José — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

JOSE. 35 a faint smile; “but I’ll make him bend his neck before I leave the place!” He was turning his head to look fo4 the stubborn animal, his mind evidently occupied with a fresh design to curb its spirit, when the young man above referred to reached the foot of the stairs, pressed his way through the circle and advanced in a straight line toward the mule. “Let me try,” he said, reaching for the lasso, and “Dutch Bill” gazed into a pair of large, black eyes expressing a degree of determination hardly com: patible with the apparent age of the young stranger. For a moment the freighter seemed surprised; then he scanned the slender form of the youth and a half-satirical, half-pitying smile settled about his large mouth. “You expect to break this Mormon, do you? All right, my boy, try it; but look out that he doesn’t box your ears.” Bill closed one eye and swept the crowd of specta- tors wtih a look that was intended to challenge their approval, while the stranger advanced straight toward the excited and trembling animal, tenderly patted his neck, and gazed steadily into his eyes. Then he began to speak to him in a soft, melodious voice, and to scratch his ears, opening his mouth and stroking his nose. Dutch Bill craned his neck when the boy began to speak. ‘“ Mina—mina bonita,” he repeated. “Oh, I see; it’s one of them Mexicans. All sugar and honey, and when you ain’t alookin’ they’re worse than a Mor- mon. There! if he hasn’t done it!” he added, half protestingly yet in good humor as the animal, hav- ing submitted to the other’s flattery, suffered him- self to be bridled and the crowd again burst out into (E(o) GEomichbooks