Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 461

# Catalog Note

"The Red Riders of Rayon," a frontier adventure tale by Albert W. Aiken, occupies this weekly publication. Jackson Blake, a California-based fighter and sportsman nicknamed "the Fresh of 'Frisco," arrives at the stage ranch in Las Cruces, New Mexico, seeking passage to El Paso. The hostile Express-agent Alexander Richardson falsely claims the stage is fully booked, but Blake compels the issue through a brief fistfight and gun-drawing. Blake's suspicions are aroused when the coach arrives demonstrably under-capacity with only three passengers: two young women (one dark-haired, one blonde) and an elderly gentleman. Richardson's transparent excuse—that a drunken employee misinformed him about capacity—fails to satisfy Blake. The narrative establishes that someone deliberately attempted to prevent Blake's travel, though his purpose remains unexplained. The serial emphasizes Blake's physical prowess, quick thinking, and skeptical observation.