Beadle's Dime Library No. 93: Captain Dick Talbot, King of the Road

King of the Road; Or, The Black-Hoods of Shasta by Albert W. Aiken is a Western adventure serial set in California's Cinnabar Valley near Mount Shasta. The narrative follows Dick Talbot, a notorious outlaw with a thousand-dollar price on his head, as he plots his redemption. Meeting secretly with Mud-turtle, a Blackfoot chief and his ally from previous adventures, and Joe Bowers, a garrulous drifter, Talbot proposes to make peace with the State of California. The three seal a blood oath of brotherhood. Meanwhile, a well-dressed stranger arrives via express coach, inquiring about road-agents called the Black-hoods—masked robbers operating in the region. Speculation suggests Dick Talbot leads this gang. The coach is quickly ambushed by masked riders in the canyon, confirming the stranger's misfortune.