Beadle's Dime Library No. 387

The Gold Phantom A serialized Western adventure by Jos. E. Badger, Jr., continuing his "Gold 49" series. The opening chapter introduces Humpy Dick, a deformed drunkard known as "The Beggar-Millionaire" in Denver saloons—a broken man who periodically appears with quantities of gold dust, spends lavishly on whisky, then vanishes when his money runs out. Barkeeper Dan Nipperley refuses him credit until tough Lop-eared Mose intervenes, buying him a drink. Mose recognizes Humpy Dick's face as that of Sterling Coin, someone from his past, and notices a flash of steel beneath the hunchback's rags. Humpy Dick hints at vast hidden riches—enough for thousands—and warns Mose not to speak a name or he'll "rip your heart in halves." Suspicious of a valuable discovery, Lop-eared Mose and three criminal associates follow the Beggar-Millionaire into the night to learn his secrets.