In 1860, getting from Missouri to California on the West Coast took a long, long time – not to mention a certain degree of courage. Annoyed at the delay in communication, the federal government offers a grant to whoever can solve the problem and set-up a fast, reliable mail system linking East and West. In response, entrepreneur W.H. Russell founds the Pony Express company: fearless men riding day and night, changing horses at way stations. But not everyone likes that idea...

We all know that Lucky Luke has a busy life. When it’s not Washington calling upon him for some national project, it’s the local penitentiary asking him to recapture the Daltons. But not every moment is spent in such grand adventures. Here is a collection of smaller stories depicting the everyday life of our cowboy, from taking a child to the dentist to helping passing settlers – and even attending a classical concert in Houston! What a full life he leads!

Gold has been found in the Klondike, a remote region in the Canadian far north! Jasper, the manservant of ‘Tenderfoot’ Waldo, went to try his luck ... and vanished. Worried about his man, Waldo calls upon his old friend Lucky Luke. The two men will have to make the dangerous trip to the Klondike, only to face all those who, in that desolate, inhospitable land, will stop at nothing in order to fleece their fellow man.

Once again, Luke is called to the penitentiary, though for once the Daltons haven’t escaped. They have, however, just learned that their cousin Emmett, last survivor of the original Dalton gang, has a son – and that Averell was chosen as his godfather! Now Lucky Luke has to accompany the dumbest bandits in the West to the young boy’s house, as Averell has been temporarily entrusted with his education. A job that his brothers see as an excellent opportunity to get rich ...

Everyone knows Joe, Jack, William and Averell Dalton, the four dumbest desperadoes in the Old West and the worst enemies of Lucky Luke’s holidays. But before them, Luke had also encountered their cousins: real-life legends of the West Bob, Grat, Bill and Emmett. When these four began making too much trouble, Luke was called to get rid of them. Fortunately for him, they weren’t much brighter than their successors... but they did provide plenty of entertainment!

When a former convict at the penitentiary where Rin Tin Can ‘works’ passes away, he leaves his entire fortune to ... the stupidest dog in the West! The inheritance includes multiple buildings in Virginia City, including most of Chinatown, which isn’t to everyone’s taste. Even worse, the will states that if anything should happen to Rin Tin Can, everything would then pass onto ... Joe Dalton. Following the inevitable escape of the four Daltons, Lucky Luke will have to protect the canine millionaire!

Big surprise for the Lonesome Cowboy: a rich widow and admirer of his exploits has bequeathed him a 250 acre cotton plantation in Louisiana! Thrust into the role of a rich landowner, welcomed as one by his white neighbours, he will have to fight to gain the trust of his terrified black employees and split his heritage among them. A goal towards which he’ll receive help from the local Cajun community, and from ... the Daltons!

Kid Luck, still travelling with Old Timer, arrives in Mushroom City. After months in the wild, they’re both glad to find a place where they can have some fun! While the old gold miner has every intention to enjoy himself, though, he immediately sends Luke ... straight to school! A horrible sentence for the young cowboy-in-the-making, who is about to meet a quartet of already nasty little brats, and a pistolero with somewhat ... flexible morals!

é Returned to their penitentiary by Lucky Luke for the umpteenth time, the Daltons meet a troubling character: Dunkle, a self-proclaimed prophet fond of fiery speeches. His continual preaching eventually converts the ever hapless Averell. Soon, all five escape together and find refuge in a friendly, welcoming community, where they sow chaos and discord each in their own way – unaware that Lucky Luke is already tracking them ...

Lucky Luke arrives at Navajo City just in time to sign up for the town’s big rodeo. But the prize money promised to the winner is attracting some unsavoury types, and among the participating cowboys is one Cactus Kid, an unrepentant bully and outlaw. The clash is inevitable, both in and outside the arena, and Luke will have to fight with his customary aplomb and humour – before riding off to new adventures.