Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 965

Museum Catalog Note This issue of *Deadwood Dick's Pocket Library* features "Volcano Dan: A Deserter" by Edward L. Wheeler, creator of the Deadwood Dick series. The serial presents overlapping narratives: a young woman named Freda tends her delirious father in a barren southwestern desert as he raves about discovered gold from the legendary Velasque treasure. The father dies of fever; Freda buries him and heads toward distant mountains seeking water and survival. Parallel to this, a band of ten rough prospectors led by the volatile "Volcano Dan" discovers their crucial map to the Velasque treasure's location has vanished from their possession. After accusing one another and conducting strip searches, they discover a map copy hidden in fellow member Bullet Bob's boot. Volcano Dan declares it identical to the original, condemning Bob as a traitor. Bob protests his innocence, questioning the leader's methods. The narrative ends as tensions mount toward violent judgment.