On the Trail of Geronimo — page 235: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE TRAIL OF GERONIMO. 223 The country over which they had ridden the night before, was similar to much that had been met during the scout. Sandy and alkali plains abounded, where the grass was so stunted that one could not help wondering whether a mountain goat, if he lost his way, would be able to secure enough to save himself from starvation. But for the springs and streams of water encoun- tered here and there, the country would have been the abomination of desolation. “ How any man can deliberately bring his family and settle down here,” said Lieutenant Whitcomb, “passes my comprehension. I would rather live in the Okefinoke Swamp, or the mosquito flats of Jersey, or in the snowy mountains of Montana than to gasp and pant and fight Apaches in this part of the world.” Joggens smiled, for he knew whither the young officer’s fancies were straying, and he could under- stand why he was so indignant that a certain person was compelled to cross the continent and settle down in this region, which was anything but a paradise. “It isn’t exactly what you or I would do, leftenant, but I remember reading in the history of (C(O) nn) (C 6)(0)(6) (C(O)