José — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

88 JOSE. “A singular being,” Baumann replied, after a short observation. “Isee one of our men has gone to meet him and is taking him to the wagon-boss. Let us return.” The strange visitor had created nota little com- motion in the camp. “] reckon you can spare a bite for a hungry man, can’t you?” he said to the wagon-boss, without seeming to notice the sharp scrutiny to which he was subjected by the latter, seating himself uncere- — moniously at one of the fires. “You needn’t be alarmed on account of my presence, sir!” he said, with a roguish look that appeared singularly strange on his furrowed face, and boldly meeting Wood’s scrutiny. “I’m not going to spend the night with you, and if you’ve no greater dangers to fear than through me, you may rest easy !” “That’s all right, sir,” retorted the wagon-boss, in- specting every detail of the appearance of the new arrival; “but we’re in an enemy’s country, and it’s only just and right to give an account of yourself on entering a camp like ours.” “T reckon all you’ve seen of the plains is where the wagon tracks cross it, else you would feed a hungry man before you cross-examine him—that is if any cross-examining’s to be done,” the other replied, with perfect composure; “at least that’s the custom even among the Indians, according to my experience!” The wagon-boss seemed to be on the point of making an angry retort, but turned to one of the - men and ordered him to serve the stranger with some food. In the meantime the new arrival slowly but critically swept his eyes, shaded by fierce bushy brows, over the crew and the various parts of the Eomicbooks.Gco