The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-06-03
FIRED DE LEON.
The BOY Road .tOenf Of the Hood
stained Prairie

CHAPTER ONE.
Ii was dark, ~ the lumbsring stag,
coach made the fording Of the Can
non Ball river and the four fiery
horses darted out upon the broad
level prairie The passengers were
armed to the roots of their teeth, and
well might they he, for, crOuchinp
behind II blade of grass watching the
Onc0ming coach, with cleaning eyes
was Fred De Leon. the Dreaded Boy
Agent of the Blood Stained Prairie
There was no time for defense
Ere the most experienced passenger
could draw his weapon, the terror of
the Prairie was upon them and re.
sistanco was useless. Quickly wiring.
ing the necks of the horses with one
wrench of his powerful arm, he slew
the driver with the heel of his boot,
and was engaged in killing the ex,
press messenger when the soft voice
of Il woman fell on his ear.
CHAPTER TWO.
Though Injured to crime, Fred Dc
Leon was Il paralytic before Il woman.
Hastily ilinging open the coach door
he saw Il beautiful being roasted on
the ceiling like fly.
/" BE not alarmed, fair maid. l dc
bescech thee to come down. may
baldheaded snatch the sterner sex
but woman, divine woman, need feaI
no harm from Fred De Leon, the Boy
Road Agent of the Blood Stained
Prairie!"
At these fell words the woman
came down with a flop and lay faint
ing in the arms of the brave rObber
- prithee, express agent, hast
thou II drop of sack in thy good
flask? :" asked the unnervcd land
pirate, Us he held the yielding form
in his arms.
"Certes, thief" returned the agent
humbly, as he FASTENED to find his
bottle of tangle-food. Fired dc
Leon, the Boy Road Agent, can never
ask for bug juice and find it ill be-
slowed"
The boy smiled disdainfully, and
drawing the cork with his teeth,
poured the generous fluid down the
beautiful face upturned to him.
CHAPTER THREE.
Listen, cola" said a grave voice
1T his elbow. . am an old man, the
chief of tribe once as numerous as
the grass blades. They are scattered.
The earth has drunk their blood.
The lire-water of the pale face busted
them. BE warned. Give it not to
the snow squaw, lest she acquire the
taste, and spree herself into the
grave of the red skin. have spoken"
You are right, old POtleg," muir.
INJURED the Boy Road Agent. q had
Never again shall this
hand put the flask that biteth like a
coyote and kickc:h like a mule to hui
man lips" and with this the cOur-
ageous lad turned his fair charge up
side down and poured the liquor out
Of her delicate system.
"'Tis well, cOla," said the Indian,
as he sloped into the gathering dark
ness.
The passengers applauded the gen.
erOus action of rapidly.grOwing-i III
boy, and shower of gold
dust fell upon his brawny shoulders.
CHAPTER FOUR.
The night drGted away in great
shadows across the plain, and still the
Boy Road Agent sat beside his I'm
captive. The stage had
driven on, and the lady and he were
alone.
"She nutters," he said, rs he no.
ticed u delicate kick. She tlutters
|" again." he continued, us the round
ed limbs were drawn up until the
knees touched the chin, and the fair
lady came upright like hoe handle.
/" Where am i :" she murmered.
"ThOu art with me. fairest with
Fred De Leon, the Boy Road Agent
of the Blood Stained Prairie"
"And you are he :" she asked
his hair for support.
1.-THE same," he replied, proudly,
as his legs few up and he came down
like squash.
"Then at last l behold" sighed
the lady, rs she sank upon his pros
trate form and buried her face in her
hands. "I've got him at last"
"Why sittest thou Oh met" de.
manded Fred De Leon, gOuging the
grass out OF his mouth. Rise of
me, ! prithce."
~ am thy grandmother, very much
in search of thee" responded the
captive.
There was a report. Another and
another, thicker and faster.
Then all was silent.
CHAPTER FIVE.
The day coach crossed the Cannon
Ball river the next noon, and the Boy
Road Agent was lifted in by the car
"HOw goes it. cola :" asked the
stalwart form of the Indian, as hi
borrowed some cheese from passen
ger. Thou appearest to be off thy
nut"
Listen. Citizen" replied the ex.
Boy Road Agent, sternly "the next
time a red-headed old woman comes
stopping around hore, you give hel
all the whisky there Is in the bottle
and jam the bottle down after it, 3"
and with these words he disappeared
under his former captive and was
seen no more of men.
The night wind fell softly upon the
whispering. waving grass, but Fred
DE Leon, the Boy Road Agent of the
Blood Stained Prairie, had gone Out
from robbing forever.