The black cat, vol. I, no. 4, January 1896

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

79322

Title

The black cat, vol. I, no. 4, January 1896

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This January 1896 issue of *The Black Cat* offers a thrilling collection of original short stories, including a harrowing tale of survival in ancient Jerusalem caverns, a tense narrative of a photographer witnessing a mountain murder, and a mystery involving a wealthy library benefactor. Featuring diverse voices and adventurous plots, the magazine delivers fast-paced fiction with a Victorian edge.

Summary up to 500 words

The January 1896 issue of *The Black Cat*, published by The Shortstory Publishing Co., presents a vibrant anthology of original fiction that captures the era's fascination with the exotic, the criminal underworld, and psychological isolation. Framed by advertisements for contemporary products ranging from pianos to hair regenerator, the magazine serves as a platform for new American short fiction, explicitly seeking manuscripts that are terse, incident-rich, and free from padding or dialect. The issue opens with Charles Edward Barns' "In Solomon's Caverns," a tale of adventure set beneath Jerusalem. A traveler, driven by a secret ambition to find a passage to the Pool of Siloam, descends into ancient subterranean chambers built by Solomon's workers. His dragoman guide refuses to proceed further, warning of certain death. Ignoring the warning, the explorer ventures deeper and discovers his guide has been killed by a deadly gas lake heavier than air, which settles at the cavern's bottom. Trapped in the suffocating atmosphere, the explorer must remain upright to breathe, scavenging food from eyeless fish and bats while battling starvation and the creeping madness of isolation. He eventually finds a body of water, believing it connects to the Pool of Siloam, but his supplies dwindle as he wanders aimlessly in the dark, resolving to end his life if his mind fails. James Buckham's "The Missing Link" shifts the setting to the rugged Colorado mountains. A photographer on a camping expedition witnesses a violent struggle between two hunters over a deer. Captivated by the scene, he photographs the confrontation, only to capture a shocking moment: one hunter stabs the other in the chest with a knife. Horrified but compelled by a strange impulse, the photographer takes a second picture of the murderer fleeing. He returns to camp, unable to confess his cowardice, and reports finding a dead man instead. The narrative unfolds as a mystery involving a wealthy rancher, a suspected Mexican suspect named Marcelino, and a community grappling with prejudice and suspicion. The story highlights the tension between the photographer's artistic curiosity and his moral paralysis, culminating in a search party that identifies the victim as a Chicago tenderfoot named Stetson. Other stories in the collection, including Frederick Bradford's "An Angel of Tenderfoot Hill" and Herman Brownson's "In Miggles' Alley," further explore themes of domestic drama and frontier life. Together, these tales reflect the diverse genres and psychological depths characteristic of late 19th-century American literature.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Short Stories
• American Literature