Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 217

The Serpent of El Paso; Frontier Frank, the Scout of the Rio Grande

This serialized Western adventure by "Buckskin Sam" (Major Sam S. Hall) begins with a fandango celebration in El Paso, Texas, disrupted by drunken American border desperados who invade the dance and attempt violence. Frontier Frank, a young scout, intervenes with his revolvers, eliminating the entire outlaw party and saving Elizabeth Ellsworth, the sixteen-year-old American daughter of a disgraced army officer. Elizabeth, who previously rejected Frank's declaration of love at Fort Davis, had believed him dead to Apache attack. She had since fallen into difficult circumstances following her father's drinking and dismissal from service. The narrative contrasts Mexican officers and society with rough American border types, detailing El Paso's landscape, customs, architecture, and commerce. Frank's dramatic rescue reignites Elizabeth's concealed affection, while she remains vulnerable and unprotected on the lawless frontier.