The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. -~ 107 mark, but finally recalled the fact that a wild-cat ~ which accompanied Ryan had once chased him as far as the edge of the Smoky, and he needed no fur- ther assurance as to why the tracks were there. Continuing his search he found the trail where he had made his exit from the busy scene of the night previous, in company with Ryan. Near it he dis- covered the fresh hoof-prints of half a dozen of the band. Half wondering if they were following his own tracks, he passed on, completing the circuit. During his journey he had been careful not to at- tract the attention of any one who might be hang- ing about the place, and at the same time had kept watch for any indications of life. His lookout was unrewarded by any signs, however, and he became convinced that the spot was deserted. Not more than half satisfied with his work, and trying in vain to solve the mystery of the half-breed horses which accompanied his former associates upon their retreat, he stole cautiously to the spot - where the camp had been. He remembered per- fectly where the tent containing the girls stood, and. he made a straight line toward it after having as- certained beyond all doubt that he was alone. Close beside the door-way he found tracks leading to the place where they had been separated. There he saw the trail left by Esther, and in the broken eround where Harper had made his desperate fight for liberty, the searcher could detect occasionally the tiny foot-prints left by Marian. These he succeeded in tracing to a spot where the strange horses had been brought. There the delicate tracks were lost sight of. That solved the mystery. “One of the girls has been caught and one has es- caped,”’ he said, “I wonder which one it was. comicbooks €o