Beadle's New Dime Novels: The Lake Rangers

"The Lake Rangers: A Tale of Ticonderoga" by W. J. Hamilton This frontier adventure narrative depicts Major Seely commanding a batteau crew of nine border men on a lake expedition during the colonial period. The story establishes its setting through dialogue featuring Jake Dowdle, the stroke oarsman—a boastful, combative frontiersman prone to tall tales about his family's remarkable abilities. After a comical dispute among the crew, the party witnesses a panther attack and kill a deer on the shoreline. Major Seely organizes a pursuit, offering five guineas for the beast's ears. Jake attempts to shoot the wounded panther but accidentally misses when someone rocks the boat. The panther springs upon the major, and a violent struggle ensues down the bank into the water. Jake intervenes heroically, distracting the enraged animal before delivering a fatal shot through its brain. The party recovers the nine-foot female panther, and the major insists Jake claim both the trophy hide and the reward.