The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

134 THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. ‘thout givin’ us any trouble at all; whereas, ef we was to try the dodge o’ carryin’ them bodily, they’d be mighty likely to get away and make 1t allfired hot for us. ‘“Thet is why Robinson went ahead o’ the others, an’ thet is why he done all thet fine actin’ fer the benefit 0’ Miss Esther. You mark my words, pard- ner, when we start on this traitwe are dead sure to tumble into some mighty cunnin’ pitfall, onless we keep our peepers peeled. D’ye think my theo-rye is so derned weak ez ye did a minnit ago?’’ Dan did not reply for a moment. Undoubtedly there was force in the remarks of his partner. But still there seemed to be at least one weak point about the solution. “Your insight does you credit, my friend,’ he said; “‘but supposing your explanation to have been correct, can you tell me why Robinson should have shot Hatfield, his partner in crime? Surely he would not have gained the latter’s consent to such an ar- rangement?”’ : ‘“Thets the only thing thet puzzles me,’’ responded. ie eye; “an eZ ye say, s’posin’ thet I’m kerrect, the on’y way I kin ’count fer it, is this: Thar ain’t no doubt thet Robinson was aon on Hatfield in real earnest. He was mad from ’way back. He thout he-could kill two birds with one stun, d’ye see? Ef he could git even with Hatfield fer the game what was played by him, an’ at the same time take away all doubt from Esther, why nothin’ would hev suited him better on the face o’ this terrestrial ball. Taran- talers an’ catamounts! It seems ez plain ez day to me. Why, ef he could gobble us all without any extry trouble to hisself, he was jist the man to do it. In course, nothin’ ain’t sartin ’in life, but ef I was a ete LP OE PT Os ve” . se com ; Met ne Ae comicbooks