Beadle's Dime Library No. 51: Red Rob, The Boy Road-Agent — page 42: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

anne: Joo Beadle’s: Dime ‘Library. out. I stole his child—a little girl. ‘Nothing will reach a man’s heart quicker than to steal a petted child. Tt has been my way of doing revenge. Well, I took Warwick’s child and exchanged it for. another—that of Aaron St. Kenelm, a gentleman who had done me a grievous wrong: This last child 1 have now—a beautiful woman.’ But War- wick, I presume, thought I had his child yet, and hunted me down—followed me here. But I got the best of him again—well, to make a long story short, if you have ever seen a creature around here with the body of a deer and the head of a man, you have seen that much of your friend Warwick. The deer is a tame one, and we arranged your friend’s head upon it as a ghastly warning to others. And now comes Basil Walraymond—the father of the last girl I adopted,’ and the villain smiled like a demon. ‘In a few days his venerable face will go stalking through the valley of the San Juan,’ and this, Asa, is the history of the Cen- taur. I thought I recognized the face the first time it came to our camp. Two days after this visit, 1 dug out of my prison and escaped, and have been hiding around the Tuins ever since in hopes of being able to liberate you and Walraymond.” “ Walraymond escaped the night we were first captured,” replied Asa, ‘‘ so did I, but 1 was recuptured again, and God and I only know what I have’ suffered.” Nathan Wolfe’s escape had led to one discovery that proved a source of pleasure 'to the St: Kenelms.. Octavia— the child left by Hamallado—was not the villain’s child, but the child of the dead man Warwick, who had been slain, while in search of his child. Wolfe took possession of the ghastly: remains of his friend, and interred it in the graye that had been hallowed out for Red Rob’s remains; and thus ended the mystery of = Cen- Ss CHAPTER XXXVII. CLOSING . EVENTS. BrroreE night had fully set in Red Rob, as his friends continued to call him, and his men,’ accompanied by Dakota Dan, Asa Sheridan and Basil Walraymond, besides a number of soldiers, set out for the den of the outlaws. When about a mile from the place a halt was ordered, when Dakota Dan and Basil Walraymond crept forward to reconnoiter the ruins. They found a great commotion among the outlaws, and from observation they soon guessed what was going on, They were preparing to evacuate the ruins. The scouts hurried back and reported, when the whole party swept down upon the outlaws. A short conflict en- sued, but the robbers being cut off from the ruins by a flank movement, every man Of them was captured or killed. Among the latter was Leopold Hamallado, whose death saved Judge Lynch a case. Zella waS found prepared for the flight from the ruins, Asa Sheridan sought for her the moment the fight began. He found her in the room where she had been kept a pri- soner, and the reunion of the lovers was one of unbounded love and joy. When Zella learned, from the lips of her lover, that Basil Walraymond, the old man whose life she had saved by throwing him a knife that memorable night when he stood in the tiger-pit, was her father, she fell upon her knees and between sobs of joy thanked God for having sent her a father, ay! and a brother, too, for both were soon in her presence, showering kisses of love and joy upon the pretty, pale face, The ruins were searched and a vast amount of booty found stowed away. Upon the person of Hamallado was found the heavy gold watch which Don Raviso swore Red Rob’s band had taken from him. This, along with many | other things, went to corroborate Captain Conrad’s story— that Raviso had been robbed by a band of outlaws whose haunts were west of the mountains, and, as the young ran- ger believed, in the valley of the San Juan. Bd Securing all that they could’ find, the rangers returned to Hidden Home. ‘The old negress, Huldah, and Slyly, ‘the Weasel, were taken along. 7 Aaron St. Kenelm, no longer Basil Walraymond, led Zella into Octavia’s tent, and made known their relationship to each other. Octavia wept’ bitterly, and Zella wept, too. Nathan Wolfe had already held an interview with Octavia, and had broken to her the sad news of her father’s death; but Nathan spared from her sensitive heart the story of the shocking mutilation of her father’s remains, and that it was his lifeless face that stared from the head of the Centaur. Octavia received much comfort from the assurance that she should always be considered as one of the St. Kenelm family. Each one of the girls was to bear the name she then bore— Zella St. Kenelm and Octavia Warwick. While the St. Kenelms were rejoicing over their providen- tial reunion, a scream outside suddenly startled them. Albert rushed out of the tent, and was not a little surprised to see old Aunt Shady with the boy Slyly hugged up to her breast so tight that the boy’s eyes fairly protruded from his head, while she was pouring kisses and words of endearment upon the little fellow. ) * The boy was kicking, squirming and struggling for liberty, threatening the old negress with the vengeance of “ Missus Zella” if she did not release him. But Aunt Shady held on, and a ranger was about to intercede in the boy’s behalf when the old woman burst forth: “Oh, Hankie Clay, darling! don’t you know yoah poor, broken-hearted ole mudder? Speak, chile ob my heart— speak out, or I’ll jist done gone and die, honey!” sa Don't know you from ole Huldah,” gasped the boy. “Jist you let me go, or I call de missus or Massa Shear-a ding.” Shady released her constrictor grasp upon the youth’s form, but still clung to his arm, and continued her hold, too, wnti! she had convinced all atound her, if not the boy, that she was the little fellow’s mother. And Aunt Shady was happy, too, and laughed and vried by turns until she forgot her joys and pleasures of that night in sleep. - The following morning the soldiers and excursionists left Hidden Home’ for Fort Wingate, taking with them the out- laws captured at the ruins. Red Rob and his men remained in the valley of the del los Pinos sevéral days, and in the mean time succeeded ‘in con- vincing the settlers that the dangers surrounding them would not admit of a successful settlement being made. And so the little party pulled up and moved up into Colorado, where in’as lovely a fertile valley as the sun ever shone upon they once more ‘‘ pitched their tents;” and where they still reside, enjoying all the blessings and rewards that follow in the wake of happiness, industry and enterprise. That same year Major St. Kenelm and Maggie Boswell and Asa Sheridan and Zella St. Kenelm were married; and if their courtship days have been dark «and cloudy, those that followed have been bright with the joys and sunshine of mar- ried bliss. Aaron St. Kenelm, that brave and noble old Basil Wal- raymond, makes his home with his son Albert, and is still in possession of vigorous health and manhood. Slyly is a servant in Zella’s family, and his mother in that of the St. Kenelms, where she vows,she will remain until she * dies dead.”’ Captain Robert Courad is still at the head of his rangers, now in the service of his country. Rumor has it that, dur- ing the coming winter, he is to lead to the altar the bright- eyed Octavia, und there consummate the vows made years before in the valley of the Rio del los Pinos. May joy be with them all. Dakota Dan left our friends after he had seen them per- manently located in the more congenial climate of Colorado. But, as regular as the autumn comes, the ‘‘ Triangle” visits the St. Kenelms and their friends, and no one on earth is more welcome to their humble homes than the noble-hearted ol 2 ranger. Eomicbooks.Go