The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

_ * va yy t - 2. THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. | 37 His feet touched some hard, unyielding substance. The sensation thrilled him like an electric shock. In a single particle of an instant the stagnant blood rushed through every artery and every vein, with hot, fountain-like dashes. Fixing his feet in: the sround, he threw himself forward. The land ascended gradually, and in less than a minute the tall form of Sycamore Dan stood high upon the bank. But his long struggle had told upon his system. The strength of a moment ago fled as rapidly as it had come. And witha wild motion of his arms, and murmuring, ‘‘Great Heaven, I thank thee!’’ he fell fainting upon the ground. He remained there a long time—how long he could not tell. When at last the warm tide of restored life began to come back he opened his eyes with a strange sensation. It was as if some animal, with its hot tongue, were licking his face. At first the bright light half dazzled him, for the sun had risen an hour ago, and its mellow rays fell across his vis- ion. But presently a deep sigh escaped him, and his breath began to come and go again with its old free- dom. His first impression he found to be correct. Some animal was licking his brow. Just as he was about to make a movement to discover what it was, a deep and mellow voice fell upon his ear: ‘Come off, Vixen. Don’t ye see thet he’s a-comin’ tor’? The soft tongue immediately ceased to caress him, and its owner retired stealthily. With an effort Dan turned over to get a sight at the person who had spoken. <A few paces away, Gomicboo cS €O