Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 234

This Beadle and Adams dime novel, *Old Rocky's "Boyees": Benito, the Young Horse-Breaker* by Major Sam S. Hall, follows an adventure narrative set in Texas. The story features Benito, an eighteen-year-old of mixed American and Mexican heritage who serves as a guide and wild horse-breaker. Two young men from the East, Robert Sinclair and Henry Greenway, arrive at his riverside camp near Mission San Juan seeking frontier adventure. They are joined by "Old Rocky" (William Young), a seasoned scout known throughout Texas and the Rocky Mountains. The narrative depicts their preparations for a trip toward the Bravo River, featuring period frontier dialect and detailed descriptions of Texas wildlife. An extended comedic sequence involves a troublesome pack-mule that stampedes through camp, nearly causing disaster before Benito subdues it with a club. The group settles for the evening around a campfire after supper, with Old Rocky issuing instructions for their upcoming journey and warning of potential dangers from Native Americans and Mexican bandits.