José — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

60 JOSE. “T’d rather have lost a couple of horses than to have that redskin bring his warning into camp so soon after our departure. In many respects our men are as superstitious as old women; but what most annoys me is the fact that Iam to blame for it because of my deceitful sense of security.” “Not forgetting to mention the young Mexican!” replied Baumann, who appeared to be in excellent humor. “Asa matter of fact] am just beginning to get interested in our journey, now that it is assuming a decidedly exciting turn—such, in fact, , as I never dared hope for. First of all, there is, in our very midst, the mysterious Mexican, turning the head of our highly respected chief and shooting Indians with as much complacency as he would at a mark in a shooting-gallery—before us, a trackless waste, populated by blood-thirsty savages who, but for the timely intervention of a mysterious ad- monitor spreading his iron fist protectingly over our heads, would fain visit destruction upon the train, and who forestalls possible minor calamities by dis- patching his subalterns to warn us of impending dangers ¥ “Does this offer of voluntary protection puzzle you?” asked Green, smiling bitterly. “All this stuff about the warning I take to mean an eminently practical joke on the part of the Indians to extort money. We have had ample proof that the tatter- demalions who attempted to rob us are stragglers and vagabonds who hang out in this vicinity and are powerless to harm us, whether the Kickapoo warns us or not; but doubtless knowing of our coming, the latter was on the alert to take advan- tage of our credulity.” “How about the boy? Is that a joke, too?” Eomichooks (E(0)