Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 461

"The Last Man of Keno Bar" by T.C. Harbaugh follows Kit King, who arrives by stage at the ruins of Keno Bar, Arizona, discovering all twenty-one male residents burned to death. King reveals himself as the sole survivor and vows vengeance, heading toward Crystal City. There he encounters the ruthless mining-town alcalde Bullion Burke, who controls the settlement through fear and commands a hunchbacked dwarf named Zocco. Burke discovers that a young man (Jack) and Border Berta—a mysterious girl—are lovers planning to flee the town. Burke orders Zocco to murder the youth. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger named Cactus Claude observes King's arrival with interest. The narrative weaves these conflicting plots as Kit King enters the hostile landscape of Crystal City with his hidden agenda for revenge.