Beadle's Dime Library No. 855

"The Rogue-Rancher" by Joseph E. Badger Jr. This Wyoming rustler romance opens with dramatic action in a secluded valley. The Prairie Kid, a young cowboy chief wearing a black mask, is cornered by Hardress Knox and his vigilante force. After being spotted and cut off from escape, the Kid attempts to flee on horseback but is shot at by Knox. In a climactic moment, he rides toward the river's precipitous bank and plunges over the edge, disappearing into the water below. His horse survives, swimming to shore, but the masked rider vanishes—apparently dead, killed by Knox's gunfire or the fall. Old Pap Ryan, the Kid's elderly companion, grieves desperately while being captured by Knox's men. The chapter ends as the vigilantes take their prisoners into custody, with Knox ordering them secured while remaining troubled by the Kid's apparent death.