The Rival Rovers; or, The Freebooters of the Mississippi

This issue of the Beadle and Adams dime novel series (May 20, 1879) features "The Rival Rovers; or, The Freebooters of the Mississippi" by Lieut. Col. Hazeltine. The narrative opens in May on the St. Francis River in Arkansas, introducing young François Clanricard, son of pirate chief Lorenzo Clanricard. Returning to his hidden cave headquarters, François finds his sister Lola missing. Evidence of a struggle—overturned furniture, broken bottles, and his sister's dropped stiletto—suggests abduction. He discovers the bodies of five men, apparently slain by an impostor named Captain Hernando Cortini who gained access through forged letters. A dying guard indicates Cortini took Lola during the assault. The narrative establishes a rivalry between François's father Lorenzo Clanricard and Italian pirate Vestivalli Chireni, positioning the adventure within early Mississippi piracy during the late eighteenth century.