When the Easterner, Johnnie, and the cowboy are discussing why the Swede is behaving so strangely upon arriving at the hotel, the Easterner hypothesizes that he may be afraid of them due to preconceived notions of the American West, alluding to dime novels in the process:
“Why, he’s frightened.” The Easterner knocked his pipe against a rim of the stove. “He’s clear frightened out of his boots.”
“What at?” cried Johnnie and the cowboy together. […]
“Oh, I don’t know, but it seems to me this man has been reading dime novels, and he thinks he’s right out in the middle of it—the shootin’ and stabbin’ and all.”
Dime novels were paperback magazine-like publications popular in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries that featured stories of cowboys, outlaws, and other rough characters navigating frontier life. Though dime novels were mainly geared toward children, people across the United States (and beyond) were aware of the tropes present in these stories, such as the fundamental violence and lawlessness of the “Wild West.” As the Easterner says, the Swede’s behavior might stem from his fear of “the shootin’ and stabbin’ and all,” as portrayed in the dime novels.
This moment is significant because it suggests that fear often underlies masculine bravado for the Swede (and also for all the men in the story). The Easterner, the cowboy, the Swede, and Johnnie are all suspicious of each other at first, holding their cards close (both figuratively and, while they're playing a card game, literally). Here, the Easterner risks being more vulnerable by demonstrating compassion for the Swede, encouraging the group as a whole to let down their guards.
