José — page 203: what you’re looking at

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

196 JOSE. quired the eye of an Indian to discern the deeper color contrasting with the gray rocks around, which indicated the direction of the trail. “We have only ashort distance to go,” he con- tinued, “move cautiously now.” Stepping softly and holding his breath, Bill and Baumann followed the guide, who had begun to climb over a large bowlder on the side, at the top of which they discovered a sort of fissure that grad- ually widened and merged into two sharp peaks. At the point where these divided, a green bough was gently swaying in the breeze, forming a re- markable contrast to the chaos of rock on every side. Pointing at this bough, the hunter rapidly advanced. The gulch leading upward was filled with a mass of debris. With much difficulty the two men made their way after the old hunter until they reached the solitary bush, where he paused to wait for them. “Down on your knees,” he then muttered, almost inaudibly. “Carefully part the foliage and look down.” Baumann knelt on the ground, his heart throb- bing tempestuously, and cautiously parted the elastic branches. With difficulty only he repressed an exclamation of astonishment. In striking con- trast with the rocky scene all about him, exposed to his eyes, extended a fresh green valley, covered with rich grass and many-colored flowers, that seemed painted in among the desolate mountain ridges traversed by a brook in a devious direction, skirted by thickly leafed bushes, and a long row of lodges, whose interior seemed excavated several feet, judging from the low roofs which were formed of skins. Several Indian women were visible among m Eomichooksseo