# the stranger — Songs of a Sourdough character guide

> the stranger in Songs of a Sourdough by Robert W. Service.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** the stranger

**First appearance:** 0015-the-shooting-of-dan-mcgrew

## Who they are

A dust-glazed man from the creeks who drifts into the Malamute, calls Dan McGrew a hound of hell, and lets his pistols answer for him.

## Relationships

### [Dangerous Dan McGrew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/characters/dangerous_dan_mcgrew)

_rivalry_

The stranger and Dangerous Dan McGrew are antagonists, with the stranger ultimately killing Dan in a gunfight.

### [Lou](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/characters/lou)

_romantic_

Lou shares a secret romantic connection with the stranger, which triggers Dan McGrew's jealousy and the fatal showdown.

### [Sam McGee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/characters/sam_mcgee)

_social_

Sam McGee and the stranger are fellow travelers in the Klondike, but have no significant relationship beyond shared setting.

### [Dangerous Dan McGrew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/characters/dangerous_dan_mcgrew)

_rivalry_

Dangerous Dan McGrew and the stranger are deadly rivals, culminating in a violent confrontation in the Malamute saloon.

## In the story

### [Songs of a Sourdough](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/chapters/songs-of-a-sourdough)

Mysterious piano player in 'The Shooting of Dan McGrew', whose arrival and performance trigger the fatal confrontation.

### [The Shooting of Dan McGrew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/chapters/the-shooting-of-dan-mcgrew)

A miner fresh from the creeks, he stumbles into the saloon, plays a powerful piano piece, and confronts Dan McGrew before the shootout.

### [Music in the Bush](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/chapters/music-in-the-bush)

A lame tramp who stops to listen to the woman's song, weeping bitterly before moving on.

### [New Year's Eve](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/chapters/new-year-s-eve)

The narrator, a broken, starving man who enters McGuffy's saloon on New Year's Eve, haunted by memories of lost love and a past life.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/characters/the_stranger
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/characters