The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

30 THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. For a time the men were all silent, each appar- ently absorbed in his own thoughts. But after a time they grew more companionable, and ve con- versation ceased to flag. Dan learned that both of his companions were hunters, who roamed the prairies in summer, and spent the colder months in Kansas City or some such populous place. The larger of the two, he of the guttural voice, gave his name as Jim Slavin, while his assistant at the oars, who seldom spoke unless questioned, called himself Jack Robinson. The detective, who sat in the stern, steering the fragile craft, did not quite trust these fellows, and imagined they had lied to him about their names. But he said nothing, and waited for some fact to turn up, which should either confirm his suspicions or set them at rest. In the meantime everything went along smoothiy, and the voyagers made rapid progress. The currents of the Western streams are seldom swift, and so, by keeping along close in shore, it was not difficult to make good headway. They rowed steadily by day, and rested at night, sleeping on the ground beside crackling fires, and rolled in blankets. After two weeks of steady work they turned from the broad bed of the Kaw into the Smoky, which was heavily swollen by the melting snows. Another week in the boat brought them near their destination. At last they could see the end of the long journey directly before them, only a day ahead. Thus far there hid been but one slight misunder- standing between the master and his men. Learn- ing that they had been on the border a good deal in the past few years, Dan set about “pumping” them, to learn what they knew of the man he was search- -ecomicbooks €o