Deadwood Dick Library, Vol. V, No. 54

This issue of the Half-Dime Library, published March 21, 1900, contains "Denver Doll as Detective: Little Bill's Bold Risk" by Edward L. Wheeler, author of the Deadwood Dick series. The western adventure serial follows Denver Doll, a young female detective known through the mountains, who intercepts a telegraph message revealing a plot to wreck the eastward-bound Union Pacific Express at Devil's Curve. Working with her companion Yakie Strauss, Doll rides her horse Colonel along the railroad track at dangerous speed to flag down the train. Though she succeeds in alerting the engineer, she is captured by masked members of the "Terrible Tribunal" led by Captain Crime. The wreck proceeds anyway, killing most passengers and yielding stolen goods including jewelry. The serial is illustrated with dramatic scenes of Doll waving her torch to stop the train.