José — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

JOSE. | 63 “In California I lived near the Indians.” “Are your parents there at present 2” “Never knew them, sir,” replied the lad, without raising his eyes, and speaking in a strangely deep tone of voice, which Bill had noticed for the first time last night. “It is thought that I was kid- napped by the Indians in Mexico or somewhere else, for there is no Indian blood in me, and I lived among them until from instinct I ran away to one of the settlements.” “You found friends, then?” “Yes,” was the reply, “and I became an office boy for a lawyer in San Francisco, where I learned to read, write, and cipher.” _ és Where do you come from now?” asked Mr. Green. The boy looked up surprised, and with a firm, cold expression in his beautiful eyes, as he said: “T came from Missouri, sir, as you must know, but have done nothing to be ashamed of.” The gentleman’s face colored and he replied quickly: “I did not wish to offend you, Jose. Give me your hand and don’t think ill of me.” “And who does?” cried Bill, now suddenly raising his head, while the boy placed his hand in Mr. Green’s, but with a sly gesture. Bill pushed back his hat and sent his whip-cord through the air in a series of sharp reports. “I’ll see that you get an uncle, boy—as fine a man as there is in the world, though it’s only Dutch Bill, and a home as big and — wide as the plains. But the Mormon has got to come out of you or he’ll spoil everything!” He looked up at the lad with an expression radiant with all his old-time humor. “Done, Uncle Bill!” cried the latter, with an Ss) GOMmIGchboo