Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 635

# "The Boomer's Last Battle" by Philip S. Warne

This frontier adventure serial, published by Beadle and Adams in September 1889, follows Charley Foraker, an Eastern gentleman visiting Fort Reno in Oklahoma Territory. After entertaining fellow officers with stories and songs, Foraker joins Lieutenant Bert Westerly and scout Oklahoma Hi on an expedition to confront illegal settlers ("boomers"). The narrative shifts to reveal Captain Deadman Dolph and his men, who possess something illicit they must hide from authorities—referenced cryptically as cargo requiring burial. When the soldiers spot Deadman's wagon-train fleeing toward the Canadian River, a pursuit across the prairie ensues. The captain refuses to explain their cargo to subordinate Toby Two-bits but insists on reaching the river before Oklahoma Hi intercepts them, suggesting desperation over mere land-claim violations. The chase culminates as Deadman's mule-drawn schooner races toward the timber-lined riverbed with mounted soldiers in pursuit.