The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

146 THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. time, and the chief seemed greatly annoyed at what was communicated by his lieutenant. But no time was wasted in useless regrets, and the Bloodsuckers now resumed their journey, leaving Hatfield’s party occupying the spot where they them- selves had been for the past few hours. The com- pany left behind was swelled by the addition of ten more men taken from the main body, thus leaving the numbers about equally divided. These men, Marian learned from her father, were probably to be used for the purpose of leading their pursuers off the track. ‘It is the sharpest trick I ever saw,”’’ said the old man, ruefully, ‘‘and it will mislead the best trail- finder in America.”’ During the afternoon Marian had an opportunity to speak to Persimmon Bill, and she took advantage of the chance to tell him few glad she was that he had missed her sister. The chiei glared at her an instant, and then, with his old, reckless laugh, exclaimed: “Never you mind, my pretty one! Ihave not given up the chase even yet. When I undertake any task, | always finish it before I cease trying. Your sister will yet be mine. I have sworn it, and it must be so.”’ Their course was a little south of west, and they traveled in a very leisurely fashion, stopping at sun- down and resting all night, which was something new, and indicated that there was no longer any bitry: Shortly after Persimmon Bill and his party had appeared over the western bank of the river, Hat- field’s followers toiled up the eastern side, and took a course which led to the south-east. < * = ka . comick bool ‘S.com rw . — ee