Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 488

"The Big Bracer's Bequest" by Jos. E. Badger, Jr. This mining-camp Western serial opens in Silver Lode, where grievances have mounted against "Big Bracer" Gypsy Gale, a card-sharp accused of running a rigged gambling operation. The dispute escalates when Ginger Gore discovers his partner Todd Undermill dead—shot through the head with a revolver in his hand. Undermill's suicide note accuses Gale of drugging him, robbing him of his entire stake, and driving him to despair over his destitute family back home. Though gambler Judd Varley initially urges caution, camp sentiment quickly turns toward lynch justice against Gale. Varley, a "fair" card player respected in the camp, ultimately declines to defend the Big Bracer, recognizing the futility of intervention. The narrative emphasizes frontier vigilante morality and the code among gamblers.