Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 169

This issue of Beadle and Adams' weekly (Vol. VII, No. 5) contains the opening installment of "Tornado Tom; or, Injun Jack from Red Core," a western adventure serial by T. C. Harbaugh. The story follows Tornado Tom, a solitary mountain man traversing Idaho's unexplored wilderness, who discovers a mysterious map traced in sand. The discovery leads him to a narrow canyon pass where he encounters Injun Jack, a handsome, dark-haired figure of mixed descent, also seeking the map's prize. Before they can duel over it, a large Indian tribe on horseback passes through the canyon. The two antagonists agree to cooperate, steal horses from Indian boys, and flee across a river. During their escape, Tornado Tom is swept into the current; Injun Jack rescues his would-be enemy, dragging him ashore before collapsing. The fragment concludes with a scene shift to a boy waiting at a mountain cave.