Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 242

1882 · 16 pages

This Beadle and Adams weekly (March 14, 1882) contains "The Two 'Bloods': Shenandoah Bill and His Gang," a mountain romance by Charles Morris. The narrative opens at a Virginia rifle match near Sumter, West Virginia, where mountaineer marksmen compete for prizes. A boastful, red-shirted contestant called Bill Bounce dominates early rounds with his rifle "Betsy." Three well-dressed city visitors—young gentleman Frazer, the portly Bart, and a thin-faced Southerner—arrive at the event. When challenged by the brash Bill, the unassuming Frazer accepts a wager. A melancholic young local named Hardy competes under financial pressure: his mother's property faces foreclosure unless he wins the substantial prize. The narrative culminates with preparations for the day's final match—a two-hundred-dollar purse with an eagle-shaped target at three hundred yards. Bill Bounce resents the city visitors' presence and superiority while plotting against them.

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