The Prairie Detective — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. : 49 “het’s very true,’’ responded Ryan, coolly; ‘‘but _ from what I heerd Esther Harper say, I’m dog- - oned sure thet Mister Persimmon is dead gone on her. Now, thet bein’ the case, ef we want to ketch the rooster, our best plan is to be jest whar the above named female is, for wharever she goes, ye kin bet your life thet the chap we want will be foun’ thar sooner or later.’’ | But surely she is not going on the hunt? Why, the rough life would kill her.’’ “Kill nothin’! Sycamore Dan, them gals ain’t the kind what kills easy. Besides, they hev wanted to goon the buffaler trail fer the past three or four years, but the old man wouldn’t hev it. As it 1s now, however, he is skeered to leave ’em alone, an’ he’ll be likely to let *°em go with us. To make sure of it, I advised him thet it was his best holt—an’ he thinks considerable of what I say.’’ “Tt would be a pity if anything should befall them,”’’ said Dan. They are so young and so beautiful. By George, those sisters are as handsome as pictures!’ “Vou bet they be! An’ ’m right glad to see thet ye hev got some sense about ye, pard. Them gals git ’way ahead 0’ anythin’ I ever see in the way o’ kali- ker.’’ And go the two sat and talked for an hour, work- ing meantime upon their weapons. The remainder of the day was spent in sundry preparations, and they retired early to bed in order that they might be up with the sun next morning. By four o’clock, just as the day began to break, the whole town was astir. Horses were brought out and saddled, pack-mules were loaded with provis- ions, blankets, tents, and cooking utensils; and, be- fore the sun was fairly in sight, the long cavalcade Ecomichbooks (Efe)