pulps
Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 471
This issue contains the opening of "Zigzag's Full Hand," a Western adventure serial by E. A. St. Mon, subtitled "A Romance of Texan Toughs and Texan Trails." The story depicts a dramatic train robbery in Northern Texas. Armed cowboys halt a locomotive with a rock on the tracks and fire warning shots; fifteen masked robbers board the cars demanding money, watches, and jewelry. While most passengers submit meekly, an unescorted young lady traveling from St. Louis to San Antonio—described as accomplished and skilled with firearms—protests the lack of resistance. When a robber demands her valuables, she shoots him twice with a small revolver, wounding him in the face and neck. A second robber she fires at escapes unhurt. Though one armed guard considers killing her, another robber appeals to his sense of honor, noting her courage, and she is spared. The wounded bandit withdraws to tend his injury.