José — page 219: what you’re looking at

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

912 JOSE. him toward him. Through two small openings in the roof the moon cast her dim light into the gloom within, and it was some time before the invaders were enabled to distinguish aught. The hunter lay motionless, extended on the ground; at last he whispered, his lips pressed closely to his com- panion’s ear: “Can you see?” An affirmative nod was the answer. In the pale moonlight, Baumann saw the shackled feet of the prisoner. Soon he was enabled to distinguish the dark forms of the two guards. Bob advanced inch upon inch. Suddenly he dis- appeared from the side of his companion. “There are two steps,” Baumann heard him breathe in his ear. “Follow me carefully.” With palpitating heart the young man crept on. He reached out his hands and felt the depression in the ground, that resembled a stair-way. At that moment a loosened stone rolled down. Indistinct as was the sound, it served to startle the breathless silence within the lodge. Baumann had barely re- covered from the shock occasioned by the deplorable incident, when he saw one of the Indians rising to a sitting posture. The occurrences of the next in- stant swept like a flash across his vision. He saw Bob, like a huge shadow, flitting past him with up- lifted left hand, heard the dull hammer stroke sound he remembered so well in connection with the slay- ing of the surviving dog, and saw the Indian sink back upon the ground. The next instant he saw Bob hurling himself upon the remaining guard, and the two blending into one shadow. “Unbind the gentleman, quick!” he heard thé hunter call out in an undertone, mingling with the Gomicbooks.com