Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 515

# OLD FALCON'S MASTER GAME

This installment opens with a baseball match at the Medical College of Owensburg, New York. Short-Stop Maje—Major Jack Falconbridge, formerly known as the Thunderbolt Detective—plays for the college nine against the rival team from Winghampton. After the college wins, Tom Briggs, a bullying catcher from the losing side, accuses Falconbridge of being a disguised professional gambler. The insult escalates into a fight, which Falconbridge quickly and decisively wins. A wealthy New York gentleman, Mr. Fullhand, then proposes a second match with a one-hundred-dollar purse, employing a dubious umpire, Curveshot Balder. The college team wins again largely through Falconbridge's play. Afterward, Fullhand privately questions Falconbridge about their possible prior acquaintance, hinting at knowledge of his detective past, though Falconbridge deflects the inquiry with minimal information.