Beadle's Dime Library No. 689

Beadle and Adams Dime Novel No. 689 *The Sparkler Sharp, or The Spotter Sport's Unknown Foe* by William G. Patten (January 6, 1892) The serial opens with Basil Rodman—"The Sparkler Sharp" or "Spotter Sport"—a well-dressed sporting man traveling by burro toward Tar Heel City. Adorned with prominent diamonds, he encounters Wild Bess, a mountain girl who warns him that two Tar Heel desperados, Horror Hank and Gentle Jim, plan to ambush him. She provides this intelligence after initially accosting him at gunpoint. Despite his attempt to gift her a diamond scarf-pin (which she indignantly refuses), Bess departs after warning him. Rodman reflects on his mysterious enemies and a bitter past. As he continues his journey, his burro suddenly halts—an action that saves his life when two rifle shots intended for him kill the animal instead. From behind nearby rocks, Horror Hank and Gentle Jim emerge, revolvers drawn.