The fate of The Wolf

The fate of The Wolf by W. C. Tuttle is a pulp western short story written in the early 20th century. Set in the Mexican borderlands, it revolves around a feared outlaw known as El Lobo, a besieged ranch, and a laughing stranger whose arrival upends loyalties and exposes a hidden enemy.

Told by Pablo, overseer of Don Roberto Aliso’s fortified Rancho del Aguila, the story begins when a bold drifter called Destino replaces a brutal gunman after defeating him. Soon, threatening notes from El Lobo demand tribute and hint at kidnapping Don Roberto’s daughter, Juana. Suspicion falls on Destino and he is locked up, but Juana and Pablo secretly help him. That night the guards are poisoned and masked raiders, led by “El Lobo,” infiltrate the house; Destino bursts free and shoots the leader, unmasking him as Don Roberto’s elegant friend, Don Esteban Carillo. Destino reveals that the true El Lobo—his father—died two years earlier, and Esteban had stolen the name to fund his vices through murder and theft. With the raiders routed, Don Roberto repents his mistrust, the ranch is saved, and a quiet understanding grows between Juana and Destino.