The Dead Shot Dandy; or, Benito, the Boy Bugler

Museum Catalog Note This issue features "The Dead Shot Dandy; Benito, the Boy Bugler," a romance of a boy waif on the Texas prairies by Colonel Prentiss Ingraham. The story begins at a fort near the Rio Grande, introducing Duke Decatur, a fastidious, well-dressed scout nicknamed "Dead Shot Dandy" for his elegant appearance. He wears Mexican-style clothing trimmed with gold, jeweled weapons, and fine jewelry. Overhearing his planned scout route, the hunter Bronze Bill and scout Monte Nunez conspire to ambush him at Padre's Rock. Bronze Bill attempts the assassination but is shot and mortally wounded by Dandy's superior marksmanship. Monte arrives to find the dying Bronze Bill and vows revenge, beginning an escalating conflict between the rivals.