The Jimtown Sport by E.L. Wheeler

"The Jimtown Sport" by Edward L. Wheeler (author of Deadwood Dick series). This dime novel serial follows Gypsy Jack, a flamboyantly dressed young man from Jimtown, who arrives in booming Durango, Colorado alongside his Chinaman companion Shy Sam and an exceptionally intelligent dog named Skip. Jack claims ownership of mining claim No. 80, which a land speculator named John Metcalf disputes, asserting he purchased it from a Mexican woman. Jack threatens violence to reclaim the property. The narrative includes demonstrations of Skip's remarkable circus tricks—acrobatics on horseback, jumping feats—that attract crowds. Jack encounters gruff mountain man Old Somerset, who attempts to purchase Skip. Action and confrontation dominate as Jack establishes himself in this rough mining town through showmanship and intimidation.