The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

By THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE, his usual habit of speaking only in monosyllables, attracted Dan’s attention at once. But the guide continued, gesticulating vehemently, and talking on all sorts of subjects. The detective became suspicious, and fell to watching the movements of the man narrowly. As the talk waxed faster, Dan became more and more firmly convinced that something was at the bottom of it, more important than the subject-matter of the words seemed to indicate. A vague, strange uneasiness was upon him—a kind of magnetic presentiment of evil. His active brain was trying to solve the mystery when a twig cracked close behind him. In an instant the whole plot flashed upon him. Robinson had talked to attract his attention, while the other villain was stealing upon him from the rear. He sprang partly to his feet, and whirled half way around to meet his treacherous assailant. But the warning had come too late; for even as he moved a crushing weight fell upon his head, and his senses left him. The detective fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. “Great Heaven! Jim, you have killed him,” ex- claimed Robinson, excitedly. The older ruffian coolly dropped his club, placed his hand upon his victim’s heart, and replied: “Sure enough, He’s deadasa herring. Let’s go | through him.’’ They fell to work examining the pockets of the fallen man, but found nothing beyond a hundred dollars and some ammunition. Dan had wisely concealed his other valuables in inner pockets. Eomicboo ‘S - “ ¥ . * * “ “Age *, ,