Beadle's Pocket Library No. 441

"Wistah, the Child Spy; or, The Old Scout of the Wabash" by George Gleason is a frontier adventure serial set in Indiana Territory near the Wabash River, circa post-Revolutionary War. Two travelers—Lauren Haldrick, a refined Virginian, and Michael Denny, an Irish companion—journey through wilderness seeking Haldrick's uncle, the renowned frontier scout "Old Josh Lincoln." They encounter Ephraim Shelbridge, a peaceable Quaker settler living with his family on a remote clearing. Shelbridge's household includes his wife Martha, daughter Ruth (with whom Haldrick is immediately smitten), and elderly Grandmother Shelbridge. After supper and evening conversation about Revolutionary War exploits, mysterious visitors arrive at the house, their knock carrying ominous significance that alarms the women and clouds Shelbridge's expression, suggesting danger despite his faith in peaceful coexistence with local Indians.