The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. ; 73 to hisself at all, he’ll do it afore then. An’ ef he’s a-goin’ to hand in his chips, he’ll do thet, likewise. Purvidin’ he lives, we kin organize court an’ try him then. Thet’s my sijjeschun, an’ my pardner sez he’s agreeable.”’ The company were not backward in seeing the force of Ryan’s proposal, and acceded to it without a dissenting voice. A hammock was slung between two horses, and the limp carcass of Dick Hatfield was placed in it. After that the cavalcade pro- ceeded on its way. Dan and Ryan rode along slowly behind the litter containing the murderer in silence. Each was bound up in his own thoughts. They rode thus for an hour, and were only aroused from their reveries by a faint moan from the man they were both thinking about. ‘‘Hello!” exclaimed Ryan; ‘‘he’s comin’ to hisself agin. Blessed ef I thought he’d ever git over thet lick ye give him onto his snoot.’’ They rode up beside the improvised couch. Hat- field had opened his eyes, and was looking about him in a half-dazed way, as if his mind were completely at sea. But the moment his glance once fell upon the faces of the two men peering at him, the scene of the morning flashed across his mind, and he glared at them like a wild beast. If his hands had not been pinioned he would have attempted again to escape. weak as he was. But he was firmly bound, and so could only lie still and gnash his long teeth with rage. His captors were not the men to crow over a fallen enemy under any circumstances, and they drew back so as to avoid even the appearance of exulta- tion. A new thought struck Dan. How strange he had not dreamed of it before. GEomicboo SS) (ele) =|