Summary
In a poignant frontier drama, the sudden orphanhood of a young boy, affectionately dubbed "Little Red," thrusts him into the rough-hewn, yet profoundly tender, care of Colonel Ferdinand Aliso's ranch hands. This unconventional guardianship immediately sparks contention with the more 'civilized' elements of the community, embodied by Parson Jones and his zealous church committee, who advocate for a more 'refined' upbringing. The cowboys, particularly the unexpectedly paternal Chinese cook, Duck Sing, are utterly captivated by the child, even pooling their poker winnings to appease the congregation's moral qualms. However, a near-fatal bout of pneumonia forces a stark ultimatum from Dr. Kirk: Little Red must either reside with the minister or gain a mother through the expedient marriage of a cowboy. While the boy recuperates under the parson's roof, ranch hand Tom Gilroy embarks on a series of comically futile courtships with the town's available single women, finding a surprising reprieve in their collective rejections. The narrative culminates in a defiant act of affection as Duck Sing, the boy's clear favorite over the austere parson, absconds with Little Red, paving the way for Colonel Aliso to formalize the adoption, cementing the child's place within his chosen, if unorthodox, family.
Synopsis
Upon learning that the parents of "Little Red" have died, the cowboys of Colonel Ferdinand Aliso's ranch adopt the boy. Parson Jones and his church committee protest that the child should be brought up in more refined surroundings, but the cowboys, particularly Duck Sing, Aliso's Chinese cook, are so enamored of Little Red that they donate their poker money to the church in order to placate the congregation. After Little Red catches pneumonia and nearly dies, however, Dr. Kirk insists that the boy either live with the minister or acquire a mother through the marriage of one of the cowboys. While Little Red is recuperating at the parson's home, ranch hand Tom Gilroy courts the only marriageable women in town -- a widow and two spinsters -- but much to his relief, they all turn him down. In the end, Duck Sing, whom the child much prefers to the parson, kidnaps Little Red, after which the colonel legally adopts him.
