Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 680

1890 · 16 pages

This serial by Oll Coomes follows Dauntless Dan Darcy, a young, skilled horseman and free-lance adventurer who arrives at Round Vale Ranch to compete in a contest. Rancher Randolph Burke offers a thousand-dollar reward to anyone who can break or tame "Demon," a coal-black wild stallion recently captured in New Mexico. The horse has killed two men and severely injured others. Contestants gather from across Arizona and New Mexico, including Colonel Jack Hermer, Professor Joab Dilken, Mexican rancheros, and the boastful "Missouri Mike." As the contest begins, participants attempt successively to subdue the vicious stallion. Missouri Mike's arm is broken in seconds. A Mexican ranchero named Juan Alveraz fails when Demon charges him. Burke ultimately hopes to use the tamed Demon to catch outlaw "Black Horse Bill," whose superior horsemanship has enabled years of theft. Young Dan Darcy emerges as the most promising candidate, known for exceptional skill with whip, rifle, and lasso.

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