Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 728

This issue of Beadle's Dime Novels (No. 728, July 1891) features the first installment of "Ivan, the Man of Iron: The Romance of the Curious Case at Coffin Camp" by Edward L. Wheeler, author of the Deadwood Dick series. The Western adventure follows a mysterious horseman named Ivan who arrives at the notorious outlaw settlement Coffin Camp. The inhabitants are celebrating by burning an effigy of Deadwood Dick, whom they blame for killing their leader, Guerrilla Jake. Ivan's arrival raises suspicion among the camp's rough denizens, led by "Terrible Thomas." When Ivan claims to seek refuge there, the outlaws grow suspicious, suspecting him of being a spy—or worse, Deadwood Dick himself in disguise. The chapter ends with Ivan facing a frontier court assembled to determine his true identity and whether he should be permitted to stay.