Young Wild West at Gold Forge, or, Arietta and the Drop of Death

This issue of *Young Wild West* contains the serial "Young Wild West at Gold Gorge; or, Arietta and the Drop of Death" by An Old Scout. The story follows Young Wild West, his partners Jim Dart and Cheyenne Charlie, their sweethearts Arietta Murdock and Eloise Gardner, Charlie's wife Anna, and servants Hop Wah and Wing Wah as they travel through Arizona toward the newly discovered gold fields at Gold Gorge. The narrative emphasizes frontier adventure and survival: the party crosses hot desert terrain, hunts sage-hens for provisions, and locates water in a timbered ravine. Arietta demonstrates her frontier skill by outshootting the scout. Character sketches establish Hop Wah as a clever, gambling trickster with a weakness for whisky and petty theft, while Wing remains honest and serves as cook. The story emphasizes adventure over wealth-seeking, as the protagonists own established mines and ranches.