A complete, restored issue of Pulp Fiction from 1891 — all 16 pages of painted-cover fiction magazines that launched science fiction, horror, and hardboiled crime, free to page through at ComicBooks.com.

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A complete issue · 16 pages · 1891

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 743

1891 · Free to read

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 743 — page 2 of 16 — 2 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 743 — page 3 of 16 — 3 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 743 — page 4 of 16 — 4 / 16

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Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 743 — page 6 of 16 — 6 / 16

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Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 743 — page 16 of 16 — 16 / 16

About this issue

This serial novel by Col. Prentiss Ingraham, published in Beadle's Half Dime Library (October 1891), follows Ruth Redmond's troubled life in the Texas borderlands. The opening chapters establish Ruth's marriage to the mysterious "Devil Dick" Drummond, a skilled gunman and gambler. After her father's death at Comanche hands years earlier, Ruth inherits her uncle's Texas ranch and a mining fortune through Marks the Miner. Drummond squanders her wealth and becomes a fugitive in Mexico. Five years later, Ruth returns home alone to bury her aunt at an old Spanish mission cemetery. The funeral party—Ruth, two enslaved workers, and twelve cowboys—comes under attack by approximately sixty Comanches positioned between them and the ranch. Ruth assumes command, demonstrating courage and tactical judgment. Bible Bill, a converted former outlaw cowboy, emerges as her steadfast lieutenant, combining piety with frontier toughness. The narrative emphasizes Ruth's capability and leadership despite being vastly outnumbered.

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Each page has its own page — the cartoon, who’s in it, and what the satire means.