Foot-Hills Frank; or, The Rivals of the Road

This 1898 dime novel installment features "Foot Hills Frank: The Rivals of the Road" by Joseph E. Badger Jr. The opening chapter depicts Major Dix Piety, a quartermaster escorting an armed guard carrying government money to Fort Grant, encountering a desperate scene: Amity B. Sell being beaten by road agents while his daughter Alice Daisy is assaulted. Piety charges with his escort, scattering the outlaws. The grateful Sells reveal Amity was robbed of personal notes and securities while defending his daughter. Piety orders the escort to camp, setting aside duty to aid the young woman. Sergeant Clutterbuck, skeptical of Sell's trustworthiness and concerned about the unguarded payroll, cautions the major about the stranger, but Piety dismisses his warnings, apparently distracted by Daisy's gratitude.