Beadle's Pocket Novels No. 229: The Hunter's Escape

About this issue

"The Hunter's Escape: A Tale of the Northwest in 1862" by Edward S. Ellis is a serialized narrative from Beadle and Adams' Pocket Novel series. The story centers on Father Richter, a seventy-year-old missionary who has labored for forty years among Minnesota's Sioux Indians, and his daughter Cora. The opening depicts a Sabbath service where Father Richter preaches to approximately fifty Indian converts. His sharp perception detects unusual agitation among the congregation. Christian Jim, a converted Sioux, arrives bearing news of a major Indian uprising at the Upper Agency. He warns that hostile Sioux, led by Little Crow, are killing white settlers and may target the mission. Father Richter's decades of steadfast faith and consistent treatment have previously protected his household during violent outbreaks, though the narrative suggests this crisis poses unprecedented danger to both missionary and daughter.