José — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

52 JOSE. said, gazing up and down the bed of the stream. “At all events we sha’n’t be taken by surprise.” The caravan had possibly progressed twelve miles along the route, when the wagon-boss designated a spot near two ponds of water as the bivouac for the night. The wagons, with the poles outward, were drawn into a circular park, leaving an entrance only on one side, while the animals were relieved of their harness and suffered to nibble the succulent grass growing all around in ample profusion. Soon three large fires, for the preparation of supper and the indispensable coffee, were brightly blazing and the wagon-boss began to appoint the guards. By way of setting a good example, Green and Baumann volunteered to keep watch during the hours after midnight, and in a short space of time the corral | and its environs presented a scene of busy prepara- tion. The manner in which each man attended to his own wants, providing for his comfort and safety during the night, made it evident that camping was not a novel experience to the crew, and served to inspire Green, who, at the side of his German friend, leisurely inspected the several groups, with ' asense of security in regard to the happy issue of the expedition. Night rapidly descended upon the plains. The mules were securely herded in the corral, the camp- fires burned low, and in every direction dark forms, with rifles in their arms, were seen rolling up in their blankets and stretching themselves upon the ground. A group of five or six, with Dutch Bill in their center, puffing away at their pipes, was still awake. “You'll find what’s the matter with the Santa Fe trail, if you’ve never been over it—all child’s play EOomichookssco