Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 753

This issue of *Beadle and Adams* Weekly contains the opening installment of "The Oath of the Combination," a Western adventure serial by J. C. Cowdrick, author of the "Broadway Billy" novels. The story follows Billy Weston, his rotund companion James Callahan (nicknamed Skinny), and an old mountain ranger named Roger Watts as they arrive in Denver after adventures in the Colorado wilderness. Billy, a New York native experienced in detective work, plans to settle briefly in the city before returning East. The narrative emphasizes the contrast between their rough frontier clothing and the refined city environment, with considerable comic banter between Billy and Skinny regarding the latter's recent weight gain. After registering at a modest drovers' hotel, the trio prepares for new experiences in the expanding city, with hints that detective work awaits them.