The Prairie Detective — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. i 105 reprobate walked over to a position between the two ~ prisoners and spoke. “Posey Ryan,’ he said, ‘‘your race is run. You are in a place now where you can’t get out, work how youmay. You played it pretty neatly on me, but I escaped you, and I never forget or forgive an injury. You will stay here, bound to this tree, until the wolves gnaw away your fiesh—yow wilt stay here until you STARVE!”’ With a_ bitter, mocking laugh he burned and, waving his hand in a parting salute, led his men away. Starve! How dismal and dreary was that word! How terrible it sounded there in the great solitude. The two captives, bound hand and foot, looked into each other’s eyes. What did they read there? Nothing but despair. Their fates were staring them in the face. _ Starve! Did either of them know the fearful meaning of that little word, which kept repeating it- self in their ears? Yes; for they shuddered in blank dismay at the prospect of horrible suffering which opened before them. They could see nothing ahead but darkness, agony, and death. S) co Ecomicboo