On the Trail of Geronimo — page 284: what you’re looking at

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

270 ON THE TRAIL OF GERONIMO. mistaken. His nerves, however, had received a shock which caused his heart to beat faster than was its wont, and he advanced with still greater care and hesitation. It is probable that Lieutenant Whitcomb would not have gone beyond this point, had he not re- ceived proof just then that he was close to the Apache camp. Lhe mountain took such a steep slope a few rods further on, that it was clear the Apaches must have made a turn to one side or the other, a portion of the ascent being really perpendicular. In the event of being hard pressed they would have found the means of surmounting even such a formidable obstacle. “T suspect, though I have no special reason for it,” said the heutenant to himself, “that the Apache camp is among the rocks and trees on the top of that bluff.” To his amazement there sounded on the air at that instant, from the very point he had in mind, a laugh—-the laugh of an Indian ! Now, as is well known, although the American Indian sometimes smiles, despite the general legend to the contrary, it is rare that a wild one was ever CoOnniclooo S (CO