The Oakdale Affair: A Mystery Novel by the Creator of Tarzan

The Oakdale Affair by Edgar Rice

Introduction

Edgar Rice Burroughs is best known as the creator of Tarzan, the jungle hero who swings from vines and fights wild animals. But did you know that he also wrote a mystery novel set in a small town in America? The novel is called The Oakdale Affair, and it was published in 1918. It is one of the few non-fantasy works by Burroughs, and it shows his versatility and talent as a writer.

The Oakdale Affair tells the story of a young thief who calls himself the Oskaloosa Kid. He steals some jewels from a rich family and runs away with a group of hobos. Along the way, he meets Bridge, a friendly vagrant who becomes his friend and protector. Together, they encounter a series of crimes and mysteries in the town of Oakdale, such as a murder, a kidnapping, a haunted house, and a secret society. They also meet a mysterious girl who claims to be the daughter of a millionaire.

The Oakdale Affair is a fast-paced and exciting novel that combines elements of adventure, romance, humor, and suspense. It has many twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the end. It also features some memorable characters, such as the Oskaloosa Kid, who is not what he seems; Bridge, who is more than just a hobo; and Gail Prim, who is more than just a spoiled heiress.

The Oakdale Affair is a hidden gem that deserves more attention from fans of mystery and fiction. It is one of the earliest examples of the hard-boiled detective genre that would later become popular with writers such as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. It is also one of the few works by Burroughs that explores the social issues and realities of his time, such as class, crime, and justice.

In this article, we will take a closer look at The Oakdale Affair by Edgar Rice Burroughs and see why it is worth reading.

The Plot of The Oakdale Affair

The Oakdale Affair begins with a robbery at the home of Jonas Prim, the president of an Oakdale bank. A thief sneaks into the house and steals some jewels belonging to Prim’s daughter Abigail, who is supposed to be away visiting her fiancé Sam Benham. The thief also takes some clothes from a servant’s room and escapes.

The thief later joins a group of hobos who are camping near a railroad track. They mistake him for another hobo named the Oskaloosa Kid, who is wanted for murder. The thief decides to play along and adopts the name. However, two of the hobos try to kill him for his loot. He shoots one of them and runs away.

Meanwhile, Prim discovers the robbery and calls the police. He also learns that Abigail never arrived at Benham’s place. He suspects that she eloped with someone else or was kidnapped by the thief. He hires a private detective named Burton to find her.

The thief meets another hobo named Bridge, who saves him from being caught by a policeman. Bridge is an educated and well-spoken man who likes to quote poetry and literature. He befriends the thief and offers to help him.

They find shelter in an abandoned house that is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of its former owner, who was killed by his wife and her lover. There they find an unconscious woman who was thrown out of a car by some men. They take her inside and try to revive her.

They also discover a dead body in one of the rooms and hear strange noises coming from the cellar. They lock themselves in another room and wait for dawn.

The woman wakes up and tells them her name is Gail Prim. She says she is the daughter of Jonas Prim and that she ran away from home because she didn’t want to marry Benham. She also says that she was with three men: Reginald Paynter, Terry, and the real Oskaloosa Kid. She says that Paynter was killed by the Kid, who then tried to kill her too.

The two hobos who tried to kill the thief earlier enter the house and find the body. They also encounter something in the cellar that scares them. They run into Bridge’s room and are shot by the thief.

The thing in the cellar turns out to be an escaped circus bear that was chained there by its owner. It breaks free and attacks the house.

Bridge, the thief, and Gail manage to escape and run into Burton, who was following their trail. Burton recognizes the thief as Abigail Prim, who disguised herself as a boy and stole the jewels. She confesses that she did it to get back at her father for forcing her to marry Benham.

Burton also reveals that he is a secret agent who was investigating Paynter, Terry, and the Kid, who were part of a spy ring that was trying to steal some military plans. He says that he has captured the Kid and recovered the plans.

Bridge and Abigail fall in love and decide to get married. Gail also falls in love with Burton and decides to marry him. They all return to Oakdale and are forgiven by Prim, who is happy to have his daughters back.

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The Characters of The Oakdale Affair

The Oakdale Affair has a large and diverse cast of characters, each with their own personality and background. Here are some of the main ones:

• Abigail Prim: The protagonist of the novel. She is the daughter of Jonas Prim, a wealthy banker. She is unhappy with her life and wants to have some adventure. She disguises herself as a boy and steals some jewels from her father’s house. She joins a group of hobos and adopts the name of the Oskaloosa Kid. She is brave, clever, and rebellious. She falls in love with Bridge and becomes his wife.
• Bridge: The deuteragonist of the novel. He is a hobo who befriends Abigail and helps her escape from danger. He is an educated and cultured man who likes to quote poetry and literature. He is also a skilled fighter and a loyal friend. He falls in love with Abigail and becomes her husband.
• Gail Prim: The tritagonist of the novel. She is the younger sister of Abigail and the daughter of Jonas Prim. She runs away from home because she doesn’t want to marry Sam Benham, whom she doesn’t love. She meets Reginald Paynter, Terry, and the Oskaloosa Kid, who are spies. She is kidnapped by them and thrown out of a car. She is rescued by Bridge and Abigail. She is naive, innocent, and romantic. She falls in love with Burton and becomes his wife.
• Burton: A supporting character in the novel. He is a private detective hired by Jonas Prim to find his daughters. He is also a secret agent who is investigating a spy ring that involves Paynter, Terry, and the Kid. He is smart, brave, and resourceful. He falls in love with Gail and becomes her husband.
• The Oskaloosa Kid: A supporting character in the novel. He is a hobo who is wanted for murder. He is part of a spy ring that tries to steal some military plans from the government. He kills Paynter and tries to kill Gail. He is captured by Burton and arrested. He is cunning, ruthless, and greedy.
• Jonas Prim: A supporting character in the novel. He is the father of Abigail and Gail and the president of an Oakdale bank. He is strict and controlling with his daughters and wants them to marry men of his choice. He is upset when they run away from home and suspects that they are involved in crimes. He hires Burton to find them. He is wealthy, powerful, and proud.
• Sam Benham: A supporting character in the novel. He is the fiancé of Gail Prim, whom she doesn’t love. He is also a friend of Reginald Paynter, whom he doesn’t know is a spy. He is worried when Gail disappears and tries to find her. He is rich, handsome, and boring.

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The Themes of The Oakdale Affair

The Oakdale Affair explores various themes that are relevant to its time and genre, such as:

• Crime: The novel deals with different types of crime, such as theft, murder, kidnapping, espionage, etc. It shows how crime affects both individuals and society at large. It also shows how crime can be motivated by different factors, such as greed, revenge, boredom, etc.
• Mystery: The novel creates a sense of mystery by presenting various puzzles and clues that need to be solved by the characters or the reader. It also uses elements of suspense, such as red herrings, false leads, twists, etc., to keep the reader interested and engaged.
• Adventure: The novel offers a lot of adventure by taking the characters to different places and situations that are exciting and dangerous. It also uses elements of action, such as fights, chases, escapes, etc., to create thrill and excitement.
• Romance: The novel includes some romance by showing how the characters fall in love with each other despite their differences and difficulties. It also uses elements of humor, such as banter, irony, etc., to create contrast and charm.

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