The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. 139 a a CHAPTER XV. THE FUGITIVES AND THEIR PRISONERS. It becomes necessary at this time to follow the movements of Marian and Doc Harper;not only be- cause much of the interest of this story attaches to them, but also in order to explain some future occur- rences which might otherwise puzzle the reader. When Robinson inferred from thé traces left by the retreating band, that the two *bronchos were ridden by Marian and her father, he showed that his long trainingon the frontier had not been in vain. They had, indeed, been unfortunate enough to fall - into the hands of their foes. They were soon bound, and as the hunters were thoroughly defeated by that time, the Bloodsuckers began to prepare for their retreat. | ) Old Doc Harper was half stunned and well-nigh exhausted by the sharp encounter he had taken part in, but felt disposed to be thankful that Esther, at least, had escaped. He was doubly grateful, because the whole attack had been planned and executed for the purpose of making this particular capture; ~ and it furnished his resentment with food to know that, so far as the real object of the murderous as- sault was concerned, the-whole thing was a failure. - But where was Esther? What would become of her, alone in the midst of a strange and wild coun- _ try? Would she succeed in eluding the pursuers who would surely be sent upon her track? And if cS ~*~, Eomicboo! (ef o)