POSTING LAST FOUR PAGES OF AN OLD GARTH COMICS BY JOHN ALLARD[PAGE NO 16.17.18. 19.] STORY ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DAINIK HIDUSTAN HINDI NEWSPAPER IN INDIA-रोहन गाथा
Rohan legend-
Soon Garth arranges for Tim cannon’s and Catherine’s escape-
“Yes sir john my boat leaves for Calais day after tomorrow “
Garth-my two passengers will be on that boat captain
Give this bag to them, I hope you will keep it quiet and
don’t say anything
Captain- “I promise!”
Garth-“friend Lovelace what happens on the day of the
hanging?”
Lovelace-the priest will conduct the last rites, his name is
trellany
“What time?”
“Always at nine o’clock, before the prayer he always drops
in here at the inn to have a quiet drink”
Garth that give me an idea Lovelace can you bring me a
priest’s dress?
Lovelace –yes sir john I will bring you a priest’s clothes
Catherine- why do you need that?
Garth- for helping him escape if everything goes well he
will be with you and you will be on the way to France tonight!
Catherine- and what about you? Dear friend.
Garth- maybe I will be delayed a while , but don’t wait for
me!
Morning the day tim canon is going to be hanged-[Garth in a
priest’s uniform reaches the fort where canon is imprisoned and asks the sentry
for admittance to the jail]]
“Master Trellany is sick I will conduct the last rites in
his place”
Well come with me!
Garth reaches the cell holding tim canon- I have come to
help you getting prepared!
….for escape!
Tim [surprised]- Garfield! Is that you?
Page-17
Garth- Tim hurry up put off your clothes and put on mine and
so escape from this hell!
A ship is ready to carry you and Catherine to freedom and
escape to France near tilbury and the skipper is having your papers and money,
now you can start a new life!
“ and what will happen to you Garfield?”
Garth- I will stay here!
Tim-[outraged] and will hang in my pace? I will not run like
a coward Garfield return my clothes!
Garth- tim listen to me I can not be hanged because I do not
belong here in this past time!
At the right time I will be pulled back to twentieth
century…[thinking to himself-‘probably’]
Garth – hurry up I can listen the footsteps of the guard returning…..don’t
worry about me….i swear to you have my
solemn promise!
A disguised tim canon escapes from bride well prison===
Turnkee approaches garth in the cell-“ are you ready?”
He is suddenly held by neck in Garth iron hand –
“oh! You are not him!”
Garth- keep quiet turnkey if you shout that he has escaped
you will be skinned alive , but I am ready to hang in his place! And if you
don’ squeak this bag of gold coins is yours!
Garth[threatening turnkey]-make your choice turnkey!this bag
of gold coins or lashes on your back?
Turnkey- but the crucial person will be here at 9’oclock and
he will immediately know that you are not tim cannon.
Garth-no! I have seen to that , on some pretext he has been
sent to some other place and by the time
he comes back ,hanging would have been over!
Turnkey in that case I will choose gold coins,but I would
say this you are mad!
After one hour-
The wagon has arrived outside, you will not keep the crowds
and and hangman wait, will you?
[garth is being confronted by jailor]
Garth- no! I am
ready!
Page- 18
Hanging at tyburn---a
free entertainment show for citizens of 18 th century
Such a handsome hunk! I have better use for him than the
hangman—a woman in the crowd shouts as Garth is being led to scaffold for
hanging in an open cart.
Our best wishes tim cannon—another man in the crowd shouts.
My neck aches trying to see by craning my nack complains
another man in the crow gathered to watch the proceedings of hanging.
Garth responds sarcastically- chane places with me if you
want a long neck my dear friend!
Ha ha! You seem to be a jolly fellow with sense of humor
tim--- shouts a v oice from the crowd.
Garth [on the scaffold with noose around his neck waiting
for hanging]-goodbye ladies and gents!
Garth in deep thought- ‘ my mission here is over after the
death of Clare and escape of tim cannon and his wife, what happens now’?
The hangman pushes the plank away and a tremendous roar
rises from the assembled large crowd
‘he is gone’
‘He was firm till the very end’
Hail!the brave bandit!
Garth[john Garfield] lifeless body hangs at the
scaffold---
Time switch operates again and garth finds himself in the modernday turkshead inn.
‘WAKE UP MISTER! You are standing here staring for last half
anhour---[old laady moll]
Garth thinking to himself—oh! I was transported in another
world,and old lady moll pears is still sitting there sipping her wine!
Lumiere-[garth returns to his London flat]—so garth, what
did you learn at turks head inn?
Garth – I dreamed that I was being hanged at tyburn!
Garth and lumiere are riding in their car –
Lumiere- hanging!tyburn?i don’t understand anything!
Garth- we will go the ruins of the cstle called bidle
hall….it’s master sir guy rohan is in
for as surprise whe I tell him the true reason for the birth mark of rohan
clan.
But Garth himself is in for a curious surprise as his car is
stopped by some body….
Page-19
Garth and lumiere are stopped by sir guy rohan’s man servant-
Mister garth you arrived too late sir guy rohan is dead!
Garth- SO SUDDENLY? WHY? HOW?
He went horse riding at dawn,
saw him trying to scale over that wall which was impossible,he fell and
broke his neck!Garth stares in disbelief at the high wall in front-‘this is the
same place where guy’s ancestor clare was killed trying to escape me!
Man servant of sir guy rohan is puzzled-
It is a strange thing I thought I heard another rider behind
him but the trail of only one horse was visible…
Garth- professor how strange! Sir guy and and his 18 th century ancestor clare were symbolic of
evil and violence ,and I was enemy of both , eighteenth century rohan died
trying to escape from me and almost two centuries later sir guy died in a
similar manner.
Lumiere it sounds like a puzzle to me tell me about this
legend on our trip back to London!
END OF STORY ‘ROHAN LEGEND’