The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

86 THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. ~ rigid determination stamped on every feature, he found himself at the door of the tent. Tearing away the light covering, he shouted, at the top of his voice. ‘“Hsther! Marian! Fly for your lives!’ ~ No answer. Stooping, he peered through the darkness, but could not hear a sound within the narrow inclosure. He walked forward, and passed his hands hurriedly over the blankets. They were still warm from re- cent occupation, but the tent was empty. “Great Heaven!’’ he cried,-in despair. ‘“They have fallen into the hands of Persimmon Bill! They are lost—lost!’’ His face was white with consternation, and his -arms nervelessly dropped to his sides, as he thought of the imminent, perhaps fatal, danger to which the beautiful daughters of old Doc Harper were thus exposed. * * K * * * * Ryan, who from the time when the first rifle was discharged, seemed to be in the element for which he was born, discovered that the battle was a losing investment at about the same time as that fact dawned upon the active brain of his friend and part- ner, Sycamore Dan, : But he was in no wise disconcerted by the dis- covery. It was sufficient for him that a battle was going on. The more desperate it grew, the greater was his content. Posey Ryan would rather fight than do almost anything else he could think of, and so he struck out against the tide which was sweep- _ ing away his companions with a calm smile of hap- piness in his face and great throbs of satisfaction in his heart. :