José — page 269: what you’re looking at

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

~ 262 JOSE. ing back for a blow, he urged his horse to a mighty leap; downward plunged the battle-ax, but with a loud metallic sound it rebounded from Bob’s up- lifted fist, who quick as thought, hurled himself upon his foeman with a long knife. The Indian, however, adroit and limber as a snake, evaded the blow, wheeled his horse about and an instant after was renewing his attack from the other side. While Bob succeeded in eluding the lunge, he yet was forced to confess, as his antagonist easily escaped him a second time, that he was no match for the other in point of horsemanship, and that if he did not wish to be separated from his friends and be lured amung the redskins, he shouid have to bide his time and for the present content himself with taking the de- fensive. One glance furthermore convinced him that the redskins were again beginning to rally, that a murderous fight between tomahawk and knife was raging all around him, that there was imminent danger of the little band being completely surrounded, and that a bold stroke should have to be carried out to prevent the fight from terminating in the total destruction of the whites. He felt ag- gravated as the chief again came dashing toward him and suddenly turning aside, began to ride round him in a circle. “Go in!” he cried to his friends, wheeling. his horse so as to face the savage, determined to decide the battle by a hand-to-hand conflict. Again the chief leaped lightly aside, watching every movement of his antagonist with a similar look. At that juncture cries of exultation were heard from the Indians near bv. Yonder must have been a fatal issue for the whites, and with a cry of rage Bob renewed his attack upon his antagonist, Eomichooks sco m