The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

150 THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. stream they had failed to see that Vixen was.no longer with them. But as the scout finished speak- ing they heard her familiar cry. She was now on the opposite side of the river. Observing by her ac- tions that she had made some new discovery, Ryan crossed to where she stood, over the reversed trail. ‘Hello!’ he exclaimed; ‘‘why, the cusses hev ben j7ined by another gang from the west’ard Great snakes! ef we keep on this way, we'll hey to tackle an army afore long.’’ As may readily be surmised, the scout and his friends were not particular in examining the trail, but started off at once upon the false scent so cun- ningly planned to lead them astray. Vixen showed great unwillingness to go in that direction, and more than once her master, who placed great reliance in her, was tempted to stop and go back. But he reflected that he must be right in following such a plainly laid trail, and kept ahead. It was noon the next day when the party discov- ered that their fugitives were still doubling upon them. The tracks, which had started in a south- easterly direction, swung around in an immense semicircle to the northward, finally leading back and across the river. Then a similar semicircle led to the westward, and back again to the river-bank, some miles below the big rock, thus making an_ enormous and complete ring around that center. — The scout and his friends kept right on over the pathway. “We kin travel ez long ez they kin,’’ he observed, philosophically, ‘‘an’ ef we leave the track now, ten to one we won’t ketch it agin.”’ Upon reaching the river the second time the trail ¢ : ~- comicbooks ’ ete co my oo) BS} a ;, ;