Dandy Don, the Denver Detective

This issue of *Beadle and Adams* features "Dandy Don, the Denver Detective; or, The Masked Faro Queen" by Jos. E. Badger, Jr., subtitled "Romance of the Chloride City Death Riddle." The narrative follows Don Darling, an impeccably dressed Denver dandy arriving by stagecoil at the mining town of Chloride City. Upon arrival, the rough Pike Hunter subjects Darling to crude mockery and deliberate insults, spitting tobacco juice on his patent-leather shoes and crushing his silk hat. When Darling responds by kicking Hunter's face, the desperado falls dead—struck down before Darling's blow could land. The crowd discovers Pike Hunter murdered, his killer unknown. The story establishes a mystery: what killed Hunter, and who commits these murders? The narrative combines frontier action with detective-story elements, featuring a refined protagonist navigating rough mining-town society.