The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

168 THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. parently noticing for the first time the presence of strangers, he exclaimed: “Why, who have we here?’’ “They are some friends,’’ Robinson replied, with a meaning wink, ‘‘with whom our party fell in after the big fire on the prairie. The same night we were all attacked by Indians, and—well, you see all that is left of the original party.’”’ “What! four of the boys killed?’ “That’s exactly it. We have traveled together since then. These gentlemen are going West. The thick, heavy-set one is Mr. Alvord, a large stock raiser, from Texas. He is hunting for a place to locate a big cattle-ranch around here somewhere. The two others are Tom Dupont and his son Jack. The father is Mr. Alford’s chief drover. They are all fond of a social bowl anda game of ‘draw,’ and so I thought it would be a good idea to introduce them to our employer, especially as they are likely, ‘in case they settle in this vicinity, to know each other more intimately.” _ Again Robinson and Hatfield exchanged glances. This time, however, the latter’s expression was one of enjoyment of the joke his supposed friend had ut- tered. He went over and shook hands with the three strangers, saying he was “sure his employer would make their stay under his roof a pleasant one.” The two bodies of men then parted company, each | to resume their journey, and each to chuckle over the fool’s errand the other was going on. “It’s the best thing in the world for us,” said Robinson, when they were once out of ear-shot, ‘that the expedition has started.”’ “Why sor”? asked Esther. cComicbooks co