José — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

58 JOSE, reaching the Arkansas that the Comanches and Kiowas are in arms to fight for their rights,” the Indian replied, in a calm voice and in perfectly intelligible English. “We have brought the tidings, but we know that the homeless children of the prairie, whose name died with their people, are again straggling by the waters of the Missourl where the pale-face neglects caution. I followed the trail of my white brethren to shield them from harm, as Iron Fist bade me when he still lived in the land of the Kickapoos. I have spoken.” “Who is Iron Fist of whom you tell us?” “He comes and goes as he wills. He is the bene- factor of the Kickapoos and the friend of the white man. Heis Iron Fist, the great hunter !” « And does this end your mission 2” “My pale-face brethren now know all that the red man can tell them.” The wagon-boss interchanged a quick glance with Green. “You may eat and smoke with us, and if you have a wish speak and it shall be granted, ” continued the former. “T have nothing to ask, ahi my white friends crave sleep.” “Then take that for your squaw,” said Green, stepping up to the Indian and dropping several gold coins into his hand. The latter simply bowed with- out regarding the present; nodded significantly to the wagon-boss, and strode rapidly toward the plain, where he soon disappeared in the darkness beyond the circle of the torch-light. The incident had visibly exerted a depressing in- fluence upon the crew. Not one among them recol- lected an instance of this kind, attempted with a Eomichbooks GE m '