Beadle's Dime Library No. 157

About this issue

This October 26, 1881 issue features "Mourad, the Mameluke; or, The Three Swordmasters," a serialized adventure tale by Col. Thomas Hoyer Monstery. Set during Bonaparte's 1798 Egyptian campaign, the narrative follows Emil St. George, a sergeant in the general's escort and a skilled swordsman, and Professor Blot, an orientalist collecting Arabic manuscripts. The story opens in Alexandria's bazaar, where St. George provokes a duel with Lafangere, a haughty French fencing master and inventor of the stop-thrust technique. Their confrontation stems partly from St. George's challenge to Lafangere's swordsmanship and partly from St. George's bitterness over his mixed-race Creole heritage—a status he believes prevents acceptance despite his military service. The narrative interweaves historical detail about the French invasion, colonial attitudes, and personal honor codes governing dueling among military officers.