Ben Brion, The Trapper Captain; or, Redpath, the Avenger

This issue of the weekly Street & Smith's pulp magazine from December 7, 1881, features the opening installment of "Ben Brion, the Trapper Captain; or, Redpath, the Avenger," a romance of rival fur brigades by Dr. J. H. Robinson. The narrative follows Ben Brion, a trapper employed by the American Fur Company, traveling westward toward the Platte River during the competitive spring trapping season. Brion encounters a philosophical young stranger at his campfire—who kills a rattlesnake while Brion sleeps—then meets Buckeye, an independent free trapper performing Indian-style horsemanship tricks. That night, Brion discovers a freshly thrown Indian hatchet near camp and traces mysterious footprints that abruptly vanish, suggesting they are being tracked by unknown pursuers. Buckeye expresses cryptic concern about their circumstances, hinting at danger ahead.