The Dime Library, No. 1044

This 1901 pulp serial, "Double Sight, the Death Shot: The Outlaw of the Chaparral" by Jos. E. Badger Jr., opens with a vivid description of a Spanish-style arena spectacle in Texas. The narrative begins with Monte Parnaso, a greased-tree climbing competition for prizes, interrupted when a bull is released into the arena. After contestants scatter, a magnificent black bull with barbed missiles embedded in its flanks is introduced, followed by a massive starving grizzly bear. The animals fight brutally while spectators witness chaotic scenes including a barrier collapse. A young ranchero in Mexican dress coolly kills the bear with a knife after shielding himself with his sash, earning gratitude from protagonists Mark Bird and Kirke Howard. The story then shifts to introducing a strikingly beautiful young woman in plain calico dress, guarded by rough male companions near a wagon, representing the "contrasts" and "surprises" of Texas frontier life.