Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 417

This issue of Beadle's Dime Novels (No. 417, July 21, 1885) contains "The Boy Bear-Slayer of the Sierras" by Oll Coombes, a frontier adventure serial. The story follows sixteen-year-old Ned Hooker (called Bearslayer), a renowned hunter in Virginia City who has killed numerous grizzly bears and gained wealth from miners' bounties. Late one night, masked road-agents visit his cabin demanding he abandon bear-hunting or swear secrecy about mountain hideouts—threatening death by hanging. After Bearslayer refuses, a second masked party (apparently Vigilantes) bursts in, opens fire on the first group, and flees. Intrigued and suspicious, Bearslayer pursues them into the mountains, following wolves tracking blood. He encounters a wolf pack, nearly overwhelmed until armed men dispersing the animals emerge from darkness. The story ends ambiguously as five men attack him. The issue also advertises "Webfoot Mose, the Tramp-Detective."