Dandy Dick, Detective; or, The Still Hunt at Burnt Match

Dandy Dick, Detective This dime novel, published by Beadle and Adams in 1897 (Vol. XL, No. 10), contains "The Still Hunt at Burnt Match" by Robert Randolph Inman, a Western detective story. A well-dressed young man traveling through a canyon north of Denver discovers a dead woman and child, shot multiple times, including bullet holes through the woman's back. The man, deeply emotionally affected and identifying the woman as "Anita," vows vengeance. He soon encounters Barney O'Linn, a young Irish prospector, who initially threatens him at gunpoint but becomes convinced of his innocence. The two bury the bodies together, and the stranger hires O'Linn as his assistant for one dollar per day plus provisions, offering no explanation of his past involvement. O'Linn suspects Devil Duval, a notorious outlaw leading a gang called the Devil's Half-Dozen, is responsible for the murders.