The Branded Hand; or, The Man of Mystery

# The Branded Hand; or, The Man of Mystery

This serial by Frank Dumont, author of "Wide-Awake" and "Marked for Life," follows a maritime adventure aboard the Sea Serpent in the Gulf of Mexico. After a violent storm, the crew discovers a female stowaway hidden in the hold. When brutish mate Jasper Daniels and superstitious sailors attempt to seize her as a "Jonah," a young American named Richard emerges from the cabin to protect her. He is joined by fellow passengers: Phelim McNamara, an Irish emigrant suffering from seasickness, and Carl Stopelheimer, a portly German. Together they fight the crew in hand-to-hand combat. Captain Alvarez, the vessel's swarthy commander, watches passively until intervening in the brawl. The narrative reveals Alvarez's dark past: he murdered his ward to claim an inheritance and bears the branded mark of a felon. The story centers on protecting the mysterious girl from the ship's lawless crew and captain.