On the Trail of Geronimo — page 273: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE TRAIL OF GERONIMO. 299 “ Like that which we noticed when approaching this spot?” Lieutenant Whitcomb uttered an exclamation and almost leaped to his feet. “Was there ever such stupidity? It never once occurred to me: who knows but that signal was from the captain ?”’ It was a strange piece of forgetfulness indeed on the part of the leader of the scouts that, while studying the peculiar signal described, he did not think it might be made by a friend instead of an enemy; but such was the fact. “Tt was about two miles to the northward,” he added, “and, if it was the captain, he will send some of the troopers in this direction to communi- cate with us; they may be on their way now,” he added, looking sharply to his right, as if he ex- pected the appearance of one of his own race. But nothing of the kind was seen, and he settled back in his lounging posture on the ground and smoked his cheroot with tenfold the enjoyment it had afforded when out on the burning plain. ‘I do hope it is the captain and the boys,” he added, a minute later, “for it will give us a chance to look after those poor women.” S (C(O) mM Conniclooo