The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

a a f.. =... i? 4 se THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. 153 CHAPTER XVII. THE BURNING PRAIRIE. The chances for life seemed small indeed. On every hand the flames sprang into the air, shooting .— long forked tongues toward the heavens, as if a mil- lion fiery and gigantic serpents were approaching with bodies erect and eyeballs glaring wildly. It was a grand, and yet an awful scene. Covering a vast area, around which the fire drew a wide ring, with no apparent break in the infolding ribbon of flame, the spectacle was one which might readily strike terror to the hearts of those who were prison- ers within the seething circle. The three friends did not remain long inactive. To have stood still and awaited the oncoming destroyer would have been madness. But what was to be done? Was there no outlet? The prospect was dark © and forbidding. The depressing sentence spoken by Sycamore Dan | had deep effect on allof them. Yetit was only tem- porary. The loud roar of the flames could be heard in the distance, like the rumbling voice of approach- ing thunder. It came booming over them like the grim voice of some spectral monster, traveling toward them with wide-open jaws and threatening | mien. - “T see it all!’’ cried Esther. ‘‘We have been en- ticed to our death. While we were following the trail laid down for us, we were cutting ourselves off from the only chance of escape.”’ (Efe) comicbooks