Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 812

This issue features the opening chapters of "The Round-Up at Roundabout: The Romance of Rival Clans" by Ed. L. Wheeler, author of the Deadwood Dick novels. The story concerns two competing Western mining camps, Roundabout and Hustleville, separated by a narrow pass called "the Choke." Long-standing rivalry between them stems from Roundabout's earlier acquisition of the post office and its advantage of having ground for building (though not for a cemetery, which Hustleville possesses). The narrative begins on the day Roundabout receives its new fire-engine, intended to assert superiority over Hustleville. Chapter One details the celebration and competitive banter between the rival towns' mayors and newspaper editors. Chapter Two describes the ceremony's continuation with speeches and the preparation for a public trial of the fire-engine, with the ex-fireman tasked with demonstrating its capabilities positioned to become fire company captain.