Sol Scott, the Masked Miner; or, Dan Brown's Double

Sol Scott, the Masked Miner; or, Dan Brown's Double

This serial by Joseph E. Badger, Jr. opens in Golconda, a silver-mining town, on a July night when a mysterious figure in mask and masculine dress arrives at the Dew Drop Inn gambling hall seeking someone. The cloaked stranger's clear voice intrigues local miner Sol Scott, who follows. Inside the saloon, a drunken giant named Vernon Shadutz forces himself on the masked figure, who shoots a glass at his face and draws a revolver, forcing an apology. Sol Scott intervenes, defeating Shadutz in brutal hand-to-hand combat with a knockout punch while a garrulous old prospector looks on. The masked woman, displaying unexpected courage, stands beside Scott with both pistols drawn as Shadutz rises again, threatening further violence. The confrontation escalates as other patrons flee and Isaac Tampkin, the bartender, nervously observes.