Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 116

This issue of Beadle and Adams's weekly dime novel contains "The Hussar Captain; or, The Hermit of Hell-Gate" by Col. Prentiss Ingraham, author of adventure serials including "The Sea-Devil" and "Dick Dead-Eye." The Revolutionary War-era adventure opens when a cloaked stranger disarms and defeats an English grenadier and dragoon soldier in New York City, then flees toward the river. Captain Glen Tarleton of Washington's army encounters the fugitive and aids his escape by boat, navigating the treacherous Hell-Gate rapids to a hidden cavern basin in the rocks. There the stranger reveals himself as the legendary Hermit of Hell-Gate, a solitary figure long rumored to have rescued ships from the dangerous waters, refusing payment for his services. The cavern hideaway is furnished with books, weapons, provisions, and clothing of various kinds, attended by Rebel, an intelligent and muscular enslaved servant.