José — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

170 JOSE. was at an end, and when they found I wasn’t trifling with them they began to listen to me. The Comanches might possibly have helped themselves to some part of the cargo—in fact, they might have taken all, for they were suffering want, and their appropriations by the government of the United States did not come; but not a life would have been taken but for the Apaches, the starving wolves, who asked for blood. Still Tehohpee doubtless was mindful of my words, even after the massacre had begun. I saw him in the midst of the shocking fight lending aid and protection, and Comanche warriors sprang to the rescue of fleeing men whom the Apaches were pursuing. Nota solitary white -man would have escaped but for his intervention, and it is to him that vou owe your life. I saw you lying among the wagons on reaching the scene where not a single defender that breathed remained to stay the bloody work. I did not know how much of youl might be able to save, but I loaded you on my shoulders and carried you away almost hoping some fiend of an Apache would confront me; but the majority of them had already begun their work of plundering the wagons and the Comanches stepped out of the way.” He abruptly paused, as if a new thought had sud- denly occurred to him, and gazed fixedly on the ground. “There it is,” he said, after a long pause. “T knew there was something on my mind I couldn’t grasp!” He again stared silently at the ground, while Baumann, impelled by a multitude of con- flicting emotions, sat down beside him without daring to interrupt his thoughts. “Do you know anything about that bold little chap,” the old hunter resumed, after a while, his (E(0) m Eomicbooks