The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

130 THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. ent until I could organize a war party to pursue the fiends. By a previous arrangement with Ryan, l knew where to find him, and repaired at once to this spot. What was my surprise, on arriving here, to discover that my partner was not alone, and that the person who accompanied him was none other than Jack Robinson?”’ ‘Yes,’ interrupted the scout. ‘‘Thet’s the kind of a doggoned fool I was. Ef my head was ez solid ez Pike’s Peak, or ez holler as a toy balloon, I couldn’t hev ben a bigger ignoramus!’’ ‘“Why do you say that?’’ asked Esther, in surprise. “Why? Well, Vl tell you,’’ continued Dan, taking up the thread of his story again where he had dropped it. ‘‘This man Robinson’’ (a growl from Ryan) ‘“‘promised by all that was good and great, to do everything in his power to repairsa wrong he had once done me, for you must know that the wound upon my head that day you and I first met was caused by this same Jack Robinson and a friend of his. Well, Ryan and I were just imbecile enough to believe his fair words, and we sent him on an im- © portant errand. During his absence we added to our foolish proceedings by calmly lying down and going to sleep. We were surprised in that condition, and placed in the plight you found usin. Of course there is but one solution to the mystery. ‘‘And that is?”’ Esther’s eyes twinkled mischievously as she asked the question. : “Why, I should think a blind person could see it. I axes yer parding, Miss Esther,’’ said Ryan, apolo- getically. “‘But itis mighty evident to me an’ my pardner thar thet this double-dyed traitor, jest ez soon é€z he got clear of us, went an’ gave us away to comicbook hope a al >» -