Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-05-01
ROYAL RANGER RALPH,
The Vaif Of the Western PrairiicS.
rY WELDON j. COBB.
CHAPTER XIV,
HAvGFR RALPH's ADVENTURES.

LA position OF peril and excitement, an
occupant of one Ci the wagons the out
laws had secured from the attacked
cmigrant train
As has been stated, TIC scout believed
that his presence in the vehicle was not
known or even suSD 'cted.
He had crcpt thither, desperately
wounded as he supposed, and while un-
conscious the wagon had started on It's
tCucneY
From what he saw and heard, tho
scout reasoned that DantOn had met a
new section Of Ho'par Is opt'aw band
near tho emigrant train, and thcy were
now returning to the banHtt head
quarters at Lone Canyon.
The plight was not pleasant one to
the ran 'cr lie disccrncd great peril
and trouble should Dcspard carry Incz
to his mountain homo. More than once
the Cd s,out had led the vigiauteS to
the place, on to suffer defeat Tho
canyon was ncariy impossible wncn
guarded by the out avs.
Even wero the girl rescued, it would
be difficult TO PASS throu-h the country
infested by hostile Indians Still, the
scout wa; glai the pot now centorcd at
Lone Canyon. Here ho knew the her
nit WalfOrd lived.
The scout found that his wound, re-
ceived at the OnS aught Oh the cmigrant
train, while painful, was by no means
serious He lay scclrcly hidden b. the
hay and straw in the bottom o. the
wagon, yet he cOu see his enemies on
the seat and behind the wagon.
The course of the outlaws during the
morning was over q pra rie intcrSpcrscd
with trees Toward evening they di-
vcrgcd to The mountains, entered Lone
Canyon, and thnn followed the Pueblo
River through the hills 1t was Just
about dusk when the ca a cade ha ted at
place well known to the scout AS he
yeercl from his 60 ;crt he knew that he
was in the vicin ty OF one OF the hardest
tavernS in the territory. 1t was known
as "Lone Canyon Tavern" and was kept
by a man name Di mar, who, surround
cd by fugitive from u,tice and crlml-
na,s safely defc tn law in this isolated
pace
Tho entire party had stopped here,
and their noisy tones an ClnKlng glass
es could be heard from the bar room
few minutes later
caineI. crampod position, and even mod
itatod tlking advantage of the gather
ing dusk to Is a c from the wagon, when
he paused and listened
IwOmcn were passing the wagon and
going toward the saloon They were
cOnyerSing, and he heard one Of them
say:
IL understand Despard is gong to di-
vide and lca.e the business"
"Yes, when we z up to the dcn," re-
sp0nded the other.
"Thcre's considerable plundor to di'
vide"
81 should say So He got lot from
the cmigrant wagons"
ain GO.d?"
sc ear money; yes.
"N mere Is IL!
Maybe II IN thlS wagon
NOT llec y,
Nv ny not! 49,, ,-; ooa
IA'y dol cave so'u IS'"5 "i0""'
"OS' &c i,rollo5 bv
One OF the men as II lmpenoI py
some "h'mslcdi 'uIIoS'.!, nav pI"Doo po1.d,, l,,'
mana over lhe D"0h' % h 'nu " ho ''rt ntt"rcd q
DloPii"7 '',,"a.io,,
started .acu.aVloA
I'll, no.. ~
Wv hat IS IT, aSheu MS oo',,P pa" 0'''
"cic SUN on O,i0 -
IN Vne ""so"'
ms TS ,.o,
IM NV 10 Is tVr ;t,s so,,o o,on
81 Du"nG' G U"T hir, ~ oWts
~ ~ il%,1 ,TL.,, t,'"' Dontor.s bns.no,s !
wondor If h, knows who it is?"
WIZ .Wor ho friond of his We'll tell
u"! ~ :. ,,,ov
h'r, ,r, 'ouS l'' ,"6 CO.,; "I' vioor ,nslv ot tbo
In: man ru'!,u Po1,h rovo Nttor.
scout arm h"nE'i n%'p' S%' ,''.tor
ancc 10 a series oI i"'oi'i'"O '""''0'
lngs'
Drunk" ncntcd one ol lle hlen'
They walked away toward inc tavern
me SCOUT lor1>a" tna' Ms u'STosoty oJ
was only question OF 'ihc lie anCcu
toward the tavern am oo cr'eu on"U
several OF the outIawS "efe hanH.ne
outside the pace IN lul' SlghC "a Vho
wagon.
"If | Cou on y start up inc horS9,
around the ledge OF rocks mere "Oulu
be cut or range ana cou'u cSo"p'' H'
thought ,,.
Ranger Kalph chlrrupcu 10 'nG iIoi SoS
mi oolou oto1 what would occur, how
ever
The moment they turned the ledge OF
rocks the road led by stcop descent to
the river. Ungud d, and bo ne for
ward by the impetus Of The wag n, tho
horses dashed down this CO ilNl GUS
Ia hway.
The scout sprang to his feet and start
cd for the seat. A swing Of the vehicle