Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 278

Catalog Note This November 1882 Beadle and Adams dime novel (No. 278) contains "The Three Trappers: The Mountain Monster," a Black Hills tale by Major W. Carson. The story follows three frontier trappers—Ben Miffin (a seasoned American), Jules Damand (a French voyageur), and Jan (a Dutch immigrant)—as they establish a camp in the Black Hills to set beaver traps. The narrative opens with comic banter among the three men regarding food, wine, smoking habits, and icebergs, during which Jules tricks Jan into eating frog soup after Jan had sworn he would never eat frogs or snakes. After their meal, the men depart toward a promising beaver-dam location. While traveling through scattered pine growth, Ben encounters a grizzly bear and prepares for combat. The tale combines frontier adventure with comedic character interactions presented through distinctive ethnic dialect.