José — page 285: what you’re looking at

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

278 JOSE, to a halt, “it’s curious that aman can get lost ina house the breadth of a hand, and yet be able night or day to find his way on a wide-spreading prairie. Never mind, I guess we shall find some landmark to set us right.” A few more steps brought the trio to the open doo of a spacious room, in which two loag boards were being set for dinner, at sight of which Bob’s face assumed a look of quiet satisfaction. “T reckon we shall here find what we are most in want of; I see Iam once more in luck,” he said. “I shouldn’t be able to find the way to this spot a second time; sol think we had better camp right here.” The sharp clang of a bell was heard without, and soon the male domestics began to struggle in, grouping themselves about several large vessels that had been placed on the table at regular inter- vals. Now, too, the aroma of coffee from large, steaming tin cans began to fill the room, and soon the clatter of spoons and tin vessels, supplying the place of cups and plates, was in full sway. Bob had vainly looked about for Jose and finally beckoned his friends to sit down at a large dish near the end of one of the boards. “Tama little anxious about Pepita,” he said, in an undertone; “it is not probable that with breeches on she would be about any of the women; then why isn’t she here?” | Shaking his head he began to serve himself. Baumann and Green, it is true, followed his ex- ample, but despite the wholesome viands it was easily to be seen by the manner in which they ate that their thoughts had little to do with their present occupation. (E(0) m —Gomicbooks