Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 945

This December 2, 1896 issue of *Beadle's Dime Library* features "Summer Billy's Bluff: A Story of the Touchstone Mine at Breakneck" by Joseph E. Badger, Jr. The serial western follows Arthur Crossley, foreman of the Touchstone silver mine, as he undertakes a perilous night ride along an abandoned trail to deliver a precious cargo to Breakneck. Pursued and ambushed repeatedly by unknown enemies, Crossley evades a lasso attack, navigates diverging paths while pursued through moonlit terrain, and is finally thrown from his horse when an ambushing party strings a rope across the trail. The opening chapters depict his desperate escape attempts and a hand-to-hand skirmish with his attackers. The narrative emphasizes suspense, action, and Crossley's determination to protect his charge while questioning the identity and intentions of his assailants.