Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 37

# Catalog Note: Beadle's Dime Library, Vol. III, No. 3

"Hirl, the Hunchback; or, The Swordmaker of the Santee," by Dr. J. H. Robinson, is a complete Revolutionary War adventure serial. The narrative follows a fugitive named Deering, pursued by Colonel Somerton and his dragoons across the Santee region. Deering, captured while attempting to escape across the river, is revealed to be accused of treason—a suspected British spy during the American Revolutionary period. Colonel Somerton, despite his subordinate Rainford's calls for immediate execution, resolves that Deering receive a fair trial. The prisoner is confined to a log cabin with Sergeant Giles assigned as guard. The fragmentary text shows further developments involving a character named Judith Redmond and references to Hirl as a swordmaker, though the conclusion is largely OCR-corrupted in the provided excerpt. The narrative combines action, military intrigue, and period conflict during the turbulent Carolina campaign.