Horseshoe Hank, the Man of Big Luck

Horseshoe Hank, The Man of Big Luck; or, The Gold Brick of Idaho This dime novel serial by Captain Mark Wilton presents a Western romance gone wrong. Hank Latham, a prosperous Colorado cattle-raiser of about twenty-five, is preparing to marry Mira Garrett when he discovers she has fled with another man. Finding her abandoned uncle in a daze, Latham locates a letter revealing Mira's contempt for ranch life and her devotion to an unidentified gentleman of "brilliant gifts" whom she considers her superior. A wandering character called Dandelion Dan reports having seen Mira meeting secretly with a stranger in a brown coat near the house. Searching Mira's room, Latham discovers burned letter fragments containing only fragments: "Stonewall," "flee at once," and "my devotion." Though devastated by Mira's treachery, Latham directs his rage toward her unknown lover and resolves to hunt him down for revenge. The word "Stonewall" emerges as his only lead, possibly a nickname or destination.