Beadle's Dime Library, No. 406

This 1886 pulp weekly features "Charley's Luck: A Tale of Circus Rivalry" by Capt. Fred. Whittaker. Two wealthy young men—the cruel, ambitious Colden Stone and his companion George Leonard—are driving through western New York when an escaped circus elephant frightens their horses into a dangerous runaway. A fearless girl on horseback, belonging to Pop Hicks's traveling circus, saves them by calmly guiding the team across a treacherous bridge. Stone attempts to seduce her with flattery and a diamond pin, but she rejects him scornfully. Intrigued, both men resolve to attend the circus. The narrative then shifts to Popokus, where two rival circuses—Pop Hicks's Show and G. Bragan Bownsse's Show of All Shows—compete for the town's audience. Pop Hicks employs a clever marketing ploy, sending his performers parading around the tent to attract indecisive crowds.