José — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

94 ' JOSE. when they reached a small creek, did anything transpire to cause alarm. About this time, the crew descried, at a great distance in a side direction, the figure of a man and horse. The rider, on sighting the train, urged his nag to increased speed, although it was evident upon closer inspection, that the man was anything but an expert equestrian. He wore the uniform of a United States soldier and was mounted upon his horse without a saddle, his knees drawn up, hugging the animal’s sides, and his hands firmly twisted in the mane. He was greeted by a shout of laughter from the crew when, arrived near the creek, he tumbled rather than slid from the animai’s back; but their merriment quickly subsided on seeing the man, without regard for his surroundings, first attempt to rise to his feet, and failing, crawl toward the creek, to which his horse had already preceded him, and extended flat on the ground, eagerly lap up the slimy water. Having apparently quenched the first - cravings of his thirst, he remained for some time in a state of semi-unconsciousness, when finally he raised himself in the arms of two of the mule- drivers who had run to his assistance, and gazed about him with an expression that again excited the laughter of the men. “Been dry for some time, eh, Pat?” one of them asked. - | “Begorra! If the beast hadn’t had more gump- tion than I, I’d taken the next drink in another world!” replied the soldier, in a faint voice, looking around for his horse, which had meanwhile ap- proached the animals of the train with extended neck and a low whinny. Lhe wagon-boss had dismounted from his horse Gomicbooks:Gco