Kangaroo Kit; or, The Mysterious Miner

Kangaroo Kit: The Mysterious Miner

Edward L. Wheeler's serial "Kangaroo Kit: The Mysterious Miner—A Tale of Ghoul Gulch" follows a sixteen-year-old red-haired vagabond from Boston seeking work at a gold mining camp. The ragged, witty boy confronts Sandy, the mine's gang boss, demanding employment. Sandy directs him to Boss Lyons, absent in Chicago, but gives him money for food. Kit visits Hans Glockenspiel's restaurant, eats beef and potatoes, and attempts to leave with only ten cents, leading Hans to threaten him with a revolver until Kit surrenders his remaining coins. Kit subsequently visits the Lyons residence, where he encounters Angeline, apparently an unmarried woman living there. Through flattery and deception, he convinces her that Sandy, the auburn-haired overseer, harbors romantic feelings for her, presenting her with a rose and extracting a dollar. Kit then encounters a brown-haired, brown-eyed girl—presumably Miss Laurel Lyons, the owner's daughter.