Often, the rancher himself is a main character. He's usually the one who discovers the strange happenings around the ranch.
There are also the ghosts or spirits that haunt the place. In some stories, a Native American spirit is a central figure, protecting the land in its own spooky way. For example, it might appear as a glowing figure to those who disrespect the ancient burial grounds on the ranch. This spirit is a complex character, with motives that are both protective and fearsome.
In the 'the king ranch story', the main characters could be those who first established the King Ranch. They were the ones with the ambition and foresight to create such a large - scale ranching operation. The ranch hands, who were the backbone of the ranch's day - to - day operations, are also likely main characters. These are the people who rode the ranges, branded the cattle, and mended the fences. Additionally, if there were any influential people in the area who had a say in the ranch's development, like local businessmen who provided financial support or politicians who influenced land - use policies related to the ranch, they could be part of the main characters in this story.
I don't know as I haven't read it. It could be a ranch owner, the ranch hands, or maybe a family that lives on the ranch.
Perhaps the main characters are a group of ranchers who are all partners in the ranch. They each have different roles. One might be good at handling the cattle, another at taking care of the financial side of things. And when the story says'meanwhile back at the ranch', it shows what each of them is doing at different times, whether they are out trading livestock or back at the ranch mending the barn.
It's hard to say exactly without reading every story, but there could be the local townsfolk who often encounter the spooky events. Maybe there are also some wandering strangers who stumble upon the horror in Texas.
There are also stories where the main character is a young cowboy new to the frontier. In the story of the Haunted Saloon, a young cowboy named Billy arrives in a new town. The saloon he visits is haunted by the ghosts of outlaws who were killed there years ago. Billy has to face these spooky apparitions as he tries to make a name for himself in the town.
In the 'Werewolf by Night' story, the main character is Jack Russell, who is the werewolf. He is constantly fighting against his own nature.
Well, it could be a young girl who discovers the secrets of the scary world in Scarlet Scary Stories. She might be the one who has to face the terrors and find a way to overcome them.
There could be some victims of the scary events. They might be ordinary people who get caught up in the supernatural happenings, like a family that moves into a haunted house not knowing what awaits them. Their reactions to the horror and their attempts to escape or deal with it could be a big part of the stories.
There's often a protagonist who is the one experiencing the horror. For example, in the haunted house story, it was a young journalist who was trying to write an article about the house. His curiosity led him into the terrifying situation.
In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are the central characters. In 'The Black Cat', the unnamed narrator is the main character, along with his black cat, Pluto. In 'The Amityville Horror', the Lutz family are the main characters who experience the terrifying events in the haunted house.