Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616

1889 · 16 pages

"The Last Cruise of the Black Bear: A Romance of the Alaskan Seas and Coast" by George C. Jenks This serial adventure opens with the whaling bark *Americus* trapped in Arctic ice off Alaska. Captain Clarence Wrench, nicknamed "The Black Bear" for his dark appearance and ruthless temperament, commands the rescue of a distressed yawl carrying two women adrift on the ice pack. Young passenger Robert Burleigh, a Harvard man and wealthy Bostonian traveling incognito, assists in the rescue alongside boatswain Silas Hawkins. The salvaged women—an elderly lady named Pauline Novritch and a young, beautiful girl named Marie—trigger unexpected recognition and rage in Captain Wrench. Pauline, recognizing him by name, shrieks "Murderer!" before fainting, suggesting a dark shared history. The captain's violent reaction hints at criminal secrets. The narrative continues as the rescued women board the *Americus*, with tensions mounting between Wrench and the mysterious Pauline.

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 1 of 16 — 1 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 2 of 16 — 2 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 3 of 16 — 3 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 4 of 16 — 4 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 5 of 16 — 5 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 6 of 16 — 6 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 7 of 16 — 7 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 8 of 16 — 8 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 9 of 16 — 9 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 10 of 16 — 10 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 11 of 16 — 11 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 12 of 16 — 12 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 13 of 16 — 13 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 14 of 16 — 14 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 15 of 16 — 15 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 616 — page 16 of 16 — 16 / 16