Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 187

Fred Halyard, the Life Boat Boy This serial installment, "Fred Halyard, the Life Boat Boy; or, The Smugglers of the Inlet," by Charles Morris, follows a young coast-guard helmsman pursuing smugglers through an inlet near Beach City. When Fred directs the pursuing boat through narrow marsh channels marked with bent reeds, he becomes separated and is captured by the smugglers. Tied, gagged, and blindfolded, Fred is brought aboard a vessel where he observes his captors through a crack beneath a locked door—noting a dark-skinned man with distinctive features stroking a white and black spotted cat. Though imprisoned and facing an uncertain fate, Fred remains resourceful, having removed his gag and begun memorizing details of his surroundings. The narrative combines maritime adventure with mystery elements as Fred attempts to maintain his composure while captured.