo Corpse: A dinosaur fossil startles Scrooge, who proceeds to try to wrestle it.
- Rousing Speech: Roosevelt delivers one to a down-on-his-luck Scrooge, who had been feeling down by repeated failure. He reassures Scrooge's valour and rekindles the ambition within him.
- The Rustler: The McVipers try to steal a prized bull who was guarded by Scrooge.
- Series Continuity Error: As Don Rosa admits, putting in the square eggs the way he did was a mistake. In Carl Barks' "Lost in the Andes!" story, no one knew what the 'blocks' were until Donald Duck broke one by accident.
- They Have the Scent!: Wandering Indians advise Scrooge to follow the McVipers through their foul odor.
- Train Job: Jesse James and his gang try to rob the train in which Scrooge is travelling. It doesn't take long for Scrooge to disable them and force them to flee.
