On the Trail of Geronimo — page 317: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE TRAIL OF GERONIMO. 303 he was seen by Bedford and Lieutenant Whitcomb, but the scout did not reach the place until after the flurry caused by the escape of Bedford. The lieutenant’s enthusiasm got him into the very trouble that had been suspected. He made a valiant fight, but despite all he could do, he was overwhelmed, disarmed and borne into the presence of Geronimo himself, who was in a state of fury, that made him eager to visit the young officer with the worst possible torture he could conceive. } The apprehension was general that the poor fel- low had already undergone frightful suffering, and that it was too late for a rescue. The great Apache leader was a man of strange moods and whims, and there was no calculating what cranky notion he might take into his head. Kit, the scout, added the information that the chief and his small party of warriors had made a change of base; and now that they knew how closely they had been followed, it would be impos- sible to locate or run them down. It may seem that little thought was given to the three hapless females, who had been bereft so cruelly of their protector; but there was not a COmmicloo©