Red-Ax, the Indian Giant

This dime novel "Red-Ax, the Indian Giant; or, The River Stockade" by Paul Bibbs follows border conflicts between settlers and Native Americans. In Chapter I, a French-speaking mercenary named Salvarez and an Ojibwah named Pou-loup meet with Ojibwah chiefs to negotiate a hundred-dollar bounty for the scalp of Red-Ax, a powerful Ojibwah leader accused of treason—allegedly harboring a Sioux squaw who would poison the tribe and betray them. Chapter II introduces the village of St. John on the Minnesota River, where traders arrive from St. Paul. Among them is Henry Montbleu, a wealthy young American adventurer. At a fort dance, Montbleu meets and courts Manda Rockville, a beautiful local girl. Mack Rollins, a jealous recluse living upriver, observes their intimacy and enlists an old Indian named Kini-ki-nik to spy on Montbleu.