José — page 225: what you’re looking at

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

218 JOSE, CHAPTER XVI. JOSE. Day dawned in wondrous glory, but the prairie was no. longer like the fresh green savanna on the other side of the Arkansas River. Jagged rocks, frequently resembling lava in shape and color, alternated with strips of sand and ground sparsely covered with thin growths of sapless grass, forming’ merely a continuation of the sterile waste they had previously traversed. Bob had steadily pursued the course of the sanded brook, followed by Dutch Bill, still maintaining his place at the head of the drove, the two friends bringing up the rear, acting in the capacity of mule-drivers, with seldom an opportunity of interchanging a few friendly words. It was close upon noon when in the distance they sighted a long green strip upon the surface of the plain. , . The old guide held up his hand. “That is Cimeron River,” he said, turning round, without slacking the gait of his horse, however. “This brings us back upon honest men’s ground!” After an hour the shvures. of the river were reached, whose stagnant waters, playing into a variety of glaring colors, and covered with rushes and weeds, could not inspire even the animals with a desire to drink. The hunter seemed to entertain no intention to rest here, for after a sharp survey of the surroundings, he spurred his horse on afresh over the level and grassy ground, following the course of the river downward, At the lapse of half GEomichbooks (E(@) m