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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b95b271 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #55093 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55093) diff --git a/old/55093-0.txt b/old/55093-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a550b5f..0000000 --- a/old/55093-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8215 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Life in the Far West, by George Frederick -Augustus Ruxton - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Life in the Far West - - -Author: George Frederick Augustus Ruxton - - - -Release Date: July 11, 2017 [eBook #55093] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE IN THE FAR WEST*** - - -E-text prepared by Larry B. Harrison, Christian Boissonnas, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images -scanned by the Google Books Library Project (https://books.google.com) -generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/lifeinfarwest01ruxtgoog - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - - - - -LIFE IN THE FAR WEST - -by - -GEORGE FREDERICK RUXTON - -Author of “Travels in Mexico,” &c. - - - - - - -William Blackwood and Sons -Edinburgh and London. -M.DCCC.XLIX. - -Originally Published in Blackwood's Magazine. - -John Hughes, Printer, Edinburgh. - - - - -THE LATE - -GEORGE FREDERICK RUXTON. - - -The London newspapers of October 1848 contained the mournful tidings -of the death, at St Louis on the Mississippi, and at the early age of -twenty-eight, of Lieutenant George Frederick Ruxton, formerly of her -Majesty's 89th regiment, the author of the following sketches. - -Many men, even in the most enterprising periods of our history, have -been made the subjects of elaborate biography, with far less title to -the honour than this lamented young officer. Time was not granted him -to embody in a permanent shape a tithe of his personal experiences -and strange adventures in three quarters of the globe. Considering, -indeed, the amount of physical labour he underwent, and the extent of -the fields over which his wanderings spread, it is almost surprising -he found leisure to write so much. At the early age of seventeen, Mr -Ruxton quitted Sandhurst, to learn the practical part of a soldier's -profession in the civil wars of Spain. He obtained a commission in a -squadron of lancers then attached to the division of General Diego -Leon, and was actively engaged in several of the most important -combats of the campaign. For his marked gallantry on these occasions, -he received from Queen Isabella II., the cross of the first class of -the order of St Fernando, an honour which has seldom been awarded to -one so young. On his return from Spain he found himself gazetted to a -commission in the 89th regiment; and it was whilst serving with that -distinguished corps in Canada that he first became acquainted with -the stirring scenes of Indian life, which he has since so graphically -portrayed. His eager and enthusiastic spirit soon became wearied with -the monotony of the barrack-room; and, yielding to that impulse which -in him was irresistibly developed, he resigned his commission, and -directed his steps towards the stupendous wilds, tenanted only by the -red Indian, or by the solitary American trapper. - -Those familiar with Mr Ruxton's writings cannot fail to have remarked -the singular delight with which he dwells upon the recollections of -this portion of his career, and the longing which he carried with him, -to the hour of his death, for a return to those scenes of primitive -freedom. “Although liable to an accusation of barbarism,” he writes, -“I must confess that the very happiest moments of my life have been -spent in the wilderness of the Far West; and I never recall, but with -pleasure, the remembrance of my solitary camp in the Bayou Salade, -with no friend near me more faithful than my rifle, and no companions -more sociable than my good horse and mules, or the attendant cayute -which nightly serenaded us. With a plentiful supply of dry pine-logs -on the fire, and its cheerful blaze streaming far up into the sky, -illuminating the valley far and near, and exhibiting the animals, -with well-filled bellies, standing contentedly at rest over their -picket-fire, I would sit cross-legged, enjoying the genial warmth, -and, pipe in mouth, watch the blue smoke as it curled upwards, -building castles in its vapoury wreaths, and, in the fantastic shapes -it assumed, peopling the solitude with figures of those far away. -Scarcely, however, did I ever wish to change such hours of freedom for -all the luxuries of civilised life; and, unnatural and extraordinary -as it may appear, yet such is the fascination of the life of the -mountain hunter, that I believe not one instance could be adduced of -even the most polished and civilised of men, who had once tasted the -sweets of its attendant liberty, and freedom from every worldly care, -not regretting the moment when he exchanged it for the monotonous life -of the settlements, nor sighing and sighing again once more to partake -of its pleasures and allurements.” - -On his return to Europe from the Far West, Mr Ruxton, animated with -a spirit as enterprising and fearless as that of Raleigh, planned -a scheme for the exploration of Central Africa, which was thus -characterised by the president of the Royal Geographical Society, in -his anniversary address for 1845:—“To my great surprise, I recently -conversed with an ardent and accomplished youth, Lieutenant Ruxton, -late of the 89th regiment, who had formed the daring project of -traversing Africa in the parallel of the southern tropic, and has -actually started for this purpose. Preparing himself by previous -excursions on foot, in North Africa and Algeria, he sailed from -Liverpool early in December last, in the Royalist, for Ichaboe. From -that spot he was to repair to Walvish Bay, where we have already -mercantile establishments. The intrepid traveller had received from -the agents of these establishments such favourable accounts of the -nations towards the interior, as also of the nature of the climate, -that he has the most sanguine hopes of being able to penetrate to the -central region, if not of traversing it to the Portuguese colonies -of Mozambique. If this be accomplished, then indeed will Lieutenant -Ruxton have acquired for himself a permanent name among British -travellers, by making us acquainted with the nature of the axis of the -great continent of which we possess the southern extremity.” - -In pursuance of this hazardous scheme, Ruxton, with a single -companion, landed on the coast of Africa, a little to the south of -Ichaboe, and commenced his journey of exploration. But it seemed as -if both nature and man had combined to baffle the execution of his -design. The course of their travel lay along a desert of moving sand, -where no water was to be found, and little herbage, save a coarse -tufted grass, and twigs of the resinous myrrh. The immediate place -of their destination was Angra Peguena, on the coast, described as -a frequented station, but which in reality was deserted. One ship -only was in the offing when the travellers arrived, and, to their -inexpressible mortification, they discovered that she was outward -bound. No trace was visible of the river or streams laid down in -the maps as falling into the sea at this point, and no resource was -left to the travellers save that of retracing their steps—a labour -for which their strength was hardly adequate. But for the opportune -assistance of a body of natives, who encountered them at the very -moment when they were sinking from fatigue and thirst, Ruxton and his -companion would have been added to the long catalogue of those whose -lives have been sacrificed in the attempt to explore the interior of -that fatal country. - -The jealousy of the traders, and of the missionaries settled on the -African coast, who constantly withheld or perverted that information -which was absolutely necessary for the successful prosecution of the -journey, induced Ruxton to abandon the attempt for the present. He -made, however, several interesting excursions towards the interior, -and more especially in the country of the Bosjesmans. - -Finding his own resources inadequate for the accomplishment of -his favourite project, Mr Ruxton, on his return to England, made -application for Government assistance. But though this demand was -not altogether refused, it having been referred to the Council of -the Royal Geographical Society, and favourably reported upon by that -body, so many delays interposed that Ruxton, in disgust, resolved -to withdraw from the scheme, and to abandon that field of African -research which he had already contemplated from its borders. He next -bent his steps to Mexico; and, fortunately, has presented to the world -his reminiscences of that country, in one of the most fascinating -volumes which, of late years, has issued from the press. It would, -however, appear that the African scheme, the darling project of his -life, had again recurred to him at a later period; for, in the course -of the present spring, before setting out on that journey which was -destined to be his last, the following expressions occur in one of his -letters:— - - “My movements are uncertain, for I am trying to get up a yacht - voyage to Borneo and the Indian Archipelago; have volunteered - to Government to explore Central Africa; and the Aborigines - Protection Society wish me to go out to Canada to organise the - Indian tribes; whilst, for my own part and inclination, I wish to - go to all parts of the world at once.” - -As regards the volume to which this notice serves as Preface, the -editor does not hesitate to express a very high opinion of its merits. -Written by a man untrained to literature, and whose life, from -boy-hood upwards, was passed in the field and on the road, in military -adventure and travel, its style is yet often as remarkable for graphic -terseness and vigour, as its substance every where is for great -novelty and originality. The narrative of “Life in the Far West” was -first offered for insertion in _Blackwood's Magazine_ in the spring -of 1848, when the greater portion of the manuscript was sent, and the -remainder shortly followed. During its publication in that periodical, -the wildness of the adventures related excited suspicions in certain -quarters as to their actual truth and fidelity. It may interest the -reader to know that the scenes described are pictures from life, -the results of the author's personal experience. The following are -extracts from letters addressed by him, in the course of last summer, -to the conductors of the Magazine above named:— - - “I have brought out a few more softening traits in the characters - of the mountaineers—but not at the sacrifice of truth—for some of - them have their good points; which, as they are rarely allowed - to rise to the surface, must be laid hold of at once before they - sink again. Killbuck—that 'old hos' _par exemple_, was really - pretty much of a gentleman, as was La Bonté. Bill Williams, - another 'hard case,' and Rube Herring, were 'some' too. - - “The scene where La Bonté joins the Chase family is so far true, - that he did make a sudden appearance; but, in reality, a day - before the Indian attack. The Chases (and I wish I had not given - the proper name[1]) did start for the Platte alone, and were - stampedoed upon the waters of the Platte. - - “The Mexican fandango _is true to the letter_. It does seem - difficult to understand how they contrived to keep their - knives out of the hump-ribs of the mountaineers; but how - can you account for the fact, that, the other day, 4000 Mexicans, - with 13 pieces of artillery, behind strong entrenchments and - two lines of parapets, were routed by 900 raw Missourians; 300 - killed, as many more wounded, all their artillery captured, as - well as several hundred prisoners; and that not one American was - killed in the affair? _This is positive fact._ - - “I myself, with three trappers, cleared a fandango at Taos, armed - only with bowie-knives—some score Mexicans, at least, being in - the room. - - “With regard to the incidents of Indian attacks, starvation, - cannibalism, &c., I have invented not one out of my own head. - They are all matters of history in the mountains; but I have, no - doubt, jumbled the _dramatis personæ_ one with another, and may - have committed anachronisms in the order of their occurrence.” - -Again he wrote as follows:— - - “I think it would be as well to correct a misapprehension as to - the truth or fiction of the paper. It is no _fiction_. There is - no incident in it which has not actually occurred, nor one - character who is not well known in the Rocky Mountains, with - the exception of two whose names are changed—the originals of - these being, however, equally well known with the others.” - -His last letter, written just before his departure from England, a few -weeks previously to his death, will hardly be read by any one who ever -knew the writer, without a tear of sympathy for the sad fate of this -fine young man, dying miserably in a strange land, before he had well -commenced the hazardous journey whose excitement and dangers he so -joyously anticipated:— - - “As you say, human nature can't go on feeding on civilised - fixings in this 'big village;' and this child has felt like - going West for many a month, being half froze for buffler meat - and mountain doins. My route takes me _viâ_ New York, the Lakes, - and St Louis, to Fort Leavenworth, or Independence on the Indian - frontier. Thence packing my 'possibles' on a mule, and mounting a - buffalo horse (Panchito, if he is alive), I strike the - Santa Fé trail to the Arkansa, away up that river to the - mountains, winter in the Bayou Salade, where Killbuck and La - Bonté joined the Yutes, cross the mountains next spring to - Great Salt Lake—and that's far enough to look forward to—always - supposing my hair is not lifted by Comanche or Pawnee on the - scalping route of the Coon Creeks and Pawnee Fork.” - -Poor fellow! he spoke lightly, in the buoyancy of youth and a -confident spirit, of the fate he little thought to meet, but which -too surely overtook him—not indeed by Indian blade, but by the no -less deadly stroke of disease. Another motive, besides that love of -rambling and adventure, which, once conceived and indulged, is so -difficult to eradicate, impelled him across the Atlantic. He had for -some time been out of health at intervals, and he thought the air -of his beloved prairies would be efficacious to work a cure. In a -letter to a friend, in the month of May last, he thus referred to the -probable origin of the evil:— - - “I have been confined to my room for many days, from the - effects of an accident I met with in - the Rocky Mountains, having been spilt from the bare back of a - mule, and falling on the sharp picket of an Indian lodge on the - small of my back. I fear I injured my spine, for I have never - felt altogether the thing since, and shortly after I saw you, - the symptoms became rather ugly. However, I am now getting round - again.” - -His medical advisers shared his opinion that he had sustained internal -injury from this ugly fall; and it is not improbable that it was -the remote, but real cause of his dissolution. From whatsoever this -ensued, it will be a source of deep and lasting regret to all who -ever enjoyed opportunities of appreciating the high and sterling -qualities of George Frederick Ruxton. Few men, so prepossessing on -first acquaintance, gained so much by being better known. With great -natural abilities and the most dauntless bravery, he united a modesty -and gentleness peculiarly pleasing. Had he lived, and resisted his -friends' repeated solicitations to abandon a roving life, and settle -down in England, there can be little doubt that he would have made -his name eminent on the list of those daring and persevering men, -whose travels in distant and dangerous lands have accumulated for -England, and for the world, so rich a store of scientific and general -information. And, although the few words it has been thought right -and becoming here to devote to his memory, will doubtless be more -particularly welcome to his personal friends, we are persuaded that -none will peruse without interest this brief tribute to the merits of -a gallant soldier, and accomplished English gentleman. - - - - -LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - -Away to the head waters of the Platte, where several small streams -run into the south fork of that river, and head in the broken ridges -of the “Divide” which separates the valleys of the Platte and -Arkansa, were camped a band of trappers on a creek called Bijou. It -was the month of October, when the early frosts of the coming winter -had crisped and dyed with sober brown the leaves of the cherry and -quaking ash belting the brooks; and the ridges and peaks of the Rocky -Mountains were already covered with a glittering mantle of snow, -sparkling in the still powerful rays of the autumn sun. - -The camp had all the appearance of permanency; for not only did it -comprise one or two unusually comfortable shanties, but the numerous -stages on which huge stripes of buffalo meat were hanging in process -of cure, showed that the party had settled themselves here in order to -lay in a store of provisions, or, as it is termed in the language of -the mountains, “to make meat.” Round the camp fed twelve or fifteen -mules and horses, their fore-legs confined by hobbles of raw hide; -and, guarding these animals, two men paced backwards and forwards, -driving in the stragglers, ascending ever and anon the bluffs which -overhung the river, and leaning on their long rifles, whilst they -swept with their eyes the surrounding prairie. Three or four fires -burned in the encampment, at some of which Indian women carefully -tended sundry steaming pots; whilst round one, which was in the -centre of it, four or five stalwart hunters, clad in buckskin, sat -cross-legged, pipe in mouth. - -They were a trapping party from the north fork of Platte, on their -way to wintering-ground in the more southern valley of the Arkansa; -some, indeed, meditating a more extended trip, even to the distant -settlements of New Mexico, the paradise of mountaineers. The elder of -the company was a tall gaunt man, with a face browned by twenty years' -exposure to the extreme climate of the mountains; his long black hair, -as yet scarcely tinged with grey, hanging almost to his shoulders, but -his cheeks and chin clean shaven, after the fashion of the mountain -men. His dress was the usual hunting-frock of buckskin, with long -fringes down the seams, with pantaloons similarly ornamented, and -moccasins of Indian make. Whilst his companions puffed their pipes in -silence, he narrated a few of his former experiences of western life; -and whilst the buffalo “hump-ribs” and “tender loin” are singing away -in the pot, preparing for the hunters' supper, we will note down the -yarn as it spins from his lips, giving it in the language spoken in -the “far west:”— - -“'Twas about 'calf-time,' maybe a little later, and not a hunderd year -ago, by a long chalk, that the biggest kind of rendezvous was held -'to' Independence, a mighty handsome little location away up on old -Missoura. A pretty smart lot of boys was camp'd thar, about a quarter -from the town, and the way the whisky flowed that time was 'some' -now, _I_ can tell you. Thar was old Sam Owins—him as got 'rubbed -out'[2] by the Spaniards at Sacramenty, or Chihuahuy, this hos doesn't -know which, but he 'went under'[3] any how. Well, Sam had his train -along, ready to hitch up for the Mexican country—twenty thunderin big -Pittsburg waggons; and the way _his_ Santa Fé boys took in the liquor -beat all—eh, Bill?” - -“_Well_, it did.” - -“Bill Bent—his boys camped the other side the trail, and they was all -mountain men, wagh!—and Bill Williams, and Bill Tharpe (the Pawnees -took his hair on Pawnee Fork last spring): three Bills, and them -three's all 'gone under.' Surely Hatcher went out that time; and -wasn't Bill Garey along, too? Didn't him and Chabonard sit in camp for -twenty hours at a deck of Euker? Them was Bent's Indian traders up on -Arkansa. Poor Bill Bent! them Spaniards made meat of him. He lost his -topknot to Taos. A 'clever' man was Bill Bent as _I_ ever know'd trade -a robe or 'throw' a bufler in his tracks. Old St Vrain could knock the -hind-sight off him though, when it came to shootin, and old silver -heels spoke true, she did: 'plum-center' she was, eh?” - -“_Well_, she wasn't nothin else.” - -“The Greasers[4] payed for Bent's scalp, they tell me. Old St Vrain -went out of Santa Fé with a company of mountain men, and the way they -made 'em sing out was 'slick as shootin'. He 'counted a coup,' did -St Vrain. He throwed a Pueblo as had on poor Bent's shirt. I guess -he tickled that niggur's hump-ribs. Fort William[5] aint the lodge -it was, an' never will be agin, now he's gone under; but St Vrain's -'pretty much of a gentleman,' too; if he aint, I'll be dog-gone, eh, -Bill?” - -“He is _so-o_.” - -“Chavez had his waggons along. He was only a Spaniard any how, and -some of his teamsters put a ball into him his next trip, and made a -raise of _his_ dollars, wagh! Uncle Sam hung 'em for it, I heard, but -can't b'lieve it, nohow. If them Spaniards wasn't born for shootin', -why was beaver made? You was with us that spree, Jemmy?” - -“No _sirre-e_; I went out when Spiers lost his animals on Cimmaron: a -hunderd and forty mules and oxen was froze that night, wagh!” - -“Surely Black Harris was thar; and the darndest liar was Black -Harris—for lies tumbled out of his mouth like boudins out of a -bufler's stomach. He was the child as saw the putrefied forest in the -Black Hills. Black Harris come in from Laramie; he'd been trapping -three year an' more on Platte and the 'other side;' and, when he got -into Liberty, he fixed himself right off like a Saint Louiy dandy. -Well, he sat to dinner one day in the tavern, and a lady says to him:— - -“'Well, Mister Harris, I hear you're a great travler.' - -“'Travler, marm,' says Black Harris, 'this niggur's no travler; I ar' -a trapper, marm, a mountain-man, wagh!' - -“'Well, Mister Harris, trappers are great travlers, and you goes over -a sight of ground in your perishinations, I'll be bound to say.' - -“'A sight, marm, this coon's gone over, if that's the way your 'stick -floats.'[6] I've trapped beaver on Platte and Arkansa, and away up on -Missoura and Yaller Stone; I've trapped on Columbia, on Lewis Fork, -and Green River; I've trapped, marm, on Grand River and the Heely -(Gila). I've fout the 'Blackfoot' (and d——d bad Injuns they ar); I've -'raised the hair'[7] of more _than one_ Apach, and made a Rapaho -'come' afore now; I've trapped in heav'n, in airth, and h—; and scalp -my old head, marm, but I've seen a putrefied forest.' - -“'La, Mister Harris, a what?' - -“'A putrefied forest, marm, as sure as my rifle's got hind-sights, -and _she_ shoots center. I was out on the Black Hills, Bill Sublette -knows the time—the year it rained fire—and every body knows when that -was. If thar wasn't cold doins about that time, this child wouldn't -say so. The snow was about fifty foot deep, and the bufler lay dead -on the ground like bees after a beein'; not whar we was tho', for -_thar_ was no bufler, and no meat, and me and my band had been livin' -on our mocassins (leastwise the parflesh[8]), for six weeks; and poor -doins that feedin' is, marm, as you'll never know. One day we crossed -a 'cañon' and over a 'divide,' and got into a peraira, whar was green -grass, and green trees, and green leaves on the trees, and birds -singing in the green leaves, and this in Febrary, wagh! Our animals -was like to die when they see the green grass, and we all sung out, -'hurraw for summer doins.' - -“'Hyar goes for meat,' says I, and I jest ups old Ginger at one of -them singing birds, and down come the crittur elegant; its darned head -spinning away from the body, but never stops singing, and when I takes -up the meat, I finds it stone, wagh! 'Hyar's damp powder and no fire -to dry it,' I says, quite skeared. - -“'Fire be dogged,' says old Rube. 'Hyar's a hos as 'll make fire -come;' and with that he takes his axe and lets drive at a cotton -wood. Schr-u-k—goes the axe agin the tree, and out comes a bit of the -blade as big as my hand. We looks at the animals, and thar they stood -shaking over the grass, which I'm dog-gone if it wasn't stone, too. -Young Sublette comes up, and he'd been clerking down to the fort on -Platte, so he know'd something. He looks and looks, and scrapes the -trees with his butcher knife, and snaps the grass like pipe stems, and -breaks the leaves a-snappin' like Californy shells.' - -“'What's all this, boy?' I asks. - -“'Putrefactions,' says he, looking smart, 'putrefactions, or I'm a -niggur.' - -“'La, Mister Harris,' says the lady, 'putrefactions! why, did the -leaves, and the trees, and the grass smell badly?' - -“'Smell badly, marm!' says Black Harris, 'would a skunk stink if he -was froze to stone? No, marm, this child didn't know what putrefaction -was, and young Sublette's varsion wouldn't 'shine' nohow, so I chips -a piece out of a tree and puts it in my trap-sack, and carries it in -safe to Laramie. Well, old Captain Stewart, (a clever man was that, -though he was an Englishman), he comes along next spring, and a Dutch -doctor chap was along too. I shows him the piece I chipped out of -the tree, and he called it a putrefaction too; and so, marm, if that -wasn't a putrefied peraira, what was it? For this hos doesn't know, -and _he_ knows 'fat cow' from 'poor bull,' anyhow.' - -“Well, old Black Harris is gone under too, I believe. He went to the -'Parks' trapping with a Vide Poche Frenchman, who shot him for his -bacca and traps. Darn them Frenchmen, they're no account any way you -lays your sight. (Any bacca in your bag, Bill? this beaver feels like -chawing.) - -“Well, any how, thar was the camp, and they was goin to put out the -next morning; and the last as come out of Independence was that ar -Englishman. He'd a nor-west[9] capote on, and a two-shoot gun rifled. -Well, them English are darned fools; they can't fix a rifle any -ways; but that one did shoot 'some;' leastwise _he_ made it throw -plum-center. He made the bufler 'come,' _he_ did, and fout well at -Pawnee Fork too. What was his name? All the boys called him Cap'en, -and he got his fixings from old Choteau; but what he wanted out thar -in the mountains, I never jest rightly know'd. He was no trader, nor -a trapper, and flung about his dollars right smart. Thar was old grit -in him, too, and a hair of the black b'ar at that.[10] They say he -took the bark off the Shians when he cleared out of the village with -old Beaver Tail's squaw. He'd been on Yaller Stone afore that: Leclerc -know'd him in the Blackfoot, and up in the Chippeway country; and -he had the best powder as ever I flashed through life, and his gun -was handsome, that's a fact. Them thar locks was grand; and old Jake -Hawken's nephey, (him as trapped on Heeley that time), told me, the -other day, as he saw an English gun on Arkansa last winter as beat all -off hand. - -“Nigh upon two hundred dollars I had in my possibles, when I went to -that camp to see the boys afore they put out; and you know, Bill, as I -sat to 'Euker' and 'seven up'[11] till every cent was gone. - -“'Take back twenty, old coon,' says Big John. - -“'H—'s full of such takes back,' says I; and I puts back to town and -fetches the rifle and the old mule, puts my traps into the sack, gets -credit for a couple of pounds of powder at Owin's store, and hyar I -ar on Bijou, with half a pack of beaver, and running meat yet, old -hos: so put a log on, and let's have a smoke. - -“Hurraw, Jake, old coon, bear a hand, and let the squaw put them tails -in the pot; for sun's down, and we'll have to put out pretty early to -reach 'Black Tail' by this time to-morrow. Who's fust guard, boys? -them cussed 'Rapahos' will be after the animals to-night, or I'm no -judge of Injun sign. How many did you see, Maurice?” - -“Enfant de Gârce, me see bout honderd, when I pass Squirrel Creek, one -dam war-party, parceque, they no hosses, and have de lariats for steal -des animaux. May be de Yutas in Bayou Salade.” - -“We'll be having trouble to-night, I'm thinking, if the devils are -about. Whose band was it, Maurice?” - -“Slim-Face—I see him ver close—is out; mais I think it White Wolf's.” - -“White Wolf, maybe, will lose his hair if he and his band knock round -here too often. That Injun put me afoot when we was out on 'Sandy' -that fall. This niggur owes him one, any how.” - -“H—'s full of White Wolves: go ahead, and roll out some of your doins -across the plains that time.” - -“You seed sights that spree, eh, boy?” - -“_Well_, we did. Some of em got their flints fixed this side of Pawnee -Fork, and a heap of mule-meat went wolfing. Just by Little Arkansa -we saw the first Injun. Me and young Somes was ahead for meat, and I -had hobbled the old mule and was 'approaching' some goats,[12] when -I see the critturs turn back their heads and jump right away for me. -'Hurraw, Dick!' I shouts, 'hyars brown-skin acomin,' and off I makes -for the mule. The young greenhorn sees the goats runnin up to him, and -not being up to Injun ways, blazes at the first and knocks him over. -Jest then seven darned red heads top the bluff, and seven Pawnees come -a-screechin upon us. I cuts the hobbles and jumps on the mule, and, -when I looks back, there was Dick Somes ramming a ball down his gun -like mad, and the Injuns flinging their arrows at him pretty smart, -I tell you. 'Hurraw, Dick, mind your hair,' and I ups old Greaser -and let one Injun 'have it,' as was going plum into the boy with his -lance. _He_ turned on his back handsome, and Dick gets the ball down -at last, blazes away, and drops another. Then we charged on em, and -they clears off like runnin cows; and I takes the hair off the heads -of the two we made meat of; and I do b'lieve thar's some of them -scalps on my old leggings yet. - -“Well, Dick was as full of arrows as a porky-pine: one was sticking -right through his cheek, one in his meat-bag, and two more 'bout his -hump-ribs. I tuk 'em all out slick, and away we go to camp, (for they -was jost a-campin' when we went ahead) and carryin' the goat too. -Thar' was a hurroo when we rode in with the scalps at the end of our -guns. 'Injuns! Injuns!' was the cry from the greenhorns; 'we'll be -'tacked to-night, that's certain.' - -“'Tacked be ——' says old Bill; 'aint we men too, and white at that? -Look to your guns, boys; send out a strong hos'-guard with the -animals, and keep your eyes skinned.' - -“Well, as soon as the animals were unhitched from the waggons, the -guvner sends out a strong guard, seven boys, and old hands at that. It -was pretty nigh upon sundown, and Bill had just sung out to 'corral.' -The boys were drivin' in the animals, and we were all standin' round -to get 'em in slick, when, 'howgh-owgh-owgh-owgh,' we hears right -behind the bluff, and 'bout a minute and a perfect crowd of Injuns -gallops down upon the animals. Wagh! war'nt thar hoopin'! We jump -for the guns, but before we get to the fires, the Injuns were among -the cavayard. I saw Ned Collyer and his brother, who were in the -hos'-guard, let drive at 'em; but twenty Pawnees were round 'em before -the smoke cleared from their rifles, and when the crowd broke the two -boys were on the ground, and their hair gone. Well, that ar Englishman -just saved the cavayard. He had his horse, a regular buffalo-runner, -picketed round the fire quite handy, and as soon as he sees the fix, -he jumps upon her and rides right into the thick of the mules, and -passes through 'em, firing his two-shoot gun at the Injuns, and, by -Gor, he made two come. The mules, which was a snortin' with funk and -running before the Injuns, as soon as they see the Englisman's mare -(mules 'ill go to h— after a horse, you all know), followed her right -into the corral, and thar they was safe. Fifty Pawnees come screechin' -after 'em, but we was ready that time, and the way we throw'd 'em -was something handsome, I tell you. But three of the hos'-guard got -skeared—leastwise their mules did, and carried 'em off into the -peraira, and the Injuns having enough of _us_, dashed after 'em right -away. Them poor devils looked back miserable now, with about a hundred -red varmints tearin' after their hair, and whooping like mad. Young -Jem Bulcher was the last; and when he seed it was no use, and his time -was nigh, he throw'd himself off the mule, and standing as upright -as a hickory wiping stick, he waves his hand to us, and blazes away -at the first Injun as come up, and dropped him slick; but the moment -after, you may guess, _he_ died. - -“We could do nothin', for, before our guns were loaded, all three -were dead and their scalps gone. Five of our boys got rubbed out that -time, and seven Injuns lay wolf's meat, while a many more went away -gut-shot, I'll lay. How'sever, five of us went under, and the Pawnees -made a raise of a dozen mules, wagh!” - -Thus far, in his own words, we have accompanied the old hunter in -his tale; and probably he would have taken us, by the time that the -Squaw Chilipat had pronounced the beaver tails cooked, safely across -the grand prairies—fording Cotton Wood, Turkey Creek, Little Arkansa, -Walnut Creek, and Pawnee Fork—passed the fireless route of the Coon -Creeks, through a sea of fat buffalo meat, without fuel to cook it; -have struck the big river, and, leaving at the “Crossing” the waggons -destined for Santa Fé, have trailed us up the Arkansa to Bent's Fort; -thence up Boiling Spring, across the divide over to the southern fork -of the Platte, away up to the Black Hills, and finally camped us, with -hair still preserved, in the beaver-abounding valleys of the Sweet -Water, and Câche la Poudre, under the rugged shadow of the Wind River -mountains; if it had not so happened, at this juncture, as all our -mountaineers sat cross-legged round the fire, pipe in mouth, and with -Indian gravity listened to the yarn of the old trapper, interrupting -him only with an occasional wagh! or with the exclamations of some -participator in the events then under narration, who would every now -and then put in a corroborative,—“This child remembers that fix,” or, -“hyar's a niggur lifted hair that spree,” &c.—that a whizzing noise -was heard in the air, followed by a sharp but suppressed cry from one -of the hunters. - -In an instant the mountaineers had sprung from their seats, and, -seizing the ever-ready rifle, each one had thrown himself on the -ground a few paces beyond the light of the fire (for it was now -night-fall;) but not a word escaped them, as, lying close, with -their keen eyes directed towards the gloom of the thicket, near -which the camp was placed, with rifles cocked, they waited a renewal -of the attack. Presently the leader of the band, no other than -Killbuck, who had so lately been recounting some of his experiences -across the plains, and than whom no more crafty woodsman or more -expert trapper ever tracked a deer or grained a beaverskin, raised -his tall, leather-clad form, and, placing his hand over his mouth, -made the prairie ring with the wild protracted note of an Indian -war-whoop. This was instantly repeated from the direction where the -animals belonging to the camp were grazing, under the charge of -the horse-guard. Three shrill whoops answered the warning of the -leader, and showed that the guard was on the alert, and understood -the signal. However, with the manifestation of their presence, the -Indians appeared to be satisfied; or, what is more probable, the -act of aggression had been committed by some daring young warrior, -who, being out on his first expedition, desired to strike the first -_coup_, and thus signalise himself at the outset of the campaign. -After waiting some few minutes, expecting a renewal of the attack, -the mountaineers in a body rose from the ground and made towards the -animals, with which they presently returned to the camp; and, after -carefully hobbling and securing them to pickets firmly driven into the -ground, mounting an additional guard, and examining the neighbouring -thicket, they once more assembled round the fire, relit their pipes, -and puffed away the cheering weed as composedly as if no such being as -a Redskin, thirsting for their lives, was within a thousand miles of -their perilous encampment. - -“If ever thar was bad Injuns on these plains,” at last growled -Killbuck, biting hard the pipe-stem between his teeth, “it's these -Rapahos, and the meanest kind at that.” - -“Can't beat the Blackfeet, any how,” chimed in one La Bonté, from -the Yellow Stone country, a fine handsome specimen of a mountaineer. -“However, one of you quit this arrow out of my hump,” he continued, -bending forwards to the fire, and exhibiting an arrow sticking out -under his right shoulder-blade, and a stream of blood trickling down -his buckskin coat from the wound. - -This his nearest neighbour essayed to do; but finding, after a tug, -that it “would not come,” expressed his opinion that the offending -weapon would have to be “butchered” out. This was accordingly effected -with the ready blade of a scalp-knife; and a handful of beaver-fur -being placed on the wound, and secured by a strap of buckskin round -the body, the wounded man donned his hunting-shirt once more, and -coolly set about lighting his pipe, his rifle lying across his lap, -cocked and ready for use. - -It was now near midnight—dark and misty; and the clouds, rolling away -to the eastward from the lofty ridges of the Rocky Mountains, were -gradually obscuring the dim starlight. As the lighter vapours faded -from the mountains, a thick black cloud succeeded them, and settled -over the loftier peaks of the chain, faintly visible through the gloom -of night, whilst a mass of fleecy scud soon overspread the whole -sky. A hollow moaning sound crept through the valley, and the upper -branches of the cotton woods, with their withered leaves, began to -rustle with the first breath of the coming storm. Huge drops of rain -fell at intervals, hissing as they dropped into the blazing fires, and -pattering on the skins with which the hunters hurriedly covered the -exposed baggage. The mules near the camp cropped the grass with quick -and greedy bites round the circuit of their pickets, as if conscious -that the storm would soon prevent their feeding, and already humped -their backs as the chilling rain fell upon their flanks. The prairie -wolves crept closer to the camp, and in the confusion that ensued from -the hurry of the trappers to cover the perishable portions of their -equipment, contrived more than once to dart off with a piece of meat, -when their peculiar and mournful chiding would be heard as they fought -for the possession of the ravished morsel. - -When every thing was duly protected, the men set to work to spread -their beds, those who had not troubled themselves to erect a shelter -getting under the lee of the piles of packs and saddles; whilst -Killbuck, disdaining even such care of his carcass, threw his buffalo -robe on the bare ground, declaring his intention to “take” what was -coming at all hazards, and “any how.” Selecting a high spot, he drew -his knife and proceeded to cut drains round it, to prevent the water -running into him as he lay; then taking a single robe he carefully -spread it, placing under the end farthest from the fire a large stone -brought from the creek. Having satisfactorily adjusted this pillow, -he added another robe to the one already laid, and placed over all a -Navajo blanket, supposed to be impervious to rain. Then he divested -himself of his pouch and powder-horn, which, with his rifle, he placed -inside his bed, and quickly covered up lest the wet should reach them. -Having performed these operations to his satisfaction, he lighted -his pipe by the hissing embers of the half-extinguished fire (for by -this time the rain poured in torrents), and went the rounds of the -picketed animals, cautioning the guard round the camp to keep their -“eyes skinned, for there would be 'powder burned' before morning.” -Then returning to the fire, and kicking with his mocassined foot the -slumbering ashes, he squatted down before it, and thus soliloquised:— - -“Thirty year have I been knocking about these mountains from -Missoura's head as far sothe as the starving Gila. I've trapped a -'heap,'[13] and many a hundred pack of beaver I've traded in my time, -wagh! What has come of it, and whar's the dollars as ought to be in -my possibles? Whar's the ind of this, I say? Is a man to be hunted by -Injuns all his days? Many's the time I've said I'd strike for Taos, -and trap a squaw, for this child's getting old, and feels like wanting -a woman's face about his lodge for the balance of his days; but when -it comes to caching of the old traps, I've the smallest kind of heart, -I have. Certain, the old-state comes across my mind now and again, -but who's thar to remember my old body? But them diggings gets too -over crowded now-a-days, and its hard to fetch breath amongst them -big bands of corncrackers to Missoura. Beside, it goes against natur -to leave bufler meat and feed on hog; and them white gals are too -much like picturs, and a deal too 'fofarraw' (fanfaron). No; darn the -settlements, I say. It won't shine, and whar's the dollars? Howsever, -beaver's 'bound to rise;' human natur can't go on selling beaver a -dollar a pound; no, no, that arn't a going to shine much longer, I -know. Them was the times when this child first went to the mountains: -six dollars the plew—old 'un or kitten. Wagh! but its bound to rise, -I says agin; and hyar's a coon knows whar to lay his hand on a dozen -pack right handy, and then he'll take the Taos trail, wagh!” - -Thus soliloquising, Killbuck knocked the ashes from his pipe, and -placed it in the gaily ornamented case that hung round his neck, -drew his knife-belt a couple of holes tighter, resumed his pouch and -powder-horn, took his rifle, which he carefully covered with the folds -of his Navajo blanket, and striding into the darkness, cautiously -reconnoitred the vicinity of the camp. When he returned to the fire he -sat himself down as before, but this time with his rifle across his -lap; and at intervals his keen gray eye glanced piercingly around, -particularly towards an old, weather-beaten, and grizzled mule, who -now, old stager as she was, having filled her belly, stood lazily over -her picket pin, with her head bent down and her long ears flapping -over her face, her limbs gathered under her, and her back arched to -throw off the rain, tottering from side to side as she rested and -slept. - -“Yep, old gal!” cried Killbuck to the animal, at the same time picking -a piece of burnt wood from the fire and throwing it at her, at which -the mule gathered itself up and cocked her ears as she recognised her -master's voice. “Yep, old gal! and keep your nose open; thar's brown -skin about, I'm thinkin', and maybe you'll get 'roped' (lasso'd) by -a Rapaho afore mornin.” Again the old trapper settled himself before -the fire; and soon his head began to nod, as drowsiness stole over -him. Already he was in the land of dreams; revelling amongst bands of -“fat cow,” or hunting along a stream well peopled with beaver; with -no Indian “sign” to disturb him, and the merry rendezvous in close -perspective, and his peltry selling briskly at six dollars the plew, -and galore of alcohol to ratify the trade. Or, perhaps, threading -the back trail of his memory, he passed rapidly through the perilous -vicissitudes of his hard, hard life—starving one day, revelling in -abundance the next; now beset by whooping savages thirsting for -his blood, baying his enemies like the hunted deer, but with the -unflinching courage of a man; now, all care thrown aside, secure and -forgetful of the past, a welcome guest in the hospitable trading fort; -or back, as the trail gets fainter, to his childhood's home in the -brown forests of old Kentuck, tended and cared for—his only thought to -enjoy the homminy and johnny cakes of his thrifty mother. Once more, -in warm and well remembered homespun, he sits on the snake fence round -the old clearing, and munching his hoe-cake at set of sun, listens to -the mournful note of the whip-poor-will, or the harsh cry of the noisy -catbird, or watches the agile gambols of the squirrels as they chase -each other, chattering the while, from branch to branch of the lofty -tamarisks, wondering how long it will be before he will be able to -lift his father's heavy rifle, and use it against the tempting game. -Sleep, however, sat lightly on the eyes of the wary mountaineer, and -a snort from the old mule in an instant stretched his every nerve. -Without a movement of his body, his keen eye fixed itself upon the -mule, which now stood with head bent round, and eyes and ears pointed -in one direction, snuffing the night air and snorting with apparent -fear. A low sound from the wakeful hunter roused the others from their -sleep; and raising their bodies from their well-soaked beds, a single -word apprised them of their danger. - -“Injuns!” - -Scarcely was the word out of Killbuck's lips, when, above the howling -of the furious wind, and the pattering of the rain, a hundred savage -yells broke suddenly upon their ears from all directions round the -camp; a score of rifle-shots rattled from the thicket, and a cloud of -arrows whistled through the air, whilst a crowd of Indians charged -upon the picketed animals. “Owgh, owgh—owgh—owgh—g-h-h.” “A foot, by -gor!” shouted Killbuck, “and the old mule gone at that. On 'em, boys, -for old Kentuck!” And he rushed towards his mule, which jumped and -snorted mad with fright, as a naked Indian strove to fasten a lariat -round her nose, having already cut the rope which fastened her to the -picket-pin. - -“Quit that, you cussed devil!” roared the trapper, as he jumped upon -the savage, and without raising his rifle to his shoulder, made a -deliberate thrust with the muzzle at his naked breast, striking him -full, and at the same time pulling the trigger, actually driving the -Indian two paces backwards with the shock, when he fell in a heap, and -dead. But at the same moment, an Indian, sweeping his club round his -head, brought it with fatal force down upon Killbuck; for a moment the -hunter staggered, threw out his arms wildly into the air, and fell -headlong to the ground. - -“Owgh! owgh, owgh-h-h!” cried the Rapaho, and, striding over the -prostrate body, he seized with his left hand the middle lock of the -trapper's long hair, and drew his knife round the head to separate the -scalp from the skull. As he bent over to his work, the trapper named -La Bonté saw his companion's peril, rushed quick as thought at the -Indian, and buried his knife to the hilt between his shoulders. With -a gasping shudder the Rapaho fell dead upon the prostrate body of his -foe. - -The attack, however, lasted but a few seconds. The dash at the animals -had been entirely successful, and, driving them before them, with -loud cries, the Indians disappeared quickly in the darkness. Without -waiting for daylight, two of the three trappers who alone were to be -seen, and who had been within the shanties at the time of attack, -without a moment's delay commenced packing two horses, which having -been fastened to the shanties had escaped the Indians, and placing -their squaws upon them, showering curses and imprecations on their -enemies, left the camp, fearful of another onset, and resolved to -retreat and câche themselves until the danger was over. Not so La -Bonté, who, stout and true, had done his best in the fight, and now -sought the body of his old comrade, from which, before he could -examine the wounds, he had first to remove the corpse of the Indian he -had slain. Killbuck still breathed. He had been stunned; but, revived -by the cold rain beating upon his face, he soon opened his eyes, and -recognised his trusty friend, who, sitting down, lifted his head into -his lap, and wiped away the blood that streamed from the wounded scalp. - -“Is the top-knot gone, boy?” asked Killbuck; “for my head feels -queersome, I tell you.” - -“Thar's the Injun as felt like lifting it,” answered the other, -kicking the dead body with his foot. - -“Wagh! boy, you've struck a coup; so scalp the nigger right off, and -then fetch me a drink.” - -The morning broke clear and cold. With the exception of a light cloud -which hung over Pike's Peak, the sky was spotless; and a perfect calm -had succeeded the boisterous storm of the previous night. The creek -was swollen and turbid with the rains; and as La Bonté proceeded a -little distance down the bank to find a passage to the water, he -suddenly stopped short, and an involuntary cry escaped him. Within a -few feet of the bank lay the body of one of his companions, who had -formed the guard at the time of the Indians' attack. It was lying on -the face, pierced through the chest with an arrow which was buried -to the very feathers, and the scalp torn from the bloody skull. -Beyond, but all within a hundred yards, lay the three others, dead, -and similarly mutilated. So certain had been the aim, and so close the -enemy, that each had died without a struggle, and consequently had -been unable to alarm the camp. La Bonté, with a glance at the bank, -saw at once that the wily Indians had crept along the creek, the noise -of the storm facilitating their approach undiscovered, and crawling up -the bank, had watched their opportunity to shoot simultaneously the -four hunters on guard. - -Returning to Killbuck, he apprised him of the melancholy fate of their -companions, and held a council of war as to their proceedings. The old -hunter's mind was soon made up. “First,” said he, “I get back my old -mule; she's carried me and my traps these twelve years, and I aint -a goin' to lose her yet. Second, I feel like taking hair, and some -Rapahos has to 'go under' for this night's work. Third, We have got to -câche the beaver. Fourth, We take the Injun trail, wharever it leads.” - -No more daring mountaineer than La Bonté ever trapped a beaver, and no -counsel could have more exactly tallied with his own inclination than -the law laid down by old Killbuck. - -“Agreed,” was his answer, and forthwith he set about forming a câche. -In this instance they had not sufficient time to construct a regular -one, so they contented themselves with securing their packs of beaver -in buffalo robes, and tying them in the forks of several cotton-woods, -under which the camp had been made. This done, they lit a fire, and -cooked some buffalo meat; and, whilst smoking a pipe, carefully -cleaned their rifles, and filled their horns and pouches with good -store of ammunition. - -A prominent feature in the character of the hunters of the far west is -their quick determination and resolve in cases of extreme difficulty -and peril, and their fixedness of purpose, when any plan of operations -has been laid requiring bold and instant action in carrying out. It is -here that they so infinitely surpass the savage Indian, in bringing -to a successful issue their numerous hostile expeditions against -the natural foe of the white man in the wild and barbarous regions -of the west. Ready to resolve as they are prompt to execute, and -combining far greater dash and daring with equal subtlety and caution, -they possess great advantage over the vacillating Indian, whose -superstitious mind in a great degree paralyses the physical energy of -his active body; and who, by waiting for propitious signs and seasons -before he undertakes an enterprise, often loses the opportunity by -which his white and more civilised enemy knows so well how to profit. - -Killbuck and La Bonté were no exceptions to this characteristic rule; -and before the sun was a hand's-breadth above the eastern horizon, -the two hunters were running on the trail of the victorious Indians. -Striking from the creek where the night attack was made, they crossed -to another known as Kioway, running parallel to Bijou, a few hours' -journey westward, and likewise heading in the “divide.” Following this -to its forks, they struck into the upland prairies lying at the foot -of the mountains; and crossing to the numerous water-courses which -feed the creek called “Vermilion” or “Cherry,” they pursued the trail -over the mountain-spurs until it reached a fork of the Boiling Spring. -Here the war-party had halted and held a consultation, for from this -point the trail turned at a tangent to the westward, and entered the -rugged gorges of the mountains. It was now evident to the two trappers -that their destination was the Bayou Salade,—a mountain valley which -is a favourite resort of the buffalo in the winter season, and which, -and for this reason, is often frequented by the Yuta Indians as -their wintering ground. That the Rapahos were on a war expedition -against the Yutas, there was little doubt; and Killbuck, who knew -every inch of the ground, saw at once, by the direction the trail had -taken, that they were making for the Bayou in order to surprise their -enemies, and, therefore, were not following the usual Indian trail -up the cañon of the Boiling Spring River. Having made up his mind to -this, he at once struck across the broken ground lying at the foot of -the mountains, steering a course a little to the eastward of north, -or almost in the direction whence he had come: and then, pointing -westward, about noon he crossed a mountain chain, and descending into -a ravine through which a little rivulet tumbled over its rocky bed, -he at once proved the correctness of his judgment by striking the -Indian trail, now quite fresh, as it wound through the cañon along -the bank of the stream. The route he had followed, impracticable to -pack-animals, had saved at least half-a-day's journey, and brought -them within a short distance of the object of their pursuit; for, at -the head of the gorge, a lofty bluff presenting itself, the hunters -ascended to the summit, and, looking down, descried at their very feet -the Indian camp, with their own stolen cavallada feeding quietly round. - -“Wagh!” exclaimed both the hunters in a breath. “And thar's the old -ga'l at that,” chuckled Killbuck, as he recognised his old grizzled -mule making good play at the rich buffalo grass with which these -mountain valleys abound. - -“If we don't make 'a raise' afore long, I wouldn't say so. Thar plans -is plain to this child as beaver sign. They're after Yuta hair, as -certain as this gun has got hind-sights; but they ar'nt agoin' to pack -them animals after 'em, and have crawled like 'rattlers' along this -bottom to câche 'em till they come back from the Bayou,—and maybe -they'll leave half a dozen 'soldiers'[14] with 'em.” - -How right the wily trapper was in his conjectures will be shortly -proved. Meanwhile, with his companion, he descended the bluff, and -pushing his way into a thicket of dwarf pine and cedar, sat down on a -log, and drew from an end of the blanket, strapped on his shoulder, a -portion of a buffalo's liver, which they both discussed, _raw_, with -infinite relish; eating in lieu of bread (an unknown luxury in these -parts) sundry strips of dried fat. To have kindled a fire would have -been dangerous, since it was not impossible that some of the Indians -might leave their camp to hunt, when the smoke would at once have -betrayed the presence of enemies. A light was struck, however for -their pipes, and after enjoying this true consolation for some time, -they laid a blanket on the ground, and, side by side, soon fell asleep. - -If Killbuck had been a prophet, or the most prescient of “medicine -men,” he could not have more exactly predicted the movements in the -Indian camp. About three hours before “sundown,” he rose and shook -himself, which movement was sufficient to awaken his companion. -Telling La Bonté to lie down again and rest, he gave him to understand -that he was about to reconnoitre the enemy's camp; and after carefully -examining his rifle, and drawing his knife-belt a hole or two tighter, -he proceeded on his dangerous errand. Ascending the same bluff whence -he had first discovered the Indian camp, he glanced rapidly around, -and made himself master of the features of the ground—choosing -a ravine by which he might approach the camp more closely, and -without danger of being discovered. This was soon effected; and -in half an hour the trapper was lying on his belly on the summit -of a pine-covered bluff, which overlooked the Indians within easy -rifle-shot, and so perfectly concealed by the low spreading branches -of the cedar and arbor-vitæ, that not a particle of his person could -be detected; unless, indeed, his sharp twinkling gray eye contrasted -too strongly with the green boughs that covered the rest of his face. -Moreover, there was no danger of their hitting upon his trail, for -he had been careful to pick his steps on the rock-covered ground, so -that not a track of his moccasin was visible. Here he lay, still as -a carcagien in wait for a deer, only now and then shaking the boughs -as his body quivered with a suppressed chuckle, when any movement in -the Indian camp caused him to laugh inwardly at his (if they had known -it) unwelcome propinquity. He was not a little surprised, however, -to discover that the party was much smaller than he had imagined, -counting only forty warriors; and this assured him that the band had -divided, one half taking the Yuta trail by the Boiling Spring, the -other (the one before him) taking a longer circuit in order to reach -the Bayou, and make the attack on the Yutas in a different direction. - -At this moment the Indians were in deliberation. Seated in a large -circle round a very small fire,[15] the smoke from which ascended -in a thin straight column, they each in turn puffed a huge cloud of -smoke from three or four long cherry-stemmed pipes, which went the -round of the party; each warrior touching the ground with the heel -of the pipe-bowl, and turning the stem upwards and away from him as -“medicine” to the Great Spirit, before he himself inhaled the fragrant -kinnik-kinnik. The council, however, was not general, for only fifteen -of the older warriors took part in it, the others sitting outside and -at some little distance from the circle. Behind each were his arms—bow -and quiver, and shield hanging from a spear stuck in the ground, and -a few guns in ornamented covers of buckskin were added to some of the -equipments. - -Near the fire, and in the centre of the inner circle, a spear was -fixed upright in the ground, and on this dangled the four scalps of -the trappers killed the preceding night; and underneath them, affixed -to the same spear, was the mystic “medicine bag,” by which Killbuck -knew that the band before him was under the command of the chief of -the tribe. - -Towards the grim trophies on the spear, the warriors, who in turn -addressed the council, frequently pointed—more than one, as he did -so, making the gyratory motion of the right hand and arm, which the -Indians use in describing that they have gained an advantage by skill -or cunning. Then pointing westward, the speaker would thrust out his -arm, extending his fingers at the same time, and closing and reopening -them repeatedly, meaning, that although four scalps already ornamented -the “medicine” pole, they were as nothing compared to the numerous -trophies they would bring from the Salt Valley, where they expected to -find their hereditary enemies the Yutas. “That now was not the time -to count their coups,” (for at this moment one of the warriors rose -from his seat, and, swelling with pride, advanced towards the spear, -pointing to one of the scalps, and then striking his open hand on -his naked breast, jumped into the air, as if about to go through the -ceremony). “That before many suns all their spears together would not -hold the scalps they had taken, and that they would return to their -village and spend a moon relating their achievements, and counting -coups.” - -All this Killbuck learned: thanks to his knowledge of the language -of signs—a master of which, if even he have no ears or tongue, never -fails to understand, and be understood by, any of the hundred tribes -whose languages are perfectly distinct and different. He learned, -moreover, that at sundown the greater part of the band would resume -the trail, in order to reach the Bayou by the earliest dawn; and also, -that no more than four or five of the younger warriors would remain -with the captured animals. Still the hunter remained in his position -until the sun had disappeared behind the ridge; when, taking up their -arms, and throwing their buffalo robes on their shoulders, the war -party of Rapahos, one behind the other, with noiseless step, and -silent as the dumb, moved away from the camp. When the last dusky form -had disappeared behind a point of rocks which shut in the northern end -of the little valley or ravine, Killbuck withdrew his head from its -screen, crawled backwards on his stomach from the edge of the bluff, -and, rising from the ground, shook and stretched himself; then gave -one cautious look around, and immediately proceeded to rejoin his -companion. - -“_Lave_ (get up), boy,” said Killbuck, as soon as he reached him. -“Hyar's grainin' to do afore long—and sun's about down, I'm thinking.” - -“Ready, old hos,” answered La Bonté, giving himself a shake. “What's -the sign like, and how many's the lodge?” - -“Fresh, and five, boy. How do you feel?” - -“_Half froze for hair._ Wagh!” - -“We'll have moon to-night, and as soon as _she_ gets up, we'll make -'em 'come.'” - -Killbuck then described to his companion what he had seen, and -detailed his plan. This was simply to wait until the moon afforded -sufficient light, then to approach the Indian camp and charge into -it, “lift” as much “hair” as they could, recover their animals, and -start at once to the Bayou and join the friendly Yutas, warning them -of the coming danger. The risk of falling in with either of the Rapaho -bands was hardly considered; to avoid this, they trusted to their own -foresight, and the legs of their mules, should they encounter them. - -Between sundown and the rising of the moon, they had leisure to eat -their supper, which, as before, consisted of raw buffalo-liver; after -discussing which, Killbuck pronounced himself “a 'heap' better,” and -ready for “huggin.” - -In the short interval of almost perfect darkness which preceded the -moonlight, and taking advantage of one of the frequent squalls of -wind which howl down the narrow gorges of the mountains, these two -determined men, with footsteps noiseless as the panther's, crawled -to the edge of the little plateau of some hundred yards' square, -where the five Indians in charge of the animals were seated round -the fire, perfectly unconscious of the vicinity of danger. Several -clumps of cedar bushes dotted the small prairie, and amongst these the -well-hobbled mules and horses were feeding. These animals, accustomed -to the presence of whites, would not notice the two hunters as they -crept from clump to clump nearer to the fire, and also served, even if -the Indians should be on the watch, to conceal their movements from -them. - -This the two men at once perceived; but old Killbuck knew that if -he passed within sight or smell of his mule, he would be received -with a hinny of recognition, which would at once alarm the enemy. -He therefore first ascertained where his own animal was feeding, -which luckily was at the farther side of the prairie, and would not -interfere with his proceedings. - -Threading their way amongst the feeding mules, they approached a -clump of bushes about forty yards from the spot where the unconscious -savages were seated smoking round the fire; and here they awaited, -scarcely drawing breath the while, the moment when the moon rose above -the mountain into the clear cold sky, and gave them light sufficient -to make sure their work of bloody retribution. Not a pulsation in the -hearts of these stern determined men beat higher than its wont; not -the tremour of a nerve disturbed their frame. They stood with lips -compressed and rifles ready, their pistols loosened in their belts, -their scalp-knives handy to their gripe. The lurid glow of the coming -moon already shot into the sky above the ridge, which stood out in -bold relief against the light; and the luminary herself just peered -over the mountain, illuminating its pine-clad summit, and throwing her -beams on an opposite peak, when Killbuck touched his companion's arm, -and whispered, “Wait for the full light, boy.” - -At this moment, however, unseen by the trapper, the old grizzled mule -had gradually approached, as she fed along the plateau; and, when -within a few paces of their retreat, a gleam of moonshine revealed to -the animal the erect forms of the two whites. Suddenly she stood still -and pricked her ears, and stretching out her neck and nose, snuffed -the air. Well she knew her old master. - -Killbuck, with eyes fixed upon the Indians, was on the point of giving -the signal of attack to his comrade, when the shrill hinny of his mule -reverberated through the gorge. The Indians jumped to their feet and -seized their arms, when Killbuck, with a loud shout of “At 'em boy; -give the niggurs h—!” rushed from his concealment, and with La Bonté -by his side, yelling a fierce war-whoop, sprung upon the startled -savages. - -Panic-struck with the suddenness of the attack, the Indians scarcely -knew where to run, and for a moment stood huddled together like -sheep. Down dropped Killbuck on his knee, and stretching out his -wiping-stick, planted it on the ground at the extreme length of his -arm. As methodically and as coolly as if about to aim at a deer, he -raised his rifle to this rest and pulled the trigger. At the report -an Indian fell forward on his face, at the same moment that La Bonté, -with equal certainty of aim and like effect, discharged his own rifle. - -The three surviving Indians, seeing that their assailants were but -two, and knowing that their guns were empty, came on with loud yells. -With the left hand grasping a bunch of arrows, and holding the bow -already bent and arrow fixed, they steadily advanced, bending low to -the ground to get their objects between them and the light, and thus -render their aim more certain. The trappers, however, did not care -to wait for them. Drawing their pistols, they charged at once; and -although the bows twanged, and the three arrows struck their mark, on -they rushed, discharging their pistols at close quarters. La Bonté -threw his empty one at the head of an Indian who was pulling his -second arrow to its head at a yard's distance, drew his knife at the -same moment, and made at him. - -But the Indian broke and ran, followed by his surviving companion; and -as soon as Killbuck could ram home another ball, he sent a shot flying -after them as they scrambled up the mountain side, leaving in their -fright and hurry their bows and shields on the ground. - -The fight was over, and the two trappers confronted each other:—“We've -given 'em h—!” laughed Killbuck. - -“_Well_, we have,” answered the other, pulling an arrow out of his -arm.—“Wagh!” - -“We'll lift the hair, any how,” continued the first, “afore the -scalp's cold.” - -Taking his whetstone from the little sheath on his knife-belt, the -trapper proceeded to “edge” his knife, and then stepping to the -first prostrate body, he turned it over to examine if any symptom of -vitality remained. “Thrown cold!” he exclaimed, as he dropped the -lifeless arm he had lifted. “I sighted him about the long ribs, but -the light was bad, and I couldn't get a 'bead' 'off hand' any how.” - -Seizing with his left hand the long and braided lock on the centre of -the Indian's head, he passed the point edge of his keen butcher-knife -round the parting, turning it at the same time under the skin to -separate the scalp from the skull; then, with a quick and sudden -jerk of his hand, he removed it entirely from the head, and giving -the reeking trophy a wring upon the grass to free it from the blood, -he coolly hitched it under his belt, and proceeded to the next; but -seeing La Bonté operating upon this, he sought the third, who lay -some little distance from the others. This one was still alive, a -pistol-ball having passed through his body, without touching a vital -spot. - -“Gut-shot is this niggur,” exclaimed the trapper; “them pistols never -throws 'em in their tracks;” and thrusting his knife, for mercy's -sake, into the bosom of the Indian, he likewise tore the scalp-lock -from his head, and placed it with the other. - -La Bonté had received two trivial wounds, and Killbuck till now had -been walking about with an arrow sticking through the fleshy part of -his thigh, the point being perceptible near the surface of the other -side. To free his leg from the painful encumbrance, he thrust the -weapon completely through, and then, cutting off the arrow-head below -the barb, he drew it out, the blood flowing freely from the wound. A -tourniquet of buckskin soon stopped this, and, heedless of the pain, -the hardy mountaineer sought for his old mule, and quickly brought it -to the fire (which La Bonté had rekindled), lavishing many a caress, -and most comical terms of endearment, upon the faithful companion of -his wanderings. They found all the animals safe and well; and after -eating heartily of some venison which the Indians had been cooking at -the moment of the attack, made instant preparations to quit the scene -of their exploit, not wishing to trust to the chance of the Rapahos -being too frightened to again molest them. - -Having no saddles, they secured buffalo robes on the backs of two -mules—Killbuck, of course, riding his own—and lost no time in -proceeding on their way. They followed the course of the Indians -up the stream, and found that it kept the cañons and gorges of the -mountains, where the road was better; but it was with no little -difficulty that they made their way, the ground being much broken, -and covered with rocks. Killbuck's wound became very painful, and -his leg stiffened and swelled distressingly, but he still pushed on -all night, and, at daybreak, recognising their position, he left the -Indian trail, and followed a little creek which rose in a mountain -chain of moderate elevation, and above which, and to the south, Pike's -Peak towered high into the clouds. With great difficulty they crossed -this ridge, and ascending and descending several smaller ones, which -gradually smoothed away as they met the valley, about three hours -after sunrise they found themselves in the south-east corner of the -Bayou Salade. - -The Bayou Salade, or Salt Valley, is the most southern of three very -extensive valleys, forming a series of table-lands in the very centre -of the main chain of the Rocky Mountains, known to the trappers by the -name of the “Parks.” The numerous streams by which they are watered -abound in the valuable fur-bearing beaver, whilst every species of -game common to the west is found here in great abundance. The Bayou -Salade especially, owing to the salitrose nature of the soil and -springs, is the favourite resort of all the larger animals common -to the mountains; and, in the sheltered prairies of the Bayou, the -buffalo, forsaking the barren and inclement regions of the exposed -plains, frequent these upland valleys, in the winter months; and -feeding upon the rich and nutritious buffalo grass which, on the -bare prairies, at that season, is either dry and rotten, or entirely -exhausted, not only sustain life, but retain a great portion of the -“condition” that the abundant fall and summer pasture of the lowlands -has laid upon their bones. Therefore is this valley sought by the -Indians as a wintering ground. Its occupancy has been disputed by most -of the mountain tribes, and long and bloody wars have been waged to -make good the claims set forth by Yuta, Rapaho, Sioux, and Shians. -However, to the first of these it may be said now to belong, since -their “big village” has wintered there for many successive years; -whilst the Rapahos seldom visit it unless on war expeditions against -the Yutas. - -Judging, from the direction the Rapahos were taking, that the friendly -tribe of Yutas were there already, the trappers had resolved to join -them as soon as possible; and therefore, without resting, pushed on -through the uplands, and, towards the middle of the day, had the -satisfaction of descrying the conical lodges of the village, situated -on a large level plateau, through which ran a mountain stream. A -numerous band of mules and horses were scattered over the pasture, -and round them several mounted Indians kept guard. As the trappers -descended the bluffs into the plain, some straggling Indians caught -sight of them; and instantly one of them, lassoing a horse from the -herd, mounted it, bare-backed, and flew like wind to the village to -spread the news. Soon the lodges disgorged their inmates; first the -women and children rushed to the side of the strangers' approach; then -the younger Indians, unable to restrain their curiosity, mounted their -horses, and galloped forth to meet them. The old chiefs, enveloped in -buffalo robes (softly and delicately dressed as the Yutas alone know -how), and with tomahawk held in one hand and resting in the hollow of -the other arm, sallied last of all from their lodges, and, squatting -in a row on a sunny bank outside the village, awaited, with dignified -composure, the arrival of the whites. Killbuck was well known to most -of them, having trapped in their country and traded with them years -before at Roubideau's fort at the head waters of the Rio Grande. After -shaking hands with all who presented themselves, he at once gave them -to understand that their enemies, the Rapahos, were at hand, with a -hundred warriors at least, elated by the coup they had just struck -against the whites, bringing, moreover, four white scalps to incite -them to brave deeds. - -At this news the whole village was speedily in commotion: the -war-shout was taken up from lodge to lodge; the squaws began to lament -and tear their hair; the warriors to paint and arm themselves. The -elder chiefs immediately met in council, and, over the medicine-pipe, -debated as to the best course to pursue,—whether to wait the attack, -or sally out and meet the enemy. In the mean time, the braves were -collected together by the chiefs of their respective bands, and -scouts, mounted on the fastest horses, despatched in every direction -to procure intelligence of the enemy. - -The two whites, after watering their mules and picketing them in some -good grass near the village, drew near the council fire, without, -however, joining in the “talk,” until they were invited to take their -seats by the eldest chief. Then Killbuck was called upon to give -his opinion as to the direction in which he judged the Rapahos to be -approaching, which he delivered in their own language, with which -he was well acquainted. In a short time the council broke up, and, -without noise or confusion, a band of one hundred chosen warriors -left the village, immediately after one of the scouts had galloped -in and communicated some intelligence to the chiefs. Killbuck and La -Bonté volunteered to accompany the war-party, weak and exhausted as -they were; but this was negatived by the chiefs, who left their white -brothers to the care of the women, who tended their wounds, now stiff -and painful: and spreading their buffalo robes in a warm and roomy -lodge, left them to the repose they so much needed. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - -The next morning, Killbuck's leg was greatly inflamed, and he was -unable to leave the lodge; but he made his companion bring the old -mule to the door, that he might give her a couple of ears of Indian -corn, the last remains of the slender store brought by the Indians -from the Navajo country. The day passed, and sundown brought no -tidings of the war-party. This caused no little wailing on the part of -the squaws, but was interpreted by the whites as a favourable augury. -A little after sunrise, on the second morning, the long line of the -returning warriors was discerned winding over the prairie, and a scout -having galloped in to bring the news of a great victory, the whole -village was soon in a ferment of paint and drumming. A short distance -from the lodges, the warriors halted to await the approach of the -people. Old men, children, and squaws sitting astride their horses, -sallied out to escort the victorious party in triumph to the village. -With loud shouts and songs, and drums beating the monotonous Indian -time, they advanced and encircled the returning braves, one of whom, -his face covered with black paint, carried a pole on which dangled -thirteen scalps, the trophies of the expedition. As he lifted these on -high, they were saluted with deafening whoops and cries of exultation -and savage joy. In this manner they entered the village, almost before -the friends of those fallen in the fight had ascertained their losses. -Then the shouts of delight were converted into yells of grief; the -mothers and wives of those braves who had been killed (and seven had -“gone under”) presently returned with their faces, necks, and hands -blackened, and danced and howled round the scalp-pole, which had been -deposited in the centre of the village, in front of the lodge of the -great chief. - -Killbuck now learned that a scout having brought intelligence that -the two bands of Rapahos were hastening to form a junction, as soon -as they learned that their approach was discovered, the Yutas had -successfully prevented it; and attacking one party, had entirely -defeated it, killing thirteen of the Rapaho braves. The other party -had fled on seeing the issue of the fight, and a few of the Yuta -warriors were now pursuing them. - -To celebrate so signal a victory, great preparations sounded their -notes through the village. Paints,—vermilion and ochres—red and -yellow,—were in great request; whilst the scrapings of charred wood, -mixed with gunpowder, were used as substitute for black, the medicine -colour. - -The lodges of the village, numbering some two hundred or more, were -erected in parallel lines, and covered a large space of the level -prairie in shape of a parallelogram. In the centre, however, the -space which half a dozen lodges in length would have taken up was -left unoccupied, save by one large one, of red-painted buffalo skins, -tatooed with the mystic totems of the “medicine” peculiar to the -nation. In front of this stood the grim scalp-pole, like a decayed -tree trunk, its bloody fruit tossing in the wind; and on another -pole, at a few feet distance, was hung the “bag” with its mysterious -contents. Before each lodge a tripod of spears supported the arms and -shields of the Yuta chivalry, and on many of them, smoke-dried scalps -rattled in the wind, former trophies of the dusky knights who were -arming themselves within. Heraldic devices were not wanting,—not, -however, graved upon the shield, but hanging from the spear-head, -the actual “totem” of the warrior it distinguished. The rattlesnake, -the otter, the carcagien, the mountain badger, the war-eagle, the -kon-qua-kish, the porcupine, the fox, &c., dangled their well-stuffed -skins, displaying the guardian “medicine” of the warriors they -pertained to, and representing the mental and corporeal qualities -which were supposed to characterise the braves to whom they belonged. - -From the centre lodge, two or three “medicine men,” fantastically -attired in the skins of wolves and bears, and bearing long peeled -wands of cherry in their hands, occasionally emerged to tend a -very small fire which they had kindled in the centre of the open -space; and, when a thin column of smoke arose, one of them planted -the scalp-pole obliquely across the fire. Squaws in robes of white -dressed buckskin, garnished with beads and porcupines' quills, and -their faces painted bright red and black, then appeared. These ranged -themselves round the outside of the square, the boys and children of -all ages, mounted on bare-backed horses, galloping round and round, -and screaming with eagerness, excitement, and curiosity. - -Presently the braves and warriors made their appearance, and squatted -round the fire in two circles, those who had been engaged on the -expedition being in the first or smaller one. One medicine man sat -under the scalp-pole, having a drum between his knees, which he tapped -at intervals with his hand, eliciting from the instrument a hollow -monotonous sound. A bevy of women, shoulder to shoulder, then advanced -from the four sides of the square, and some, shaking a rattle-drum in -time with their steps, commenced a jumping jerking dance, now lifting -one foot from the ground, and now rising with both, accompanying the -dance with a chant, which swelled from a low whisper to the utmost -extent of their voices—now dying away, and again bursting into -vociferous measure. Thus they advanced to the centre and retreated -to their former positions; when six squaws, with their faces painted -a dead black, made their appearance from the crowd, chanting, in -soft and sweet measure, a lament for the braves the nation had lost -in the late battle: but soon as they drew near the scalp-pole, their -melancholy note changed to the music (to them) of gratified revenge. -In a succession of jumps, raising the feet alternately but a little -distance from the ground, they made their way, through an interval -left in the circle of warriors, to the grim pole, and encircling -it, danced in perfect silence round it for a few moments. Then they -burst forth with an extempore song, laudatory of the achievements of -their victorious braves. They addressed the scalps as “sisters” (to -be called a squaw is the greatest insult that can be offered to an -Indian), and, spitting at them, upbraided them with their rashness -in leaving their lodges to seek for Yuta husbands; “that the Yuta -warriors and young men despised them, and chastised them for their -forwardness and presumption, bringing back their scalps to their own -women.” - -After sufficiently proving that they had any thing but lost the use -of their tongues, but possessed, on the contrary, as fair a length -of that formidable weapon as any of their sex, they withdrew, and -left the field in undisputed possession of the men: who, accompanied -by tap of drum, and by the noise of many rattles, broke out into -a war-song, in which their own valour was by no means hidden in a -bushel, or modestly refused the light of day. After this came the -more interesting ceremony of a warrior “counting his coups.” - -A young brave, with his face painted black, mounted on a white horse -mysteriously marked with red clay, and naked to the breech-clout, -holding in his hand a long taper lance, rode into the circle, and -paced slowly round it; then, flourishing his spear on high, he darted -to the scalp-pole, round which the warriors were now seated in a -semicircle; and in a loud voice, and with furious gesticulations, -related his exploits, the drums tapping at the conclusion of each. -On his spear hung seven scalps, and holding it vertically above his -head, and commencing with the top one, he told the feats in which he -had raised the trophy hair. When he had run through these, the drums -tapped loudly, and several of the old chiefs shook their rattles, in -corroboration of the truth of his achievements. The brave, swelling -with pride, then pointed to the fresh and bloody scalps hanging on the -pole. Two of these had been torn from the heads of Rapahos struck by -his own hand, and this feat, _the_ exploit of the day, had entitled -him to the honour of counting his coups. Then, sticking his spear -into the ground by the side of the pole, he struck his hand twice on -his brawny and naked chest, turned short round, and, swift as the -antelope, galloped into the plain: as if overcome by the shock his -modesty had received in being obliged to recount his own high-sounding -deeds. - -“Wagh!” exclaimed old Killbuck, as he left the circle, pointing his -pipe-stem towards the fast-fading figure of the brave, “that Injun's -heart's about as big as ever it will be, I'm thinking.” - -With the Yutas, Killbuck and La Bonté remained during the winter; -and when the spring sun had opened the ice-bound creeks, and melted -the snow on the mountains, and its genial warmth had expanded the -earth and permitted the roots of the grass to “live” once more, and -throw out green and tender shoots, the two trappers bade adieu to the -hospitable Indians, who broke up their village in order to start for -the valleys of the Del Norte. As they followed the trail from the -bayou, at sundown, just as they thought of camping, they observed -ahead of them a solitary horseman riding along, followed by three -mules. His hunting-frock of fringed buckskin, and the rifle resting -across the horn of his saddle, at once proclaimed him white; but as he -saw the mountaineers winding through the cañon, driving before them -half a dozen horses, _he_ judged they might possibly be Indians and -enemies, the more so as their dress was not the usual costume of the -whites. The trappers, therefore, saw the stranger raise the rifle in -the hollow of his arm, and, gathering up his horse, ride steadily to -meet them, as soon as he observed they were but two; two to one in -mountain calculation being scarcely considered odds, if red skin to -white. - -However, on nearing them, the stranger discovered his mistake; and, -throwing his rifle across the saddle once more, reined in his horse -and waited their approach; for the spot where he then stood presented -an excellent camping-ground, with abundance of dry wood and convenient -water. - -“Where from, stranger?” - -“The divide, and to the bayou for meat; and you are from there, I see. -Any buffalo come in yet?” - -“Heap, and seal-fat at that. What's the sign out on the plains?” - -“War-party of Rapahos passed Squirrel at sundown yesterday, and nearly -raised my animals. Sign, too, of more on left fork of Boiling Spring. -No buffalo between this and Bijou. Do you feel like camping?” - -“_Well_, we do. But whar's your companyeros?” - -“I'm alone.” - -“Alone! Wagh! how do you get your animals along?” - -“I go ahead, and they follow the horse.” - -“Well, that beats all! That's a smart-looking hos now; and runs some, -I'm thinking.” - -“Well, it does.” - -“Whar's them mules from? They look like Californy.” - -“Mexican country—away down south.” - -“H—! Whar's yourself from?” - -“There away, too.” - -“What's beaver worth in Taos?” - -“Dollar.” - -“In Saint Louiy?” - -“Same.” - -“H—! Any call for buckskin?” - -“A heap! The soldiers in Santa Fé are half froze for leather; and -moccasins fetch two dollars, easy.” - -“Wagh! How's trade on Arkansa, and what's doin to the Fort?” - -“Shians at Big Timber, and Bent's people trading smart. On North Fork, -Jim Waters got a hundred pack right off, and Sioux making more.” - -“Whar's Bill Williams?” - -“Gone under, they say: the Diggers took his hair.” - -“How's powder goin?” - -“Two dollars a pint.” - -“Bacca?” - -“A plew a plug.” - -“Got any about you?” - -“Have _so_.” - -“Give us a chaw; and now let's camp.” - -Whilst unpacking their own animals, the two trappers could not refrain -from glancing, every now and then, with no little astonishment, at the -solitary stranger they had so unexpectedly encountered. If truth be -told, his appearance not a little perplexed them. His hunting-frock -of buckskin, shining with grease, and fringed pantaloons, over which -the well-greased butcher-knife had evidently been often wiped after -cutting his food, or butchering the carcass of deer and buffalo, -were of genuine mountain make. His face, clean shaved, exhibited in -its well-tanned and weather-beaten complexion, the effects of such -natural cosmetics as sun and wind; and under the mountain hat of felt -which covered his head, long uncut hair hung in Indian fashion on his -shoulders. All this would have passed muster, had it not been for the -most extraordinary equipment of a double-barrelled rifle; which, when -it had attracted the eyes of the mountaineers, elicited no little -astonishment, not to say derision. But, perhaps, nothing excited their -admiration so much as the perfect docility of the stranger's animals; -which, almost like dogs, obeyed his voice and call; and albeit that -one, in a small sharp head and pointed ears, expanded nostrils, and -eye twinkling and malicious, exhibited the personification of a -“lurking devil,” yet they could not but admire the perfect ease with -which even this one, in common with the rest, permitted herself to be -handled. - -Dismounting, and unhitching from the horn of his saddle the coil of -skin rope, one end of which was secured round the neck of the horse, -he proceeded to unsaddle; and whilst so engaged, the three mules, two -of which were packed, one with the unbutchered carcass of a deer, the -other with a pack of skins, &c., followed leisurely into the space -chosen for the camp, and, cropping the grass at their ease, waited -until a whistle called them to be unpacked. - -The horse was a strong square-built bay; and, although the severities -of a prolonged winter, with scanty pasture and long and trying travel, -had robbed his bones of fat and flesh, tucked up his flank, and -“ewed” his neck; still his clean and well-set legs, oblique shoulder, -and withers fine as a deer's, in spite of his gaunt half-starved -appearance, bore ample testimony as to what he _had_ been; while his -clear cheerful eye, and the hearty appetite with which he fell to work -on the coarse grass of the bottom, proved that he had something in him -still, and was game as ever. His tail, gnawed by the mules in days of -strait, attracted the observant mountaineers. - -“Hard doins when it come to that,” remarked La Bonté. - -Between the horse and two of the mules a mutual and great affection -appeared to subsist, which was no more than natural, when their master -observed to his companions that they had travelled together upwards of -two thousand miles. - -One of these mules was a short, thick-set, stumpy animal, with an -enormous head surmounted by proportionable ears, and a pair of -unusually large eyes, beaming the most perfect good temper and -docility (most uncommon qualities in a mule.) Her neck was thick, -and rendered more so in appearance by reason of her mane not being -roached, (or, in English, hogged), which privilege she alone enjoyed -of the trio; and her short, strong legs, ending in small, round, -cat-like hoofs, were feathered with a profusion of dark brown hair. - -As she stood stock-still, whilst the stranger removed the awkwardly -packed deer from her back, she flapped her huge ears backward and -forward, occasionally turning her head, and laying her cold nose -against her master's cheek. When the pack was removed, he advanced -to her head, and resting it on his shoulder, rubbed her broad and -grizzled cheeks with both his hands for several minutes, the old -mule laying her ears, like a rabbit, back upon her neck, and with -half-closed eyes enjoyed mightily the manipulation. Then, giving her a -smack upon the haunch, and a “hep-a” well known to the mule kind, the -old favourite threw up her heels and cantered off to the horse, who -was busily cropping the buffalo grass on the bluff above the stream. - -Great was the contrast between the one just described and the next -which came up to be divested of her pack. She, a tall beautifully -shaped Mexican mule, of a light mouse colour, with a head like a -deer's, and long springy legs, trotted up obedient to the call, but -with ears bent back and curled up nose, and tail compressed between -her legs. As her pack was being removed, she groaned and whined like a -dog, as a thong or loosened strap touched her ticklish body, lifting -her hind-quarters in a succession of jumps or preparatory kicks, and -looking wicked as a panther. When nothing but the fore pack-saddle -remained, she had worked herself into the last stage; and as the -stranger cast loose the girth of buffalo hide, and was about to lift -the saddle and draw the crupper from the tail, she drew her hind legs -under her, more tightly compressed her tail, and almost shrieked with -rage. - -“Stand clear,” he roared (knowing what was coming), and raised the -saddle, when out went her hind legs, up went the pack into the -air, and, with it dangling at her heels, away she tore, kicking -the offending saddle as she ran. Her master, however, took this as -matter of course, followed her and brought back the saddle, which he -piled on the others to windward of the fire one of the trappers was -kindling. Fire-making is a simple process with the mountaineers. Their -bullet-pouches always contain a flint and steel, and sundry pieces of -“punk”[16] or tinder; and pulling a handful of dry grass, which they -screw into a nest, they place the lighted punk in this, and, closing -the grass over it, wave it in the air, when it soon ignites, and -readily kindles the dry sticks forming the foundation of the fire. - -The tit-bits of the deer the stranger had brought in were soon -roasting over the fire; whilst, as soon as the burning logs had -deposited a sufficiency of ashes, a hole was raked in them, and the -head of the deer, skin, hair, and all, placed in this primitive oven, -and carefully covered with the hot ashes. - -A “heap” of “fat meat” in perspective, our mountaineers enjoyed their -ante-prandial pipes, recounting the news of the respective regions -whence they came; and so well did they like each other's company, so -sweet was the “honey-dew” tobacco of which the strange hunter had -good store, so plentiful the game about the creek, and so abundant -the pasture for their winter-starved animals, that before the carcass -of the “two-year” buck had been more than four-fifths consumed; -and, although rib after rib had been picked and chucked over their -shoulders to the wolves, and one fore leg and _the_ “bit” of all, -the head, were still cooked before them,—the three had come to the -resolution to join company, and hunt in their present locality for a -few days at least—the owner of the “two-shoot” gun volunteering to -fill their horns with powder, and find tobacco for their pipes. - -Here, on plenty of meat, of venison, bear, and antelope, they merrily -luxuriated; returning after their daily hunts to the brightly burning -camp-fire, where one always remained to guard the animals, and -unloading their packs of meat, (all choicest portions), ate late into -the night, and, smoking, wiled away the time in narrating scenes in -their hard-spent lives, and fighting their battles o'er again. - -The younger of the trappers, he who has figured under the name of La -Bonté, had excited, by scraps and patches from his history, no little -curiosity in the stranger's mind to learn the ups and downs of his -career; and one night, when they assembled earlier than usual at the -fire, he prevailed upon the modest trapper to “unpack” some passages -in his wild adventurous life. - -“Maybe,” commenced the mountaineer, “you both remember when old Ashley -went out with the biggest kind of band to trap the Columbia, and -head-waters of Missoura and Yellow Stone. Well, that was the time this -niggur first felt like taking to the mountains.” - -This brings us back to the year of our Lord 1825; and perhaps it -will be as well, in order to render La Bonté's mountain language -intelligible, to translate it at once into tolerable English, and to -tell in the third person, but from his own lips, the scrapes which -befell him in a sojourn of more than twenty years in the Far West, and -the causes that impelled him to quit the comfort and civilisation of -his home, to seek the perilous but engaging life of a trapper of the -Rocky Mountains. - -La Bonté was raised in the state of Mississippi, not far from Memphis, -on the left bank of that huge and snag-filled river. His father was a -Saint Louis Frenchman, his mother a native of Tennessee. When a boy, -our trapper was “some,” he said, with the rifle, and always had a -hankering for the west; particularly when, on accompanying his father -to Saint Louis every spring, he saw the different bands of traders -and hunters start upon their annual expeditions to the mountains. -Greatly did he envy the independent, _insouciant_ trappers, as, in all -the glory of beads and buckskin, they shouldered their rifles at Jake -Hawkin's door (the rifle-maker of St Louis), and bade adieu to the -cares and trammels of civilised life. - -However, like a thoughtless beaver-kitten, he put his foot into a trap -one fine day, set by Mary Brand, a neighbour's daughter, and esteemed -“some punkins,” or in other words toasted as the beauty of Memphis -County, by the susceptible Mississippians. From that moment he was -“gone beaver;” “he felt queer,” he said, “all over, like a buffalo -shot in the lights; he had no relish for mush and molasses; homminy -and johnny cakes failed to excite his appetite. Deer and turkeys ran -by him unscathed; he didn't know, he said, whether his rifle had -hind-sights or not. He felt bad, that was a fact; but what ailed him -he didn't know.” - -Mary Brand—Mary Brand—Mary Brand! the old Dutch clock ticked it. Mary -Brand! his head throbbed it when he lay down to sleep. Mary Brand! -his rifle-lock spoke it plainly when he cocked it, to raise a shaking -sight at a deer. Mary Brand, Mary Brand! the whip-poor-will sung it, -instead of her own well-known note; the bull-frogs croaked it in the -swamp, and mosquitoes droned it in his ear as he tossed about his bed -at night, wakeful, and striving to think what ailed him. - -Who could that strapping young fellow, who passed the door just now, -be going to see? Mary Brand: Mary Brand. And who can Big Pete Herring -be dressing that silver fox-skin so carefully for? For whom but Mary -Brand? And who is it that jokes, and laughs, and dances, with all the -“boys” but him; and why? - -Who but Mary Brand: and because the love-sick booby carefully avoids -her. - -“And Mary Brand herself—what is she like?” - -“She's 'some' now; that _is_ a fact, and the biggest kind of punkin -at that,” would have been the answer from any man, woman, or child in -Memphis County, and truly spoken, too; always understanding that the -pumpkin is the fruit by which the _ne-plus-ultra_ of female perfection -is expressed amongst the figuratively-speaking westerns. - -Being an American woman, of course she was tall, and straight and -slim as a hickory sapling, well formed withal, with rounded bust, and -neck white and slender as the swan's. Her features were small, but -finely chiselled; and in this, it may be remarked, the lower orders -of the American women differ from, and far surpass the same class in -England, or elsewhere, where the features, although far prettier, are -more vulgar and commonplace. Mary Brand had the bright blue eye, thin -nose, and small but sweetly-formed mouth, the too fair complexion and -dark brown hair, which characterise the beauty of the Anglo-American, -the heavy masses (hardly curls), that fell over her face and neck, -contrasting with their polished whiteness. Such was Mary Brand: and -when to her good looks are added a sweet disposition, and all the best -qualities of a thrifty housewife, it must be allowed that she fully -justified the eulogiums of the good people of Memphis. - -Well, to cut a love-story short, in doing which not a little moral -courage is shown, young La Bonté fell desperately in love with the -pretty Mary, and she with him; and small blame to her, for he was a -proper lad of twenty—six feet in his moccasins—the best hunter and -rifle-shot in the country, with many other advantages too numerous to -mention. But when did the course, &c. e'er run smooth? When the affair -had become a recognised “courting” (and Americans alone know the -horrors of such prolonged purgatory), they became, to use La Bonté's -words, “awful fond,” and consequently about once a-week had their -tiffs and makes-up. - -However, on one occasion, at a “husking,” and during one of these -tiffs, Mary, every inch a woman, to gratify some indescribable -feeling, brought to her aid jealousy—that old serpent who has caused -such mischief in this world; and by a flirtation over the corn-cobs -with Big Pete, La Bonté's former and only rival, struck so hard a blow -at the latter's heart, that on the moment his brain caught fire, -blood danced before his eyes, and he became like one possessed. Pete -observed and enjoyed his struggling emotion—better for him had he -minded his corn-shelling alone;—and the more to annoy his rival, paid -the most sedulous attention to pretty Mary. - -Young La Bonté stood it as long as human nature, at boiling heat, -could endure; but when Pete, in the exultation of his apparent -triumph, crowned his success by encircling the slender waist of the -girl with his arm, and snatching a sudden kiss, he jumped upright from -his seat, and seizing a small whisky-keg which stood in the centre -of the corn-shellers, he hurled it at his rival, and crying to him, -hoarse with passion, “to follow if he was a man,” he left the house. - -At that time, and even now, in the remoter states of the western -country, rifles settled even the most trivial differences between the -hot-blooded youths; and of such frequent occurrence and invariably -bloody termination did these encounters become, that they scarcely -produced sufficient excitement to draw together half-a-dozen -spectators. - -In the present case, however, so public was the quarrel, and so -well known the parties concerned, that not only the people who had -witnessed the affair, but all the neighbourhood, thronged to the -scene of action, in a large field in front of the house, where the -preliminaries of a duel between Pete and La Bonté were being arranged -by their respective friends. - -Mary, when she discovered the mischief her thoughtlessness was likely -to occasion, was almost beside herself with grief, but she knew how -vain it would be to attempt to interfere. The poor girl, who was most -ardently attached to La Bonté, was carried, swooning, into the house, -where all the women congregated, and were locked in by old Brand, who, -himself an old pioneer, thought but little of bloodshed, but refused -to let the “women folk” witness the affray. - -Preliminaries arranged, the combatants took up their respective -positions at either end of a space marked for the purpose, at forty -paces from each other. They were both armed with heavy rifles, and -had the usual hunting-pouches, containing ammunition, hanging over -the shoulder. Standing with the butts of their rifles on the ground, -they confronted each other, and the crowd drawing away a few paces -only on each side, left one man to give the word. This was the single -word “fire;” and, after this signal was given, the combatants were at -liberty to fire away until one or the other dropped. - -At the word, both the men quickly raised their rifles to the shoulder, -and, whilst the sharp cracks instantaneously rang, they were seen to -flinch, as either felt the pinging sensation of a bullet entering his -flesh. Regarding each other steadily for a few moments, the blood -running down La Bonté's neck from a wound under the left jaw, whilst -his opponent was seen to place his hand once to his right breast, as -if to feel the position of his wound, they commenced reloading their -rifles. But, as Pete was in the act of forcing down the ball with his -long hickory wiping-stick, he suddenly dropped his right arm—the rifle -slipped from his grasp—and, reeling for a moment like a drunken man—he -fell dead to the ground. - -Even here, however, there was law of some kind or another, and the -consequences of the duel were, that the constables were soon on the -trail of La Bonté to arrest him. He easily avoided them, and taking to -the woods, lived for several days in as wild a state as the beasts he -hunted and killed for his support. - -Tired of this, he at last resolved to quit the country, and betake -himself to the mountains, for which life he had ever felt an -inclination. - -When, therefore, he thought the officers of justice had grown slack in -their search of him, and that the coast was comparatively clear, he -determined to start on his distant expedition to the Far West. - -Once more, before he carried his project into execution, he sought and -obtained a last interview with Mary Brand. - -“Mary,” said he, “I'm about to break. They're hunting me like a fall -buck, and I'm bound to quit. Don't think any more about me, for I -shall never come back.” - -Poor Mary burst into tears, and bent her head on the table near which -she sat. When she again raised it, she saw La Bonté, his long rifle -upon his shoulder, striding with rapid steps from the house. Year -after year rolled on, and he did not return. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - -A few days after his departure, La Bonté found himself at St Louis, -the emporium of the fur trade, and the fast-rising metropolis of the -precocious settlements of the west. Here, a prey to the agony of mind -which jealousy, remorse, and blighted love mix into a very puchero of -misery, he got into the company of certain “rowdies,” a class that -every western city particularly abounds in; and, anxious to drown his -sorrows in any way, and quite unscrupulous as to the means, he plunged -into all the vicious excitements of drinking, gambling, and fighting, -which form the every-day amusements of the rising generation of St -Louis. - -Perhaps in no other part of the United States, where indeed humanity -is frequently to be seen in many curious and unusual phases, is there -a population so marked in its general character, and at the same -time divided into such distinct classes, as in the above-named city. -Dating, as it does, its foundation from yesterday—for what are thirty -years in the growth of a metropolis?—its founders are now scarcely -passed middle life, regarding with astonishment the growing works of -their hands; and whilst gazing upon its busy quays, piled with grain -and other produce of the west, its fleets of huge steamboats lying -tier upon tier alongside the wharves, its well-stored warehouses, -and all the bustling concomitants of a great commercial depôt, -they can scarcely realise the memory of a few short years, when on -the same spot nothing was to be seen but the miserable hovels of a -French village—the only sign of commerce being the unwieldy bateaux -of the Indian traders, laden with peltries from the distant regions -of the Platte and Upper Missouri. Where now intelligent and wealthy -merchants walk erect, in conscious substantiality of purse and credit, -and direct the commerce of a vast and well-peopled region, there -stalked but the other day, in dress of buckskin, the Indian trader -of the west; and all the evidences of life, mayhap, consisted of -the eccentric vagaries of the different bands of trappers and hardy -mountaineers, who accompanied, some for pleasure and some as escort, -the periodically arriving bateaux, laden with the beaver skins and -buffalo robes collected during the season at the different trading -posts in the Far West. - -These, nevertheless, were the men whose hardy enterprise opened to -commerce and the plough the vast and fertile regions of the West. -Rough and savage though they were, they were the true pioneers -of that extraordinary tide of civilisation which has poured its -resistless current through tracts large enough for kings to govern, -over a country now teeming with cultivation, where, a few short -years ago, countless herds of buffalo roamed unmolested, where the -bear and deer abounded, and the savage Indian skulked through the -woods and prairies, lord of the unappreciated soil that now yields -its prolific treasures to the spade and plough of civilised man. To -the wild and half-savage trapper, who may be said to exemplify the -energy, enterprise, and hardihood characteristic of the American -people, divested of all the false and vicious glare with which a -high state of civilisation, too rapidly attained, has obscured their -real and genuine character, in which the above traits are eminently -prominent—to these men alone is due the empire of the West—destined in -a few short years to become the most important of those confederate -states composing the mighty union of North America. - -Sprung, then, out of the wild and adventurous fur trade, St Louis, -still the emporium of that species of commerce, preserves even now, -in the character of its population, many of the marked peculiarities -distinguishing its early founders, who were identified with the -primitive Indian in hardihood and instinctive wisdom. Whilst the -French portion of the population retain the thoughtless levity and -frivolous disposition of their original source, the Americans of St -Louis, who may lay claim to be native, as it were, are as strongly -distinguished for determination and energy of character as they are -for physical strength and animal courage; and are remarkable, at -the same time, for a singular aptitude in carrying out commercial -enterprises to successful terminations, apparently incompatible with -the thirst of adventure and excitement which forms so prominent a -feature in their character. In St Louis and with her merchants have -originated many commercial enterprises of gigantic speculation, not -confined to the immediate locality or to the distant Indian fur trade, -but embracing all parts of the continent, and even a portion of the -Old World. And here it must be remembered that St Louis is situated -inland, at a distance of upwards of one thousand miles from the sea, -and three thousand from the capital of the United States. - -Besides her merchants and upper class, who form a little aristocracy -even here, a large portion of her population, still connected with the -Indian and fur trade, preserve all their original characteristics, -unacted upon by the influence of advancing civilisation. There is, -moreover, a large floating population of foreigners of all nations, -who must possess no little amount of enterprise to be tempted to -this spot, whence they spread over the remote western tracts, still -infested by the savage; so that, if any of their blood is infused into -the native population, the characteristic energy and enterprise is -increased, and not tempered down by the foreign cross. - -But perhaps the most singular of the casual population are the -mountaineers, who, after several seasons spent in trapping, and with -good store of dollars, arrive from the scene of their adventures, -wild as savages, determined to enjoy themselves, for a time, in all -the gaiety and dissipation of the western city. In one of the back -streets of the town is a tavern well known as the “Rocky-Mountain -House,” and hither the trappers resort, drinking and fighting as long -as their money lasts, which, as they are generous and lavish as Jack -Tars, is for a few days only. Such scenes, both tragic and comic, as -are enacted in the Rocky-Mountain House, are beyond the powers of pen -to describe; and when a fandango is in progress, to which congregate -the coquettish belles from “Vide Poche,” as the French portion of -the suburb is nicknamed,—the grotesque endeavours of the bear-like -mountaineers to sport a figure on the light fantastic toe, and their -insertions into the dance of the mystic jumps of Terpsichorean Indians -when engaged in the “medicine” dances in honour of bear, of buffalo, -or ravished scalp,—are such startling innovations on the choreographic -art as would make the shade of Gallini quake and gibber in his pumps. - -Passing the open doors and windows of the Mountain House, the -stranger stops short as the sounds of violin and banjo twang upon his -ears, accompanied by extraordinary noises—sounding unearthly to the -greenhorn listener, but recognised by the initiated as an Indian song -roared out of the stentorian lungs of a mountaineer, who patting his -stomach with open hands, to improve the necessary shake, choruses the -well-known Indian chant:— - - Hi—Hi—Hi—Hi, - Hi-i—Hi-i—Hi-i—Hi-i - Hi-ya—hi-ya—hi-ya—hi-ya - Hi-ya—hi-ya—hi-ya—hi-ya - Hi-ya—hi-ya—hi—hi, - &c. &c. &c. - -and polishes off the high notes with a whoop which makes the old -wooden houses shake again, as it rattles and echoes down the street. - -Here, over fiery “monaghahela,” Jean Batiste, the sallow half-breed -voyageur from the north—and who, deserting the service of the “North -West” (the Hudson's Bay Company), has come down the Mississippi, from -the “Falls,” to try the sweets and liberty of “free” trapping—hobnobs -with a stalwart leather-clad “boy,” just returned from trapping on -the waters of Grand River, on the western side the mountains, who -interlards his mountain jargon with Spanish words picked up in Taos -and California. In one corner a trapper, lean and gaunt from the -starving regions of the Yellow Stone, has just recognised an old -companyero, with whom he hunted years before in the perilous country -of the Blackfeet. - -“Why, John, old hos, how do you come on?” - -“What! Meek, old 'coon! I thought you were under?” - -One from Arkansa stalks into the centre of the room, with a pack of -cards in his hand, and a handful of dollars in his hat. Squatting -cross-legged on a buffalo robe, he smacks down the money, and cries -out—“Ho, boys, hyar's a deck, and hyar's the beaver (rattling the -coin), who dar set his hos? Wagh!” - -Tough are the yarns of wondrous hunts and Indian perils, of -hairbreadth 'scapes and curious “fixes.” Transcendant are the -qualities of sundry rifles, which call these hunters masters; “plum” -is the “centre” each vaunted barrel shoots; sufficing for a hundred -wigs is the “hair” each hunter has “lifted” from Indians' scalps; -multitudinous the “coups” he has “struck.” As they drink so do they -brag, first of their guns, their horses, and their squaws, and lastly -of themselves:—and when it comes to that, “ware steel.” - -La Bonté, on his arrival at St Louis, found himself one day in no less -a place than this; and here he made acquaintance with an old trapper -about to start for the mountains in a few days, to hunt on the head -waters of Platte and Green River. With this man he resolved to start, -and, having still some hundred dollars in cash, he immediately set -about equipping himself for the expedition. To effect this, he first -of all visited the gun-store of Hawken, whose rifles are renowned -in the mountains, and exchanged his own piece, which was of very -small bore, for a regular mountain rifle. This was of very heavy -metal, carrying about thirty-two balls to the pound, stocked to the -muzzle, and mounted with brass, its only ornament being a buffalo -bull, looking exceedingly ferocious, which was not very artistically -engraved upon the trap in the stock. Here, too, he laid in a few -pounds of powder and lead, and all the necessaries for a long hunt. - -His next visit was to a smith's store, which smith was black by trade -and black by nature, for he was a nigger, and, moreover, celebrated -as being the best maker of beaver-traps in St Louis, and of him he -purchased six new traps, paying for the same twenty dollars—procuring, -at the same time, an old trap-sack, made of stout buffalo skin, in -which to carry them. - -We next find La Bonté and his companion—one Luke, better known as -Grey-Eye, one of his eyes having been “gouged” in a mountain fray—at -Independence, a little town situated on the Missouri, several hundred -miles above St Louis, and within a short distance of the Indian -frontier. - -Independence may be termed the “prairie port” of the western country. -Here the caravans destined for Santa Fé, and the interior of Mexico, -assemble to complete their necessary equipment. Mules and oxen are -purchased, teamsters hired, and all stores and outfit laid in here -for the long journey over the wide expanse of prairie ocean. Here, -too, the Indian traders and the Rocky-Mountain trappers rendezvous, -collecting in sufficient force to ensure their safe passage through -the Indian country. At the seasons of departure and arrival of -these bands, the little town presents a lively scene of bustle and -confusion. The wild and dissipated mountaineers get rid of their last -dollars in furious orgies, treating all comers to galore of drink, -and pledging each other, in horns of potent whisky, to successful -hunts and “heaps of beaver.” When every cent has disappeared from -their pouches, the free trapper often makes away with rifle, traps, -and animals, to gratify his “dry” (for your mountaineer is never -“thirsty”); and then, “hos and beaver” gone, is necessitated to hire -himself to one of the leaders of big bands, and hypothecate his -services for an equipment of traps and animals. Thus La Bonté picked -up three excellent mules for a mere song, with their accompanying -pack-saddles, _apishamores_,[17] and lariats, and the next day, with -Luke, “put out” for Platte. - -As they passed through the rendezvous, which was encamped on a little -stream beyond the town, even our young Mississippian was struck with -the novelty of the scene. Upwards of forty huge waggons, of Conostoga -and Pittsburg build, and covered with snow-white tilts, were ranged in -a semicircle, or rather a horse-shoe form, on the flat open prairie, -their long “tongues” (poles) pointing outwards; with the necessary -harness for four pairs of mules, or eight yoke of oxen, lying on the -ground beside them, spread in ready order for “hitching up.” Round -the waggons groups of teamsters, tall stalwart young Missourians, -were engaged in busy preparation for the start, greasing the wheels, -fitting or repairing harness, smoothing ox-bows, or overhauling their -own moderate kits or “possibles.” They were all dressed in the same -fashion: a pair of “homespun” pantaloons, tucked into thick boots -reaching nearly to the knee, and confined round the waist by a broad -leathern belt, which supported a strong butcher-knife in a sheath. A -coarse checked shirt was their only other covering, with a fur cap on -the head. - -Numerous camp-fires surrounded the waggons, and near them lounged -wild-looking mountaineers, easily distinguished from the “greenhorn” -teamsters by their dresses of buckskin, and their weather-beaten -faces. Without an exception, these were under the influence of the -rosy god; and one, who sat, the picture of misery, at a fire by -himself—staring into the blaze with vacant countenance, his long -matted hair hanging in unkempt masses over his face, begrimed with -the dirt of a week, and pallid with the effects of ardent drink—was -suffering from the usual consequences of having “kept it up” beyond -the usual point, paying the penalty in a fit of “horrors”—as _delirium -tremens_ is most aptly termed by sailors and the unprofessional. - -In another part, the merchants of the caravan and the Indian traders -superintended the lading of the waggons, or mule packs. They were -dressed in civilised attire, and some were even bedizened in St Louis -or Eastern City dandyism, to the infinite disgust of the mountain men, -who look upon a bourge-way (bourgeois) with most undisguised contempt, -despising the very simplest forms of civilisation. The picturesque -appearance of the encampment was not a little heightened by the -addition of several Indians from the neighbouring Shawnee settlement, -who, mounted on their small active horses, on which they reclined, -rather than sat, in negligent attitudes, quietly looked on at the -novel scene, indifferent to the “chaff” in which the thoughtless -teamsters indulged at their expense. Numbers of mules and horses were -picketed at hand, whilst a large herd of noble oxen were being driven -towards the camp—the wo-ha of the teamsters sounding far and near, as -they collected the scattered beasts in order to yoke up. - -As most of the mountain men were utterly unable to move from camp, -Luke and La Bonté, with three or four of the most sober, started in -company, intending to wait on “Blue,” a stream which runs into the Caw -or Kanzas River, until the “balance” of the band came up. Mounting -their mules, and leading the loose animals, they struck at once into -the park-like prairie, and were speedily out of sight of civilisation. - -It was the latter end of May, towards the close of the season of -heavy rains, which in early spring render the climate of this country -almost intolerable, at the same time that they fertilise and thaw the -soil, so long bound up by the winter's frosts. The grass was every -where luxuriantly green, and gaudy flowers dotted the surface of the -prairie. This term, however, should hardly be applied to the beautiful -undulating scenery of this park-like country. Unlike the flat monotony -of the Grand Plains, here well wooded uplands, clothed with forest -trees of every species, and picturesque dells, through which run -clear bubbling streams belted with gay-blossomed shrubs, every where -present themselves; whilst on the level meadow-land, topes of trees -with spreading foliage afford a shelter to the game and cattle, and -well-timbered knolls rise at intervals from the plain. - -Many clear streams dashing over their pebbly beds intersect the -country, from which, in the noon-day's heat, the red-deer jump, -shaking their wet sides, as the noise of approaching man disturbs -them; and booming grouse rise from the tall luxuriant herbage at -every step. Where the deep escarpments of the river banks exhibit the -section of the earth, a rich alluvial soil of surpassing depth courts -the cultivation of civilised man; and in every feature it is evident -that here nature has worked with kindliest and most bountiful hand. - -For hundreds of miles along the western or right bank of the -Missouri does a country extend, with which, for fertility and natural -resources, no part of Europe can stand comparison. Sufficiently large -to contain an enormous population, it has, besides, every advantage -of position, and all the natural capabilities which should make it -the happy abode of civilised man. Through this unpeopled country the -United States pours her greedy thousands, to seize upon the barren -territories of her feeble neighbour. - -Camping the first night on “Black Jack,” our mountaineers here cut -each man a spare hickory wiping-stick for his rifle; and La Bonté, who -was the only greenhorn of the party, witnessed a savage ebullition -of rage on the part of one of his companions, exhibiting the perfect -unrestraint which these men impose upon their passions, and the -barbarous anger which the slightest opposition to their will excites. -One of the trappers, on arriving at the camping-place, dismounted from -his horse, and, after divesting it of the saddle, endeavoured to lead -his mule by the rope up to the spot where he wished to deposit his -pack. Mule-like, however, the more he pulled the more stubbornly she -remained in her tracks, planting her fore-legs firmly, and stretching -out her neck with provoking obstinacy. Truth to tell, it does require -the temper of a thousand Jobs to manage a mule; and in no case does -the wilful mulishness of the animal stir up one's choler more than -in the very trick this one played, and which is a daily occurrence. -After tugging ineffectually for several minutes, winding the rope -round his body, and throwing himself suddenly forward with all his -strength, the trapper actually foamed with passion; and although he -might have subdued the animal at once by fastening the rope with a -half-hitch round its nose, this, with an obstinacy equal to that of -the mule itself, he refused to attempt, preferring to vanquish her by -main strength. Failing so to do, the mountaineer, with a volley of -blasphemous imprecations, suddenly seized his rifle, and levelling it -at the mule's head, shot her dead. - -Passing the Wa-ka-rasha, a well-timbered stream, they met a band of -Osages going “to buffalo.” These Indians, in common with some tribes -of the Pawnees, shave the head, with the exception of a ridge from -the forehead to the centre of the scalp, which is “roached” or hogged -like the mane of a mule, and stands erect, plastered with unguents, -and ornamented with feathers of the hawk and turkey. The naked scalp -is often painted in mosaic with black and red, the face with shining -vermilion. This band were all naked to the breech-clout, the warmth -of the sun having made them throw their dirty blankets from their -shoulders. These Indians not unfrequently levy contributions on the -strangers they accidentally meet; but they easily distinguish the -determined mountaineer from the incautious greenhorn, and think it -better to let the former alone. - -Crossing Vermilion, the trappers arrived on the fifth day at “Blue,” -where they encamped in the broad timber belting the creek, and there -awaited the arrival of the remainder of the party. - -It was two days before they came up; but the following day they -started for the mountains, fourteen in number, striking a trail which -follows the “Big Blue” in its course through the prairies, which, as -they advanced to the westward, gradually smoothed away into a vast -unbroken expanse of rolling plain. Herds of antelope began to show -themselves, and some of the hunters, leaving the trail, soon returned -with plenty of their tender meat. The luxuriant but coarse grass they -had hitherto seen now changed into the nutritious and curly buffalo -grass, and their animals soon improved in appearance on the excellent -pasture. In a few days, without any adventure, they struck the Platte -River, its shallow waters (from which it derives its name) spreading -over a wide and sandy bed, numerous sand bars obstructing the sluggish -current, nowhere sufficiently deep to wet the forder's knee. - -By this time, but few antelope having been seen, the party ran -entirely out of meat; and, one whole day and part of another having -passed without so much as a stray rabbit presenting itself, not a few -objurgations on the buffalo grumbled from the lips of the hunters, who -expected ere this to have reached the land of plenty. La Bonté killed -a fine deer, however, in the river bottom, after they had encamped, -not one particle of which remained after supper that night, but -which hardly took the rough edge off their keen appetites. Although -already in the buffalo range, no traces of these animals had yet been -seen; and as the country afforded but little game, and the party did -not care to halt and lose time in hunting for it, they moved along -hungry and sulky, the theme of conversation being the well remembered -merits of good buffalo meat,—of “fat fleece,” “hump rib,” and “tender -loin;” of delicious “boudins,” and marrow bones too good to think -of. La Bonté had never seen the lordly animal, and consequently but -half believed the accounts of the mountaineers, who described their -countless bands as covering the prairie far as the eye could reach, -and requiring days of travel to pass through; but the visions of -such dainty and abundant feeding as they descanted on set his mouth -watering, and danced before his eyes as he slept supperless, night -after night, on the banks of the hungry Platte. - -One morning he had packed his animals before the rest, and was riding -a mile in advance of the party, when he saw on one side the trail, -looming in the refracted glare which mirages the plains, three large -dark objects without shape or form, which rose and fell in the -exaggerated light like ships at sea. Doubting what it could be, he -approached the strange objects; and as the refraction disappeared -before him, the dark masses assumed a more distinct form, and clearly -moved with life. A little nearer, and he made them out—they were -buffalo. Thinking to distinguish himself, the greenhorn dismounted -from his mule, and quickly hobbled her, throwing his lasso on the -ground to trail behind when he wished to catch her. Then, rifle in -hand, he approached the huge animals, and, being a good hunter, knew -well to take advantage of the inequalities of the ground and face the -wind; by which means he crawled at length to within forty yards of -the buffalo, which quietly cropped the grass, unconscious of danger. -Now, for the first time, he gazed upon the noble beast he had so often -heard of, and longed to see. With coal-black beard sweeping the ground -as he fed, an enormous bull was in advance of the others, his wild -brilliant eyes peering from an immense mass of shaggy hair, which -covered his neck and shoulder. From this point his skin was smooth as -one's hand, a sleek and shining dun, and his ribs were well covered -with shaking flesh. Whilst leisurely cropping the short curly grass -he occasionally lifted his tail into the air, and stamped his foot as -a fly or musquito annoyed him—flapping the intruder with his tail, or -snatching at the itching part with his ponderous head. - -When La Bonté had sufficiently admired the buffalo, he lifted his -rifle, and, taking steady aim, and certain of his mark, pulled the -trigger, expecting to see the huge beast fall over at the report. What -was his surprise and consternation, however, to see the animal only -flinch when the ball struck him, and then gallop off, followed by the -others, apparently unhurt. As is generally the case with greenhorns, -he had fired too high, ignorant that the only certain spot to strike a -buffalo is but a few inches above the brisket, and that a higher shot -is rarely fatal. When he rose from the ground, he saw all the party -halting in full view of his discomfiture; and when he joined them, -loud were the laughs, and deep the regrets of the hungry at his first -attempt. - -However, they now knew that they were in the country of meat; and a -few miles farther, another band of stragglers presenting themselves, -three of the hunters went in pursuit, La Bonté taking a mule to pack -in the meat. He soon saw them crawling towards the band, and shortly -two puffs of smoke, and the sharp cracks of their rifles, showed that -they had got within shot; and when he rode up, two fine buffaloes were -stretched upon the ground. Now, for the first time, he was initiated -in the mysteries of “butchering.” He watched the hunters as they -turned the carcass on the belly, stretching out the legs to support it -on each side. A transverse cut was then made at the nape of the neck, -and, gathering the long hair of the boss in one hand, the skin was -separated from the shoulder. It was then laid open from this point to -the tail, along the spine, and then, freed from the sides and pulled -down to the brisket, but still attached to it, was stretched upon -the ground to receive the dissected portions. Then the shoulder was -severed, the fleece removed from along the backbone, and the hump-ribs -cut off with a tomahawk. All this was placed upon the skin; and after -the “boudins” had been withdrawn from the stomach, and the tongue—a -great dainty—taken from the head, the meat was packed upon the mule, -and the whole party hurried to camp rejoicing. - -There was merry-making in the camp that night, and the way they -indulged their appetites—or, in their own language, “throw'd” the -meat “cold”—would have made the heart of a dyspeptic leap for joy or -burst with envy. Far into the “still watches of the tranquil night” -the fat-clad “depouille” saw its fleshy mass grow small by degrees -and beautifully less, before the trenchant blades of the hungry -mountaineers; appetising yards of well-browned “boudin” slipped glibly -down their throats; rib after rib of tender hump was picked and flung -to the wolves; and when human nature, with helpless gratitude, and -confident that nothing of superexcellent comestibility remained, was -lazily wiping the greasy knife that had done such good service,—a -skilful hunter was seen to chuckle to himself as he raked the deep -ashes of the fire, and drew therefrom a pair of tongues so admirably -baked, so soft, so sweet, and of such exquisite flavour, that a veil -is considerately drawn over the effects their discussion produced in -the mind of our greenhorn La Bonté, and the raptures they excited in -the bosom of that, as yet, most ignorant mountaineer. Still, as he -ate he wondered, and wondering admired, that nature, in giving him -such profound gastronomic powers, and such transcendant capabilities -of digestion, had yet bountifully provided an edible so peculiarly -adapted to his ostrich-like appetite, that after consuming nearly his -own weight in rich and fat buffalo meat, he felt as easy and as little -incommoded as if he had lightly supped on strawberries and cream. - -Sweet was the digestive pipe after such a feast; soft was the sleep -and deep, which sealed the eyes of the contented trappers that night. -It felt like the old thing, they said, to be once more amongst the -“meat;” and, as they were drawing near the dangerous portion of the -trail, they felt at home; although they now could never be confident, -when they lay down at night upon their buffalo robes, of awaking again -in this life, knowing, as they did, full well, that savage men lurked -near, thirsting for their blood. - -However, no enemies showed themselves as yet, and they proceeded -quietly up the river, vast herds of buffaloes darkening the plains -around them, affording them more than abundance of the choicest -meat; but, to their credit be it spoken, no more was killed than was -absolutely required,—unlike the cruel slaughter made by most of the -white travellers across the plains, who wantonly destroy these noble -animals, not even for the excitement of sport, but in cold-blooded -and insane butchery. La Bonté had practice enough to perfect him in -the art, and, before the buffalo range was passed, he was ranked as -a first-rate hunter. One evening he had left the camp for meat, and -was approaching a band of cows for that purpose, crawling towards -them along the bed of a dry hollow in the prairie, when he observed -them suddenly jump towards him, and immediately afterwards a score of -mounted Indians appeared, whom, by their dress, he at once knew to be -Pawnees and enemies. Thinking they might not discover him, he crouched -down in the ravine; but a noise behind caused him to turn his head, -and he saw some five or six advancing up the bed of the dry creek, -whilst several more were riding on the bluffs. The cunning savages had -cut off his retreat to his mule, which he saw in the possession of -one of them. His presence of mind, however, did not desert him; and -seeing at once that to remain where he was would be like being caught -in a trap (as the Indians could advance to the edge of the bluff and -shoot him from above), he made for the open prairie, determined at -least to sell his scalp dearly, and make “a good fight.” With a yell -the Indians charged, but halted when they saw the sturdy trapper -deliberately kneel, and, resting his rifle on the wiping-stick, take -a steady aim as they advanced. Full well the Pawnees know, to their -cost, that a mountaineer seldom pulls his trigger without sending a -bullet to the mark; and, certain that one at least must fall, they -hesitated to make the onslaught. Steadily the white retreated with -his face to the foe, bringing the rifle to his shoulder the instant -that one advanced within shot, the Indians galloping round, firing the -few guns they had amongst them at long distances, but without effect. -One young “brave,” more daring than the rest, rode out of the crowd, -and dashed at the hunter, throwing himself, as he passed within a few -yards, from the saddle, and hanging over the opposite side of his -horse, thus presenting no other mark than his left foot. As he crossed -La Bonté, he discharged his bow from under his horse's neck, and with -such good aim, that the arrow, whizzing through the air, struck the -stock of the hunter's rifle, which was at his shoulder, and, glancing -off, pierced his arm, inflicting, luckily, but a slight wound. Again -the Indian turned in his course, the others encouraging him with loud -war-whoops, and, once more passing at still less distance, he drew -his arrow to the head. This time, however, the eagle eye of the white -detected the action, and suddenly rising from his knee as the Indian -approached (hanging by his foot alone over the opposite side of the -horse), he jumped towards the animal with outstretched arms and a loud -yell, causing it to start suddenly, and swerve from its course. The -Indian lost his foot-hold, and, after a fruitless struggle to regain -his position, fell to the ground; but instantly rose upon his feet -and gallantly confronted the mountaineer, striking his hand upon his -brawny chest and shouting a loud whoop of defiance. In another instant -the rifle of La Bonté had poured forth its contents; and the brave -savage, springing into the air, fell dead to the ground, just as the -other trappers, who had heard the firing, galloped up to the spot. -At sight of them the Pawnees, with yells of disappointed vengeance, -hastily retreated. - -That night La Bonté first lifted hair! - -A few days later the mountaineers reached the point where the Platte -divides into two great forks: the northern one, stretching to the -north-west, skirts the eastern base of the Black Hills, and sweeping -round to the south rises in the vicinity of the mountain valley called -the New Park, receiving the Laramie, Medicine Bow, and Sweet-Water -creeks. The other, or “South Fork,” strikes towards the mountains -in a south-westerly direction, hugging the base of the main chain -of the Rocky Mountains; and, fed by several small creeks, rises in -the uplands of the Bayou Salade, near which is also the source of -the Arkansa. To the forks of the Platte the valley of that river -extends from three to five miles on each side, enclosed by steep sandy -bluffs, from the summits of which the prairies stretch away in broad -undulating expanse to the north and south. The “bottom,” as it is -termed, is but thinly covered with timber, the cotton-woods being -scattered only here and there; but some of the islands in the broad -bed of the stream are well wooded, leading to the inference that the -trees on the banks have been felled by Indians who formerly frequented -the neighbourhood of this river as a chosen hunting-ground. As, during -the long winters, the pasture in the vicinity is scarce and withered, -the Indians feed their horses on the bark of the sweet cotton-wood, -upon which they subsist, and even fatten. Thus, wherever a village -has encamped, the trunks of these trees strew the ground, their upper -limbs and smaller branches peeled of their bark, and looking as white -and smooth as if scraped with a knife. - -On the forks, however, the timber is heavier and of greater variety, -some of the creeks being well wooded with ash and cherry, which break -the monotony of the everlasting cotton-wood. - -Dense masses of buffalo still continued to darken the plains, and -numerous bands of wolves hovered round the outskirts of the vast -herds, singling out the sick and wounded animals, and preying upon -such calves as the rifles and arrows of the hunters had bereaved of -their mothers. The white wolf is the invariable attendant upon the -buffalo; and when one of these persevering animals is seen, it is -certain sign that buffalo are not far distant. Besides the buffalo -wolf, there are four distinct varieties common to the plains, and -all more or less attendant upon the buffalo. These are, the black, -the gray, the brown, and last and least the _coyote_, or _cayeute_ -of the mountaineers, the “_wach-unka-mănet_,” or “medicine wolf” of -the Indians, who hold the latter animal in reverential awe. This -little wolf, whose fur is of great thickness and beauty, is of -diminutive size, but wonderfully sagacious, making up by cunning -what it wants in physical strength. In bands of from three to thirty -they not unfrequently station themselves along the “runs” of the -deer and the antelope, extending their line for many miles—and the -quarry being started, each wolf follows in pursuit until tired, when -it relinquishes the chase to another relay, following slowly after -until the animal is fairly run down, when all hurry to the spot and -speedily consume the carcass. The cayeute, however, is often made a -tool of by his larger brethren, unless, indeed, he acts from motives -of spontaneous charity. When a hunter has slaughtered game, and is in -the act of butchering it, these little wolves sit patiently at a short -distance from the scene of operations, while at a more respectful one -the larger wolves (the white or gray) lope hungrily around, licking -their chops in hungry expectation. Not unfrequently the hunter throws -a piece of meat towards the smaller one, who seizes it immediately, -and runs off with the morsel in his mouth. Before he gets many yards -with his prize, the large wolf pounces with a growl upon him, and the -cayeute, dropping the meat, returns to his former position, and will -continue his charitable act as long as the hunter pleases to supply -him. - -Wolves are so common on the plains and in the mountains, that the -hunter never cares to throw away a charge of ammunition upon them, -although the ravenous animals are a constant source of annoyance to -him, creeping to the camp-fire at night, and gnawing his saddles and -_apishamores_, eating the skin ropes which secure the horses and mules -to their pickets, and even their very hobbles, and not unfrequently -killing or entirely disabling the animals themselves. - -Round the camp, during the night, the cayeute keeps unremitting watch, -and the traveller not unfrequently starts from his bed with affright, -as the mournful and unearthly chiding of the wolf breaks suddenly upon -his ear: the long-drawn howl being taken up by others of the band, -until it dies away in the distance, or some straggler passing within -hearing answers to the note, and howls as he lopes away. - -Our party crossed the south fork about ten miles from its juncture -with the main stream, and then, passing the prairie, struck the north -fork a day's travel from the other. At the mouth of an ash-timbered -creek they came upon Indian “sign,” and, as now they were in the -vicinity of the treacherous Sioux, they moved along with additional -caution, Frapp and Gonneville, two experienced mountaineers, always -heading the advance. - -About noon they had crossed over to the left bank of the fork, -intending to camp on a large creek where some fresh beaver “sign” had -attracted the attention of some of the trappers; and as, on further -examination, it appeared that two or three lodges of that animal were -not far distant, it was determined to remain here a day or two, and -set their traps. - -Gonneville, old Luke, and La Bonté, had started up the creek, and were -carefully examining the banks for “sign,” when the former, who was in -front, suddenly paused, and looking intently up the stream, held up -his hand to his companions to signal them to stop. - -Luke and La Bonté both followed the direction of the trapper's intent -and fixed gaze. The former uttered in a suppressed tone the expressive -exclamation, Wagh!—the latter saw nothing but a wood-duck swimming -swiftly down the stream, followed by her downy progeny. - -Gonneville turned his head, and extending his arm twice with a forward -motion up the creek, whispered—“Les sauvages.” - -“Injuns, sure, and Sioux at that,” answered Luke. - -Still La Bonté looked, but nothing met his view but the duck with her -brood, now rapidly approaching; and as he gazed, the bird suddenly -took wing, and, flapping on the water, flew a short distance down the -stream and once more settled on it. - -“Injuns?” he asked; “where are they?” - -“Whar?” repeated old Luke, striking the flint of his rifle, and -opening the pan to examine the priming. “What brings a duck a-streakin -it down stream, if humans aint behint her? and who's thar in these -diggins but Injuns, and the worst kind? and we'd better push to camp, -I'm thinking, if we mean to save our hair.” - -“Sign” sufficient, indeed, it was to all the trappers, who, on being -apprised of it, instantly drove in their animals, and picketed -them; and hardly had they done so when a band of Indians made their -appearance on the banks of the creek, from whence they galloped to the -bluff which overlooked the camp at the distance of about six hundred -yards; and crowning this, in number some forty or more, commenced -brandishing their spears and guns, and whooping loud yells of -defiance. The trappers had formed a little breast-work of their packs, -forming a semicircle, the chord of which was made by the animals -standing in a line, side by side, closely picketed and hobbled. Behind -this defence stood the mountaineers, rifle in hand, and silent and -determined. The Indians presently descended the bluff on foot, leaving -their animals in charge of a few of the party, and, scattering, -advanced under cover of the sage bushes which dotted the bottom, to -about two hundred yards of the whites. Then a chief advanced before -the rest, and made the sign for a talk with the Long-knives, which -led to a consultation amongst the latter, as to the policy of acceding -to it. They were in doubts as to the nation these Indians belonged to, -some bands of the Sioux being friendly, and others bitterly hostile to -the whites. - -Gonneville, who spoke the Sioux language, and was well acquainted with -the nation, affirmed they belonged to a band called the Yanka-taus, -well known to be the most evil-disposed of that treacherous nation; -another of the party maintained they were Brulés, and that the chief -advancing towards them was the well-known Tah-sha-tunga or Bull Tail, -a most friendly chief of that tribe. The majority, however, trusted -to Gonneville, and he volunteered to go out to meet the Indian, -and hear what he had to say. Divesting himself of all arms save -his butcher-knife, he advanced towards the savage, who awaited his -approach, enveloped in the folds of his blanket. At a glance he knew -him to be a Yanka-tau, from the peculiar make of his moccasins, and -the way in which his face was daubed with paint. - -“Howgh!” exclaimed both as they met; and, after a silence of a few -moments, the Indian spoke, asking—“Why the Long-knives hid behind -their packs, when his band approached? Were they afraid, or were they -preparing a dog-feast to entertain their friends?” The whites were -passing through his country, burning his wood, drinking his water, -and killing his game; but he knew they had now come to pay for the -mischief they had done, and that the mules and horses they had brought -with them were intended as a present to their red friends. - -“He was Mah-to-ga-shane,” he said, “the Brave Bear: his tongue was -short, but his arm long; and he loved rather to speak with his bow -and his lance than with the weapon of a squaw. He had said it: the -Long-knives had horses with them and mules; and these were for him, he -knew, and for his 'braves.' Let the White-face go back to his people -and return with the animals, or he, the 'Brave Bear,' would have to -come and take them; and his young men would get mad and would feel -blood in their eyes; and then he would have no power over them; and -the whites would have to 'go under.'” - -The trapper answered shortly.—“The Long-knives,” he said, “had brought -the horses for themselves—their hearts were big, but not towards the -Yanka-taus: and if they had to give up their animals, it would be -to _men_ and not _squaws_. They were not 'wah-keitcha,'[18] (French -engagés), but Long-knives; and, however short were the tongues of the -Yanka-taus, theirs were still shorter, and their rifles longer. The -Yanka-taus were dogs and squaws, and the Long-knives spat upon them.” - -Saying this, the trapper turned his back and rejoined his companions; -whilst the Indian slowly proceeded to his people, who, on learning the -contemptuous way in which their threats had been treated, testified -their anger with loud yells; and, seeking whatever cover was afforded, -commenced a scattering volley upon the camp of the mountaineers. The -latter reserved their fire, treating with cool indifference the balls -which began to rattle about them; but as the Indians, emboldened by -this apparent inaction, rushed for a closer position, and exposed -their bodies within a long range, half-a-dozen rifles rang from the -assailed, and two Indians fell dead, one or two more being wounded. -As yet, not one of the whites had been touched, but several of the -animals had received wounds from the enemy's fire of balls and arrows. -Indeed, the Indians remained at too great a distance to render the -volleys from their crazy fusees any thing like effectual, and had to -raise their pieces considerably to make their bullets reach as far -as the camp. After three of their band had been killed outright, and -many more wounded, their fire began to slacken, and they drew off to -a greater distance, evidently resolved to beat a retreat. Retiring -to the bluff, they discharged their pieces in a last volley, mounted -their horses and galloped off, carrying their wounded with them. -This last volley, however, although intended as a mere bravado, -unfortunately proved fatal to one of the whites. Gonneville, at the -moment, was standing on a pack, to get an uninterrupted sight for a -last shot, when one of the random bullets struck him in the breast. -La Bonté caught him in his arms as he was about to fall, and laying -the wounded trapper gently on the ground, stripped him of his buckskin -hunting-frock, to examine the wound. A glance was sufficient to -convince his companions that the blow was mortal. The ball had passed -through the lungs; and in a few moments the throat of the wounded -man swelled and turned to a livid blue colour, as the choking blood -ascended. Only a few drops of purple blood trickled from the wound,—a -fatal sign,—and the eyes of the mountaineer were already glazing with -death's icy touch. His hand still grasped the barrel of his rifle, -which had done good service in the fray. Anon he essayed to speak, -but, choked with blood, only a few inarticulate words reached the ears -of his companions, as they bent over him. - -“Rubbed—out—at—last,” they heard him say, the words gurgling in his -blood-filled throat; and opening his eyes once more, and turning them -upwards for a last look at the bright sun, the trapper turned gently -on his side and breathed his last sigh. - -With no other tools than their scalp-knives, the hunters dug a grave -on the banks of the creek; and whilst some were engaged in this work, -others sought the bodies of the Indians they had slain in the attack, -and presently returned with three reeking scalps, the trophies of the -fight. The body of the mountaineer was wrapped in a buffalo robe, -the scalps being placed on his breast, and the dead man was then laid -in the shallow grave, and quickly covered—without a word of prayer, -or sigh of grief; for, however much his companions may have felt, not -a word escaped them. The bitten lip and frowning brow told of anger -rather than of sorrow, as they vowed—what they thought would better -please the spirit of the dead man than vain regrets—bloody and lasting -revenge. - -Trampling down the earth which filled the grave, they raised upon -it a pile of heavy stones; and packing their mules once more, and -taking a last look at their comrade's lonely resting-place, they -turned their backs upon the stream, which has ever since been known as -“Gonneville's Creek.” - -If the reader casts his eye over any of the recent maps of the -western country, which detail the features of the regions embracing -the Rocky Mountains, and the vast prairies at their bases, he will -not fail to observe that many of the creeks or smaller streams which -feed the larger rivers,—as the Missouri, Platte, and Arkansa,—are -called by familiar proper names, both English and French. These are -invariably christened after some unfortunate trapper, killed there in -Indian fight; or treacherously slaughtered by the lurking savages, -while engaged in trapping beaver on the stream. Thus alone is the -memory of these hardy men perpetuated, at least of those whose fate -is ascertained: for many, in every season, never return from their -hunting expeditions, but meet a sudden death from Indians, or a more -lingering fate from accident or disease in some lonely gorge of the -mountains where no footfall save their own, or the heavy tread of -grizzly bear, disturbs the unbroken silence of the awful solitude. -Then, as many winters pass without some old familiar faces making -their appearance at the merry rendezvous, their long protracted -absence may perhaps elicit a remark, as to where such and such -a mountain worthy can have betaken himself, to which the casual -rejoinder of “Gone under, maybe,” too often gives a short but certain -answer. - -In all the philosophy of hardened hearts, our hunters turned from the -spot where the unmourned trapper met his death. La Bonté, however, not -yet entirely steeled by mountain life to a perfect indifference to -human feeling, drew his hard hand across his eye, as the unbidden tear -rose from his rough but kindly heart. He could not forget so soon the -comrade he had lost, the companion in the hunt or over the cheerful -camp-fire, the narrator of many a tale of dangers past, of sufferings -from hunger, cold, thirst, and untended wounds, of Indian perils, and -other vicissitudes. One tear dropped from the young hunter's eye, and -rolled down his cheek—the last for many a long year. - -In the forks of the northern branch of the Platte, formed by the -junction of the Laramie, they found a big village of the Sioux -encamped near the station of one of the fur companies. Here the party -broke up; many, finding the alcohol of the traders an impediment to -their further progress, remained some time in the vicinity, while La -Bonté, Luke, and a trapper named Marcelline, started in a few days -to the mountains, to trap on Sweet Water and Medicine Bow. They had -leisure, however, to observe all the rascalities connected with the -Indian trade, although at this season (August) hardly commenced. -However, a band of Indians having come in with several packs of last -year's robes, and being anxious to start speedily on their return, a -trader from one of the forts had erected his lodge in the village. - -Here he set to work immediately, to induce the Indians to trade. -First, a chief appoints three “soldiers” to guard the trader's lodge -from intrusion; and these sentries amongst the thieving fraternity can -be invariably trusted. Then the Indians are invited to have a drink—a -taste of the fire-water being given to all to incite them to trade. As -the crowd presses upon the entrance to the lodge, and those in rear -become impatient, some large-mouthed savage who has received a portion -of the spirit, makes his way, with his mouth full of the liquor and -cheeks distended, through the throng, and is instantly surrounded -by his particular friends. Drawing the face of each, by turns, near -his own, he squirts a small quantity into his open mouth, until -the supply is exhausted, when he returns for more, and repeats the -generous distribution. - -When paying for the robes, the traders, in measuring out the liquor -in a tin half-pint cup, thrust their thumbs or the four fingers of -the hand into the measure, in order that it may contain the less, or -not unfrequently fill the bottom with melted buffalo fat, with the -same object. So greedy are the Indians, that they never discover the -cheat, and, once under the influence of the liquor, cannot distinguish -between the first cup of comparatively strong spirit, and the -following ones diluted five hundred per cent, and poisonously drugged -to boot. - -Scenes of drunkenness, riot, and bloodshed last until the trade is -over. In the winter it occupies several weeks, during which period the -Indians present the appearance, under the demoralising influence of -the liquor, of demons rather than of men. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - -La Bonté and his companions proceeded up the river, the Black Hills -on their left hand, from which several small creeks or feeders swell -the waters of the North Fork. Along these they hunted unsuccessfully -for beaver “sign,” and it was evident the spring hunt had almost -exterminated the animal in this vicinity. Following Deer Creek to the -ridge of the Black Hills, they crossed the mountain on to the waters -of the Medicine Bow, and here they discovered a few lodges, and La -Bonté set his first trap. He and old Luke finding “cuttings” near -the camp, followed the “sign” along the bank until the practised eye -of the latter discovered a “slide,” where the beaver had ascended -the bank to chop the trunk of a cotton wood, and convey the bark to -its lodge. Taking a trap from “sack,” the old hunter, after setting -the trigger, placed it carefully under the water, where the “slide” -entered the stream, securing the chain to the stem of a sappling -on the bank; while a stick, also attached to the trap by a thong, -floated down the stream, to mark the position of the trap, should the -animal carry it away. A little farther on, and near another “run,” -three traps were set; and over these Luke placed a little stick, -which he first dipped into a mysterious-looking phial containing his -“medicine.”[19] - -The next morning they visited the traps, and had the satisfaction of -finding three fine beaver secured in the first three they visited, -and the fourth, which had been carried away, they discovered by the -float-stick, a little distance down the stream, with a large drowned -beaver between its teeth. - -The animals being carefully skinned, they returned to camp with the -choicest portions of the meat, and the tails, on which they most -luxuriously supped; and La Bonté was fain to confess that all his -ideas of the superexcellence of buffalo were thrown in the shade by -the delicious beaver tail, the rich meat of which he was compelled to -allow was “great eating,” unsurpassed by “tender loin” or “boudin,” or -other meat of whatever kind he had eaten of before. - -The country where La Bonté and his companions were trapping, is very -curiously situated in the extensive bend of the Platte which encloses -the Black Hill range on the north, and which bounds the large expanse -of broken tract known as the Laramie Plains, their southern limit -being the base of the Medicine Bow Mountains. From the north-western -corner of the bend, an inconsiderable range extends to the westward, -gradually decreasing in height until it reaches an elevated plain, -which forms a break in the stupendous chain of the Rocky Mountains, -and affords the easy passage now known as the Great, or South Pass. -So gradual is the ascent of this portion of the mountain, that -the traveller can scarcely believe he is crossing the dividing -ridge between the waters which flow into the Atlantic and Pacific -Oceans, and that in a few minutes he can fling two sticks into two -neighbouring streams, one to be carried thousands of miles, traversed -by the eastern waters in their course to the Gulf of Mexico, the other -to be borne a lesser distance to the Gulf of California. - -The country is frequented by the Crows and Snakes, who are at -perpetual war with the Shians and Sioux, following them often far down -the Platte, where many bloody battles have taken place. The Crows are -esteemed friendly to the whites; but when on war expeditions, and -“hair” their object, it is always dangerous to fall in with Indian -war-parties, and particularly in the remote regions of the mountains, -where they do not anticipate retaliation. - -Trapping with tolerable success in this vicinity, the hunters crossed -over, as soon as the premonitory storms of approaching winter warned -them to leave the mountains, to the waters of Green River, one of -the affluents of the Colorado, intending to winter at a rendezvous -to be held in “Brown's Hole”—an enclosed valley so called—which, -abounding in game, and sheltered on every side by lofty mountains, -is a favourite wintering-ground of the mountaineers. Here they found -several trapping bands already arrived; and a trader from the Uintah -country, with store of powder, lead, and tobacco, prepared to ease -them of their hardly-earned peltries. - -Singly, and in bands numbering from two to ten, the trappers dropped -into the rendezvous; some with many pack-loads of beaver, others with -greater or less quantity, and more than one on foot, having lost his -animals and peltry by Indian thieving. Here were soon congregated many -mountaineers, whose names are famous in the history of the Far West. -Fitzpatrick and Hatcher, and old Bill Williams, well known leaders -of trapping parties, soon arrived with their bands. Sublette came in -with his men from Yellow Stone, and many of Wyeth's New Englanders -were there. Chabonard with his half-breeds, Wah-keitchas all, brought -his peltries from the lower country; and half-a-dozen Shawanee and -Delaware Indians, with a Mexican from Taos, one Marcelline, a fine -strapping fellow, the best trapper and hunter in the mountains, and -ever first in the fight. Here, too, arrived the “Bourgeois” traders -of the “North West”[20] Company, with their superior equipments, -ready to meet their trappers, and purchase the beaver at an equitable -value; and soon the trade opened, and the encampment assumed a busy -appearance. - -A curious assemblage did the rendezvous present, and representatives -of many a land met there. A son of _La belle France_ here lit his -pipe from one proffered by a native of New Mexico. An Englishman and -a Sandwich Islander cut a quid from the same plug of tobacco. A Swede -and an “old Virginian” puffed together. A Shawanee blew a peaceful -cloud with a scion of the “Six Nations.” One from the Land of Cakes—a -canny chiel—sought to “get round” (in trade) a right “smart” Yankee, -but couldn't “shine.” - -The beaver went briskly, six dollars being the price paid per lb. in -goods—for money is seldom given in the mountain market, where “beaver” -is cash, for which the articles supplied by the traders are bartered. -In a very short time peltries of every description had changed hands, -either by trade, or by gambling with cards and betting. With the -mountain men bets decide every question that is raised, even the most -trivial; and if the Editor of _Bell's Life_ were to pay one of these -rendezvous a winter visit, he would find the broad sheet of his paper -hardly capacious enough to answer all the questions which would be -referred to his decision. - -Before the winter was over, La Bonté had lost all traces of civilised -humanity, and might justly claim to be considered as “hard a case” -as any of the mountaineers then present. Long before the spring -opened, he had lost all the produce of his hunt and both his animals, -which, however, by a stroke of luck, he recovered, and wisely “held -on to” for the future. Right glad when spring appeared, he started -from Brown's Hole, with four companions, to hunt the Uintah or Snake -country, and the affluents of the larger streams which rise in that -region and fall into the Gulf of California. - -In the valley of the Bear River they found beaver abundant, and -trapped their way westward until they came upon the famed locality of -the Beer and Soda Springs—natural fountains of mineral water, renowned -amongst the trappers as being “medicine” of the first order. - -Arriving one evening, about sundown, at the Bear Spring, they found -a solitary trapper sitting over the rocky basin, intently regarding, -with no little awe, the curious phenomenon of the bubbling gas. Behind -him were piled his saddles and a pack of skins, and at a little -distance a hobbled Indian pony fed amongst the cedars which formed a -grove round the spring. As the three hunters dismounted from their -animals, the lone trapper scarcely noticed their arrival, his eyes -being still intently fixed upon the water. Looking round at last, -he was instantly recognised by one of La Bonté's companions, and -saluted as “Old Rube.” Dressed from head to foot in buckskin, his -face, neck, and hands appeared to be of the same leathery texture, so -nearly did they assimilate in colour to the materials of his dress. He -was at least six feet two or three in his moccasins, straight-limbed -and wiry, with long arms ending in hands of tremendous grasp, and -a quantity of straight black hair hanging on his shoulders. His -features, which were undeniably good, wore an expression of comical -gravity, never relaxing into a smile, which a broad good-humoured -mouth could have grinned from ear to ear. - -“What, boys,” he said, “will you be simple enough to camp here, -alongside these springs? Nothing good ever came of sleeping here, I -tell you, and the worst kind of devils are in those dancing waters.” - -“Why, old hos,” cried La Bonté, “what brings you hyar then, and camp -at that?” - -“This niggur,” answered Rube solemnly, “has been down'd upon a sight -too often to be skeared by what can come out from them waters; and -thar arn't a devil as hisses thar, as can 'shine' with this child, -I tell you. I've tried him onest, an' fout him to clawin' away to -Eustis,[21] and if I draws my knife again on such varmint, I'll raise -his hair, as sure as shootin'.” - -Spite of the reputed dangers of the locality, the trappers camped on -the spot, and many a draught of the delicious sparkling water they -quaffed in honour of the “medicine” of the fount. Rube, however, sat -sulky and silent, his huge form bending over his legs, which were -crossed, Indian fashion, under him, and his long bony fingers spread -over the fire, which had been made handy to the spring. At last they -elicited from him that he had sought this spot for the purpose of -“_making medicine_,” having been persecuted by extraordinary ill luck, -even at this early period of his hunt—the Indians having stolen two -out of his three animals, and three of his half-dozen traps. He had, -therefore, sought the springs for the purpose of invoking the fountain -spirits, which, a perfect Indian in his simple heart, he implicitly -believed to inhabit their mysterious waters. When the others had, as -he thought, fallen asleep, La Bonté observed the ill-starred trapper -take from his pouch a curiously carved red stone pipe, which he -carefully charged with tobacco and kinnik-kinnik. Then approaching -the spring, he walked three times round it, and gravely sat himself -down. Striking fire with his flint and steel, he lit his pipe, and, -bending the stem three several times towards the water, he inhaled a -vast quantity of smoke, and bending back his neck and looking upwards, -puffed it into the air. He then blew another puff towards the four -points of the compass, and emptying the pipe into his hand, cast the -consecrated contents into the spring, saying a few Indian “medicine” -words of cabalistic import. Having performed the ceremony to his -satisfaction, he returned to the fire, smoked a pipe on his own hook, -and turned into his buffalo robe, conscious of having done a most -important duty. - -In the course of their trapping expedition, and accompanied by Rube, -who knew the country well, they passed near the Great Salt Lake, a -vast inland sea, whose salitrose waters cover an extent of upwards of -one hundred and forty miles in length, by eighty in breadth. Fed by -several streams, of which the Big Bear River is the most considerable, -this lake presents the curious phenomenon of a vast body of water -without any known outlet. According to the trappers, an island, -from which rises a chain of lofty mountains, nearly divides the -north-western portion of the lake, whilst a smaller one, within twelve -miles of the northern shore, rises six hundred feet from the level of -the water. Rube declared to his companions that the larger island was -known by the Indians to be inhabited by a race of giants, with whom no -communication had ever been held by mortal man; and but for the casual -wafting to the shores of the lake of logs of gigantic trees, cut by -axes of extraordinary size, the world would never have known that such -a people existed. They were, moreover, white as themselves, and lived -upon corn and fruits, and rode on elephants, &c. - -Whilst following a small creek at the south-west extremity of the -lake, they came upon a band of miserable Indians, who, from the fact -of their subsisting chiefly on roots, are called the Diggers. At -first sight of the whites they immediately fled from their wretched -huts, and made towards the mountain; but one of the trappers, -galloping up on his horse, cut off their retreat, and drove them -like sheep before him back to their village. A few of these wretched -creatures came into camp at sundown, and were regaled with such meat -as the larder afforded. They appeared to have no other food in their -village but bags of dried ants and their larvæ, and a few roots of the -yampah. Their huts were constructed of a few bushes of grease-wood, -piled up as a sort of breakwind, in which they huddled in their filthy -skins. During the night, they crawled up to the camp and stole two of -the horses, and the next morning not a sign of them was visible. Now -La Bonté witnessed a case of mountain law, and the practical effects -of the “lex talionis” of the Far West. - -The trail of the runaway Diggers bore to the north-west, or along the -skirt of a barren waterless desert, which stretches far away from the -southern shores of the Salt Lake to the borders of Upper California. -La Bonté, with three others, determined to follow the thieves, -recover their animals, and then rejoin the other two (Luke and Rube) -on a creek two days' journey from their present camp. Starting at -sunrise, they rode on at a rapid pace all day, closely following the -trail, which led directly to the north-west, through a wretched sandy -country, without game or water. From the appearance of the track, -the Indians must still have been several hours ahead of them, when -the fatigue of their horses, suffering from want of grass and water, -compelled them to camp near the head of a small water-course, where -they luckily found a hole containing a little water, and whence a -broad Indian trail passed, apparently frequently used. Long before -daylight they were again in the saddle, and, after proceeding a few -miles, saw the lights of several fires a short distance ahead of them. -Halting here, one of the party advanced on foot to reconnoitre, and -presently returned with the intelligence that the party they were in -pursuit of had joined a village numbering thirty or forty huts. - -Loosening their girths, they permitted their tired animals to feed -on the scanty herbage which presented itself, whilst they refreshed -themselves with a pipe of tobacco—for they had no meat of any -description with them, and the country afforded no game. As the first -streak of dawn appeared in the east, they mounted their horses, after -first examining their rifles, and moved cautiously towards the Indian -village. As it was scarcely light enough for their operations, they -waited behind a sandhill in the vicinity, until objects became more -distinct, and then, emerging from their cover with loud war-whoops, -they charged abreast into the midst of the village. - -As the frightened Indians were scarcely risen from their beds, no -opposition was given to the daring mountaineers, who, rushing upon -the flying crowd, discharged their rifles at close quarters, and -then, springing from their horses, attacked them knife in hand, and -only ceased the work of butchery when nine Indians lay dead upon the -ground. All this time the women, half dead with fright, were huddled -together on the ground, howling piteously; and the mountaineers -advancing to them, whirled their lassos round their heads, and -throwing the open nooses into the midst, hauled out three of them, -and securing their arms in the rope, bound them to a tree, and then -proceeded to scalp the dead bodies. Whilst they were engaged in this -work, an old Indian, withered and grisly, and hardly bigger than an -ape, suddenly emerged from a rock, holding in his left hand a bow -and a handful of arrows, whilst one was already drawn to the head. -Running towards them, and almost before the hunters were aware of -his presence, he discharged an arrow at a few yards' distance, which -buried itself in the ground not a foot from La Bonté's head as he bent -over the body of the Indian he was scalping; and hardly had the whiz -ceased, when whirr flew another, striking him in his right shoulder. -Before the Indian could fit a third arrow to his bow, La Bonté sprang -upon him, seized him by the middle, and spinning his pigmy form round -his head, as easily as he would have twirled a tomahawk, he threw -him with tremendous force on the ground at the feet of one of his -companions, who, stooping down, coolly thrust his knife into the -Indian's breast, and quickly tore off his scalp. - -The slaughter over, without casting an eye to the captive squaws, -the trappers proceeded to search the village for food, of which they -stood much in need. Nothing, however, was found but a few bags of -dried ants, which, after eating voraciously of, but with wry mouths, -they threw aside, saying the food was worse than “poor bull.” They -found, however, the animals they had been robbed of, and two more -besides,—wretched half-starved creatures; and on these mounting their -captives, they hurried away on their journey back to their companions, -the distance being computed at three days' travel from their present -position. However, they thought, by taking a more direct course, they -might find better pasture for their animals, and water, besides saving -at least half a day by the short cut. To their cost, they proved the -old saying, that “a short cut is always a long road,” as will be -presently shown. - -It has been said that from the south-western extremity of the Great -Salt Lake a vast desert extends for hundreds of miles, unbroken by the -slightest vegetation, destitute of game and water, and presenting a -cheerless expanse of sandy plain, or rugged mountain, thinly covered -with dwarf pine or cedar, the only evidence of vegetable life. Into -this desert, ignorant of the country, the trappers struck, intending -to make their short cut; and, travelling on all day, were compelled to -camp at night, without water or pasture for their exhausted animals, -and themselves ravenous with hunger and parched with thirst. The next -day three of their animals “gave out,” and they were fain to leave -them behind; but imagining that they must soon strike a creek, they -pushed on until noon, but still no water presented itself, nor a sign -of game of any description. The animals were nearly exhausted, and a -horse which could scarcely keep up with the slow pace of the others -was killed, and its blood greedily drunk; a portion of the flesh being -eaten raw, and a supply carried with them for future emergencies. - -The next morning two of the horses lay dead at their pickets, and one -only remained, and this in such a miserable state that it could not -possibly have travelled six miles further. It was, therefore, killed, -and its blood drunk, of which, however, the captive squaws refused -to partake. The men began to feel the effects of their consuming -thirst, which the hot horse's blood only served to increase; their -lips became parched and swollen, their eyes blood-shot, and a giddy -sickness seized them at intervals. About mid-day they came in sight -of a mountain on their right hand, which appeared to be more thickly -clothed with vegetation; and arguing from this that water would be -found there, they left their course and made towards it, although -some eight or ten miles distant. On arriving at the base, the most -minute search failed to discover the slightest traces of water, and -the vegetation merely consisted of dwarf piñon and cedar. With their -sufferings increased by the exertions they had used in reaching the -mountain, they once more sought the trail, but every step told on -their exhausted frames. The sun was very powerful, the sand over which -they floundered was deep and heavy, and, to complete their sufferings -a high wind blew it in their faces, filling their mouths and noses -with its searching particles. - -Still they struggled onwards manfully, and not a murmur was heard -until their hunger had entered the _second stage_ upon the road to -starvation. They had now been three days without food or water; under -which privation nature can hardly sustain herself for a much longer -period. On the fourth morning, the men looked wolfish, their captives -following behind in sullen and perfect indifference, occasionally -stooping down to catch a beetle if one presented itself, and greedily -devouring it. A man named Forey, a Canadian half-breed, was the first -to complain. “If this lasted another sundown,” he said, “some of them -would 'be rubbed out;' that meat had to be 'raised' anyhow; and for -his part, he knew where to look for a feed, if no game was seen before -they put out of camp on the morrow; and meat was meat, anyhow they -fixed it.” - -No answer was made to this, though his companions well understood -him: their natures as yet revolted against the last expedient. As for -the three squaws, all of them young girls, they followed behind their -captors without a word of complaint, and with the stoical indifference -to pain and suffering, which alike characterises the haughty Delaware -of the north and the miserable stunted Digger of the deserts of the -Far West. On the morning of the fifth day, the party were seated -round a small fire of piñon, hardly able to rise and commence their -journey, the squaws squatting over another at a little distance, when -Forey commenced again to suggest that, if nothing offered, they must -either take the alternative of starving to death, for they could -not hope to last another day, or have recourse to the revolting -extremity of sacrificing one of the party to save the lives of all. -To this, however, there was a murmur of dissent, and it was finally -resolved that all should sally out and hunt; for a deer-track had been -discovered near the camp, which, although it was not a fresh one, -proved that there must be game in the vicinity. Weak and exhausted as -they were, they took their rifles and started for the neighbouring -uplands, each taking a different direction. - -It was nearly sunset when La Bonté returned to the camp, where he -already espied one of his companions engaged in cooking something -over the fire. Hurrying to the spot, overjoyed with the anticipations -of a feast, he observed that the squaws were gone; but, at the same -time, thought it was not improbable they had escaped during their -absence. Approaching the fire, he observed Forey broiling some meat on -the embers, whilst at a little distance lay what he fancied was the -carcass of a deer. - -“Hurrah, boy!” he exclaimed, as he drew near the fire. “You've 'made' -a 'raise,' I see.” - -“_Well_, I have,” rejoined the other, turning his meat with the point -of his butcher knife. “There's the meat, hos—help yourself.” - -La Bonté drew the knife from his scabbard, and approached the spot -his companion was pointing to; but what was his horror to see the yet -quivering body of one of the Indian squaws, with a large portion of -the flesh butchered from it, part of which Forey was already greedily -devouring. The knife dropped from his hand, and his heart rose to his -throat. - -The next day he and his companion struck the creek where Rube and the -other trapper had agreed to await them, and found them in camp with -plenty of meat, and about to start again on their hunt, having given -up the others for lost. From the day they parted, nothing was ever -heard of La Bonté's other two companions, who doubtless fell a prey -to utter exhaustion, and were unable to return to the camp. And thus -ended the Digger expedition. - -It may appear almost incredible that men having civilised blood in -their veins could perpetrate such wanton and cold-blooded acts of -aggression on the wretched Indians, as that detailed above; but it is -fact that the mountaineers never lose an opportunity of slaughtering -these miserable Diggers, and attacking their villages, often for the -purpose of capturing women, whom they carry off, and not unfrequently -sell to other tribes, or to each other. In these attacks neither sex -nor age is spared; and your mountaineer has as little compunction in -taking the life of an Indian woman, as he would have in sending his -rifle-ball through the brain of a Crow or Blackfoot warrior. - -La Bonté now found himself without animals, and fairly “afoot;” -consequently nothing remained for him but to seek some of the trapping -bands, and hire himself for the hunt. Luckily for him, he soon fell -in with Roubideau, on his way to Uintah, and was supplied by him with -a couple of animals; and thus equipped, he started again with a large -band of trappers, who were going to hunt on the waters of Grand River -and the Gila. Here they fell in with another nation of Indians, from -which branch out the innumerable tribes inhabiting Northern Mexico -and part of California. They were in general friendly, but lost no -opportunity of stealing horses or any articles left lying about -the camp. On one occasion, the trappers being camped on a northern -affluent of the Gila, a volley of arrows was discharged amongst them, -severely wounding one or two of the party, as they sat round the camp -fires. The attack, however, was not renewed, and the next day the -camp was moved further down the stream, where beaver was tolerably -abundant. Before sundown a number of Indians made their appearance, -and making signs of peace, were admitted into the camp. - -The trappers were all sitting at their suppers over the fires, the -Indians looking gravely on, when it was remarked that now would be -a good opportunity to retaliate upon them for the trouble their -incessant attacks had entailed upon the camp. The suggestion was -highly approved of, and instantly acted upon. Springing to their -feet, the trappers seized their rifles, and commenced the slaughter. -The Indians, panic-struck, fled without resistance, and numbers fell -before the death-dealing rifles of the mountaineers. A chief, who had -been sitting on a rock near the fire where the leader of the trappers -sat, had been singled out by the latter as the first mark for his -rifle. - -Placing the muzzle to his heart, he pulled the trigger, but the -Indian, with extraordinary tenacity of life, rose and grappled with -his assailant. The white was a tall powerful man, but, notwithstanding -the deadly wound the Indian had received, he had his equal in strength -to contend against. The naked form of the Indian twisted and writhed -in his grasp, as he sought to avoid the trapper's uplifted knife. Many -of the latter's companions advanced to administer the _coup de grâce_ -to the savage, but the trapper cried to them to keep off: “If he -couldn't whip the Injun,” he said, “he'd go under.” - -At length he succeeded in throwing him, and, plunging his knife no -less than seven times into his body, he tore off his scalp, and went -in pursuit of the flying savages. In the course of an hour or two, all -the party returned, and sitting by the fires, resumed their suppers, -which had been interrupted in the manner just described. Walker, the -captain of the band, sat down by the fire where he had been engaged -in the struggle with the Indian chief, whose body was lying within a -few paces of it. He was in the act of fighting the battle over again -to one of his companions, and was saying that the Indian had as much -life in him as a buffalo bull, when, to the horror of all present, the -savage, who had received wounds sufficient for twenty deaths, suddenly -rose to a sitting posture, the fire shedding a glowing light upon the -horrid spectacle. The face was a mass of clotted blood, which flowed -from the lacerated scalp, whilst gouts of blood streamed from eight -gaping wounds in the naked breast. - -Slowly this frightful figure rose to a sitting posture, and, bending -slowly forward to the fire, the mouth was seen to open wide, and a -hollow gurgling—owg-h-h—broke from it. - -“H—!” exclaimed the trapper—and jumping up, he placed a pistol to the -ghastly head, the eyes of which sternly fixed themselves on his, and -pulling the trigger, blew the poor wretch's skull to atoms. - -The Gila passes through a barren, sandy country, with but little -game, and sparsely inhabited by several different tribes of the great -nation of the Apache. Unlike the rivers of this western region, this -stream is, in most parts of its course, particularly towards its upper -waters, entirely bare of timber, and the bottom, through which it -runs, affords but little of the coarsest grass. Whilst on this stream, -the trapping party lost several animals for want of pasture, and many -more from the predatory attacks of the cunning Indians. These losses, -however, they invariably made good whenever they encountered a native -village—taking care, moreover, to repay themselves with interest -whenever occasion offered. - -Notwithstanding the sterile nature of the country, the trappers, -during their passage up the Gila, saw with astonishment that the arid -and barren valley had once been peopled by a race of men far superior -to the present nomade tribes who roam over it. With no little awe -they gazed upon the ruined walls of large cities, and the remains of -houses, with their ponderous beams and joists, still testifying to -the skill and industry with which they were constructed: huge ditches -and irrigating canals, now filled with rank vegetation, furrowed the -plains in the vicinity, marking the spot where once green waving maize -and smiling gardens covered what now is a bare and sandy desert. -Pieces of broken pottery, of domestic utensils, stained with bright -colours, every where strewed the ground; and spear and arrow-heads of -stone, and quaintly carved idols, and women's ornaments of agate and -obsidian, were picked up often by the wondering trappers, examined -with child-like curiosity, and thrown carelessly aside.[22] - -A Taos Indian, who was amongst the band, was evidently impressed -with a melancholy awe, as he regarded these ancient monuments of his -fallen people. At midnight he rose from his blanket and left the camp, -which was in the vicinity of the ruined city, stealthily picking his -way through the line of slumbering forms which lay around; and the -watchful sentinel observed him approach the ruins with a slow and -reverential gait. Entering the mouldering walls, he gazed silently -around, where in ages past his ancestors trod proudly, a civilised -race, the tradition of which, well known to his people, served but -to make their present degraded position more galling and apparent. -Cowering under the shadow of a crumbling wall, the Indian drew his -blanket over his head, and conjured to his mind's eye the former power -and grandeur of his race—that warlike people who, forsaking their own -country for causes of which no tradition, however dim, now exists, -sought in the fruitful and teeming valleys of the south a soil and -climate which their own lands did not afford; and, displacing the -wild and barbarous hordes inhabiting the land, raised there a mighty -empire, great in riches and civilisation. - -The Indian bowed his head, and mourned the fallen greatness of his -tribe. Rising, he slowly drew his tattered blanket round his body, -and prepared to leave the spot, when the shadow of a moving figure, -creeping past a gap in the ruined wall, through which the moonbeams -played, suddenly arrested his attention. Rigid as a statue, he stood -transfixed to the spot, thinking a former inhabitant of the city -was visiting, in a ghostly form, the scenes his body once knew so -well. The bow in his right hand shook with fear as he saw the shadow -approach, but was as tightly and steadily grasped when, on the figure -emerging from the shade of the wall, he distinguished the form of a -naked Apache, armed with bow and arrow, crawling stealthily through -the gloomy ruins. - -Standing undiscovered within the shadow of the wall, the Taos raised -his bow, and drew an arrow to the head, until the other, who was -bending low to keep under cover of the wall, and thus approach -the sentinel standing at a short distance, seeing suddenly the -well-defined shadow on the ground, rose upright on his legs, and, -knowing escape was impossible, threw his arms down his sides, and, -drawing himself erect, exclaimed, in a suppressed tone, “Wa-g-h!” - -“Wagh!” exclaimed the Taos likewise, but quickly dropped his arrow -point, and eased the bow. - -“What does my brother want,” he asked, “that he lopes like a wolf -round the fires of the white hunters?” - -“Is my brother's skin not red?” returned the Apache, “and yet he asks -a question that needs no answer. Why does the 'medicine wolf' follow -the buffalo and deer? For blood—and for blood the Indian follows the -treacherous white from camp to camp, to strike blow for blow, until -the deaths of those so basely killed are fully avenged.” - -“My brother speaks with a big heart, and his words are true; and -though the Taos and Pimo (Apache) black their faces towards each other -(are at war), here, on the graves of their common fathers, there is -peace between them. Let my brother go.” - -The Apache moved quickly away, and the Taos once more sought the -camp-fires of his white companions. - -Following the course of the Gila to the eastward, they crossed a range -of the Sierra Madre, which is a continuation of the Rocky Mountains, -and struck the waters of the Rio del Norte, below the settlements of -New Mexico. On this stream they fared well; besides trapping a great -quantity of beaver, game of all kinds abounded, and the bluffs near -the well-timbered banks of the river were covered with rich gramma -grass, on which their half-starved animals speedily improved in -condition. - -They remained for some weeks encamped on the right bank of the stream, -during which period they lost one of their number, shot with an arrow -whilst lying asleep within a few feet of the camp-fire. - -The Navajos continually prowl along that portion of the river which -runs through the settlements of New Mexico, preying upon the cowardly -inhabitants, and running off with their cattle whenever they are -exposed in sufficient numbers to tempt them. Whilst ascending the -river, the trappers met a party of these Indians returning to their -mountain homes with a large band of mules and horses which they -had taken from one of the Mexican towns, besides several women and -children, whom they had captured, as slaves. The main body of the -trappers halting, ten of the band followed and charged upon the -Indians, who numbered at least sixty, killed seven of them, and retook -the prisoners and the whole cavallada of horses and mules. Great were -the rejoicings when they entered Socorro, the town whence the women -and children had been taken, and as loud the remonstrances, when, -handing them over to their families, the trappers rode on, driving -fifty of the best of the rescued animals before them, which they -retained as payment for their services. Messengers were sent on to -Albuquerque with intelligence of the proceeding; and as troops were -stationed there, the commandant was applied to, to chastise the -insolent whites. - -That warrior, on learning that the trappers numbered less than -fifteen, became alarmingly brave, and ordering out the whole of his -disposable force, some two hundred dragoons, sallied out to intercept -the audacious mountaineers. About noon one day, just as the latter -had emerged from a little town between Socorro and Albuquerque, they -descried the imposing force of the dragoons winding along a plain -ahead. As the trappers advanced, the officer in command halted his -men, and sent out a trumpeter to order the former to await his coming. -Treating the herald to a roar of laughter, on they went, and, as they -approached the soldiers, broke into a trot, ten of the number forming -line in front of the packed and loose animals, and, rifle in hand, -charging with loud whoops. This was enough for the New Mexicans. -Before the enemy were within shooting distance, the gallant fellows -turned tail, and splashed into the river, dragging themselves up the -opposite bank like half-drowned rats, and saluted with loud peels of -laughter by the victorious mountaineers, who, firing a volley into the -air, in token of supreme contempt, quietly continued their route up -the stream. - -Before reaching the capital of the province, they struck again to the -westward, and following a small creek to its junction with the Green -River, ascended that stream, trapping _en route_ to the Uintah or -Snake Fork, and arrived at Roubideau's rendezvous early in the fall, -where they quickly disposed of their peltries, and were once more on -“the loose.” - -Here La Bonté married a Snake squaw, with whom he crossed the -mountains and proceeded to the Platte through the Bayou Salade, where -he purchased of the Yutas a commodious lodge, with the necessary -poles, &c.; and being now “rich” in mules and horses, and in all -things necessary for _otium cum dignitate_, he took unto himself -another wife, as by mountain law allowed; and thus equipped, with both -his better halves attired in all the glory of fofarraw, he went his -way rejoicing. - -In a snug little valley lying under the shadow of the mountains, -watered by Vermilion Creek, and in which abundance of buffalo, elk, -deer, and antelope fed and fattened on the rich grass, La Bonté raised -his lodge, employing himself in hunting, and fully occupying his -wives' time in dressing the skins of the many animals he killed. Here -he enjoyed himself amazingly until the commencement of winter, when he -determined to cross to the North Fork and trade his skins, of which -he had now as many packs as his animals could carry. It happened that -he one day left his camp, to spend a couple of days hunting buffalo -in the mountains, whither the bulls were now resorting, intending to -“put out” for Platte on his return. His hunt, however, led him farther -into the mountains than he anticipated, and it was only on the third -day that sundown saw him enter the little valley where his camp was -situated. - -Crossing the creek, he was not a little disturbed at seeing fresh -Indian sign on the opposite side, which led in the direction of his -lodge; and his worst fears were realised when, on coming within -sight of the little plateau where the conical top of his white lodge -had always before met his view, he saw nothing but a blackened mass -strewing the ground, and the burnt ends of the poles which had once -supported it. - -Squaws, animals, and peltry, all were gone—an Arapaho moccasin lying -on the ground told him where. He neither fumed nor fretted, but, -throwing the meat off his pack animal, and the saddle from his horse, -he collected the blackened ends of the lodge poles and made a fire—led -his beasts to water and hobbled them, threw a piece of buffalo meat -upon the coals, squatted down before the fire, and lit his pipe. La -Bonté was a true philosopher. Notwithstanding that his house, his -squaws, his peltries, were gone “at one fell swoop,” the loss scarcely -disturbed his equanimity; and before the tobacco in his pipe was half -smoked out, he had ceased to think of his misfortune. Certes, as he -turned his apolla of tender loin, he sighed as he thought of the -delicate manipulations with which his Shoshone squaw, Sah-qua-manish, -was wont to beat to tenderness the toughest bull meat—and missed -the tending care of Yute Chil-co-thē, or the “reed that bends,” in -patching the holes worn in his neatly fitting moccasins, the work of -her nimble fingers. However, he ate and smoked, and smoked and ate, -and slept none the worse for his mishap; thought, before he closed his -eyes, a little of his lost wives, and more perhaps of the “Bending -Reed” than of Sah-qua-manish, or “she who runs with the stream,” drew -his blanket tightly round him, felt his rifle handy to his grasp, and -was speedily asleep. - -Whilst the tired mountaineer breathes heavily in his dream, careless -and unconscious that a living soul is near, his mule on a sudden -pricks her ears and stares into the gloom, whence a figure soon -emerges, and with noiseless steps draws near the sleeping hunter. -Taking one look at the slumbering form, the same figure approaches -the fire and adds a log to the pile; which done, it quietly seats -itself at the feet of the sleeper, and remains motionless as a -statue. Towards morning the hunter awoke, and, rubbing his eyes, -was astonished to feel the glowing warmth of the fire striking on -his naked feet, which, in Indian fashion, were stretched towards -it; as by this time, he knew, the fire he left burning must long -since have expired. Lazily raising himself on his elbow, he saw a -figure sitting near it with the back turned to him, which, although -his exclamatory wagh was loud enough in all conscience, remained -perfectly motionless, until the trapper, rising, placed his hand upon -the shoulder: then, turning up its face, the features displayed to his -wondering eye were those of Chil-co-thē, his Yuta wife. Yes, indeed, -the “reed that bends” had escaped from her Arapaho captors, and made -her way back to her white husband, fasting and alone. - -The Indian women who follow the fortunes of the white hunters are -remarkable for their affection and fidelity to their husbands, the -which virtues, it must be remarked, are all on their own side; for, -with very few exceptions, the mountaineers seldom scruple to abandon -their Indian wives, whenever the fancy takes them to change their -harems; and on such occasions the squaws, thus cast aside, wild with -jealousy and despair, have been not unfrequently known to take signal -vengeance both on their faithless husbands and on the successful -beauties who have supplanted them in their affections. There are -some honourable exceptions, however, to such cruelty, and many of -the mountaineers stick to their red-skinned wives for better and for -worse, often suffering them to gain the upper hand in the domestic -economy of the lodges, and being ruled by their better halves in all -things pertaining to family affairs; and it may be remarked, that, -when once the lady dons the unmentionables, she becomes the veriest -termagant that ever henpecked an unfortunate husband. - -Your refined trappers, however, who, after many years of bachelor -life, incline to take to themselves a better half, often undertake an -expedition into the settlements of New Mexico, where not unfrequently -they adopt a very “Young Lochinvar” system in procuring the required -rib; and have been known to carry off, _vi et armis_, from the midst -of a fandango in Fernandez, or El Rancho of Taos, some dark-skinned -beauty—with or without her own consent is a matter of unconcern—and -bear the ravished fair one across the mountains, where she soon -becomes inured to the free and roving life fate has assigned her. - -American women are valued at a low figure in the mountains. They are -too fine and “fofarraw.” Neither can they make moccasins, or dress -skins; nor are they so schooled to perfect obedience to their lords -and masters as to stand a “lodge-pole-ing,” which the western lords of -the creation not unfrequently deem it their bounden duty to inflict -upon their squaws for some dereliction of domestic duty. - -To return, however, to La Bonté. That worthy thought himself a lucky -man to have lost but one of his wives, and she the worst of the two. -“Here's the beauty,” he philosophised, “of having two 'wiping-sticks' -to your rifle; if one breaks whilst ramming down a ball, there's still -hickory left to supply its place.” Although, with animals and peltry, -he had lost several hundred dollars' worth of “possibles,” he never -groaned or grumbled. “There's redskin will pay for this,” he once -muttered, and was done. - -Packing all that was left on the mule, and mounting Chil-co-thē on his -buffalo horse, he shouldered his rifle and struck the Indian trail for -Platte. On Horse Creek they came upon a party of French[23] trappers -and hunters, who were encamped with their lodges and Indian squaws, -and formed quite a village. Several old companions were amongst them; -and, to celebrate the arrival of a “camarade,” a splendid dog-feast -was prepared in honour of the event. To effect this, the squaws -sallied out of their lodges to seize upon sundry of the younger and -plumper of the pack, to fill the kettles for the approaching feast. -With a presentiment of the fate in store for them, the curs slunk away -with tails between their legs, and declined the pressing invitations -of the anxious squaws. These shouldered their tomahawks and gave -chase; but the cunning pups outstripped them, and would have fairly -beaten the kettles, if some of the mountaineers had not stepped out -with their rifles and quickly laid half-a-dozen ready to the knife. A -cayeute, attracted by the scent of blood, drew near, unwitting of the -canine feast in progress, and was likewise soon made _dog_ of, and -thrust into the boiling kettle with the rest. - -The feast that night was long protracted; and so savoury was the -stew, and so agreeable to the palates of the hungry hunters, that -at the moment the last morsel was drawn from the pot, when all -were regretting that a few more dogs had not been slaughtered, a -wolfish-looking cur, who incautiously poked his long nose and head -under the lodge skin, was pounced upon by the nearest hunter, who in -a moment drew his knife across the animal's throat, and threw it to a -squaw to skin and prepare for the pot. The wolf had long since been -vigorously discussed, and voted by all hands to be “good as dog.” - -“Meat's meat,” is a common saying in the mountains, and from the -buffalo down to the rattlesnake, including every quadruped that -runs, every fowl that flies, and every reptile that creeps, nothing -comes amiss to the mountaineer. Throwing aside all the qualms and -conscientious scruples of a fastidious stomach, it must be confessed -that _dog-meat_ takes a high rank in the wonderful variety of cuisine -afforded to the gourmand and the gourmet by the prolific “mountains.” -Now, when the bill of fare offers such tempting viands as buffalo -beef, venison, mountain mutton, turkey, grouse, wildfowl, hares, -rabbits, beaver and their tails, &c. &c., the station assigned to -“dog” as No. 2 in the list can be well appreciated—No. 1, in delicacy -of flavour, richness of meat, and other good qualities, being the -flesh of _panthers_, which surpasses every other, and all put together. - -“Painter meat can't 'shine' with this,” says a hunter, to express -the delicious flavour of an extraordinary cut of “tender loin,” or -delicate fleece. - -La Bonté started with his squaw for the North Fork early in November, -and arrived at the Laramie at the moment that the big village of the -Sioux came up for their winter trade. Two other villages were encamped -lower down the Platte, including the Brulés and the Yanka-taus, who -were now on more friendly terms with the whites. The first band -numbered several hundred lodges, and presented quite an imposing -appearance, the village being laid out in parallel lines, the lodge -of each chief being marked with his particular totem. The traders -had a particular portion of the village allotted to them, and a line -was marked out which was strictly kept by the soldiers appointed for -the protection of the whites. As there were many rival traders, and -numerous _coureurs des bois_, or peddling ones, the market promised -to be brisk, the more so as a large quantity of ardent spirits was in -their possession, which would be dealt with no unsparing hand to put -down the opposition of so many competing traders. - -In opening a trade a quantity of liquor is first given “on the -prairie,”[24] as the Indians express it in words, or by signs in -rubbing the palm of one hand quickly across the other, holding -both flat. Having once tasted the pernicious liquid, there is no -fear but they will quickly come to terms; and not unfrequently the -spirit is drugged, to render the unfortunate Indians still more -helpless. Sometimes, maddened and infuriated by drink, they commit -the most horrid atrocities on each other, murdering and mutilating -in a barbarous manner, and often attempting the lives of the traders -themselves. On one occasion a band of Sioux, whilst under the -influence of liquor, attacked and took possession of a trading fort of -the American Fur Company, stripping it of every thing it contained, -and roasting the trader himself over his own fire. - -The principle on which the nefarious trade is conducted is this, that -the Indians, possessing a certain quantity of buffalo robes, have -to be cheated out of them, and the sooner the better. Although it -is explicitly prohibited by the laws of the United States to convey -spirits across the Indian frontier, and its introduction amongst -the Indian tribes subjects the offender to a heavy penalty; yet the -infraction of this law is of daily occurrence, perpetrated almost in -the very presence of the government officers, who are stationed along -the frontier for the purpose of enforcing the laws for the protection -of the Indians. - -The misery entailed upon these unhappy people by the illicit traffic -must be seen to be fully appreciated. Before the effects of the -poisonous “fire-water,” they disappear from the earth like “snow -before the sun.” Although aware of the destruction it entails upon -them, the poor wretches have not moral courage to shun the fatal -allurement it holds out to them, of wild excitement and a temporary -oblivion of their many sufferings and privations. With such palpable -effects, it appears only likely that the illegal trade is connived -at by those whose policy it has ever been, gradually but surely, to -exterminate the Indians, and by any means to extinguish their title to -the few lands they now own on the outskirts of civilisation. Certain -it is that large quantities of liquor find their way annually into the -Indian country, and as certain are the fatal results of the pernicious -system, and that the American government takes no steps to prevent it. -There are some tribes who have as yet withstood the great temptation, -and have resolutely refused to permit liquor to be brought into their -villages. The marked difference between the improved condition of -these, and the moral and physical abasement of those which give way -to the fatal passion for drinking, sufficiently proves the pernicious -effects of the liquor trade on the unfortunate and abused aborigines; -and it is matter of regret that no philanthropist has sprung up in the -United States to do battle for the rights of the Red men, and call -attention to the wrongs they endure at the hands of their supplanters -in the lands of their fathers. - -Robbed of their homes and hunting-grounds, and driven by the -encroachments of the whites to distant regions, which hardly support -existence, the Indians, day by day, gradually decrease before -the accumulating evils, of body and soul, which their civilised -persecutors entail upon them. With every man's hand against them, -they drag on to their final destiny; and the day is not far distant -when the American Indian will exist only in the traditions of his -pale-faced conquerors. - -The Indians trading at this time on the Platte were mostly of the -Sioux nation, including the tribes of Burnt-woods, Yanka-taus, -Pian-Kashas, Assinaboins, Oglallahs, Broken Arrows, all of which -belong to the great Sioux nation, or La-cotahs, as they call -themselves, and which means cut-throats. There were also some -Cheyennes allied to the Sioux, as well as a small band of Republican -Pawnees. - -Horse-racing, gambling, and ball-play, served to pass away the time -until the trade commenced, and many packs of dressed robes changed -hands amongst themselves. When playing at the usual game of “_hand_,” -the stakes, comprising all the valuables the players possess, are -piled in two heaps close at hand, the winner at the conclusion of -the game sweeping the goods towards him, and often returning a small -portion “on the prairie,” with which the loser may again commence -operations with another player. - -The game of “hand” is played by two persons. One, who commences, -places a plum or cherry-stone in the hollow formed by joining the -concaved palms of the hands together, then shaking the stone for a few -moments, the hands are suddenly separated, and the other player must -guess which hand now contains the stone. - -Large bets are often wagered on the result of this favourite game, -which is also often played by the squaws, the men standing round -encouraging them to bet, and laughing loudly at their grotesque -excitement. - -A Burnt-wood Sioux, Tah-tunganisha, one of the bravest chiefs of his -tribe, was out, when a young man, on a solitary war expedition against -the Crows. One evening he drew near a certain “medicine” spring, -where, to his astonishment, he encountered a Crow warrior in the act -of quenching his thirst. He was on the point of drawing his bow upon -him, when he remembered the sacred nature of the spot, and making the -sign of peace, he fearlessly drew near his foe, and proceeded likewise -to slake his thirst. A pipe of kinnik-kinnik being produced, it was -proposed to pass away the early part of the night in a game of “hand.” -They accordingly sat down beside the spring, and commenced the game. - -Fortune favoured the Crow. He won arrow after arrow from the -Burnt-wood brave; then his bow, his club, his knife, his robe, all -followed, and the Sioux sat naked on the plain. Still he proposed -another stake against the other's winnings—his scalp. He played, and -lost; and bending forward his head, the Crow warrior drew his knife -and quickly removed the bleeding prize. Without a murmur the luckless -Sioux rose to depart, but first exacted a promise from his antagonist -that he would meet him once more at the same spot, and engage in -another trial of skill. - -On the day appointed, the Burnt-wood sought the spot, with a new -equipment, and again the Crow made his appearance, and they sat down -to play. This time fortune changed sides; the Sioux won back his -former losses, and in his turn the Crow was stripped to his skin. - -Scalp against scalp was now the stake, and this time the Crow -submitted his head to the victorious Burnt-wood's knife; and both the -warriors stood scalpless on the plain. - -And now the Crow had but one single stake of value to offer, and the -offer of it he did not hesitate to make. He staked his life against -the other's winnings. They played; and fortune still being adverse, he -lost. He offered his breast to his adversary. The Burnt-wood plunged -his knife into his heart to the very hilt; and, laden with his spoils, -returned to his village, and to this day wears suspended from his ears -his own and enemy's scalp. - -The village presented the usual scene of confusion as long as the -trade lasted. Fighting, brawling, yelling, dancing, and all the -concomitants of intoxication, continued to the last drop of the -liquor-keg, when the reaction after such excitement was almost worse -than the evil itself. During this time, all the work devolved upon -the squaws, who, in tending the horses, and in packing wood and water -from a long distance, had their time sufficiently occupied. As there -was little or no grass in the vicinity, the animals were supported -entirely on the bark of the cotton-wood; and to procure this, the -women were daily engaged in felling huge trees, or climbing them -fearlessly, chopping off the upper limbs—springing like squirrels from -branch to branch, which, in their confined costume, appeared matter of -considerable difficulty. - -The most laughter-provoking scenes, however, were, when a number -of squaws sallied out to the grove, with their long-nosed, -wolfish-looking dogs harnessed to their _travées_ or trabogans, on -which loads of cotton-wood were piled. The dogs, knowing full well the -duty required of them, refuse to approach the coaxing squaws, and, at -the same time, are fearful of provoking their anger by escaping and -running off. They, therefore, squat on their haunches, with tongues -hanging out of their long mouths, the picture of indecision, removing -a short distance as the irate squaw approaches. When once harnessed to -the travée, however, which is simply a couple of lodge-poles lashed -on either side of the dog, with a couple of cross-bars near the ends -to support the freight, they follow quietly enough, urged by bevies -of children, who invariably accompany the women. Once arrived at the -scene of their labours, the reluctance of the curs to draw near the -piles of cotton-wood is most comical. They will lie down stubbornly -at a little distance, whining their uneasiness, or sometimes scamper -off bodily, with their long poles trailing after them, pursued by the -yelling and half frantic squaws. - -When the travées are laden, the squaws, bent double under loads of -wood sufficient to break a porter's back, and calling to the dogs, -which are urged on by the buffalo-fed urchins in rear, lead the line -of march. The curs, taking advantage of the helpless state of their -mistresses, turn a deaf ear to their coaxings, lying down every -few yards to rest, growling and fighting with each other, in which -encounters every cur joins the _mêlée_, charging pell-mell into the -yelping throng, upsetting the squalling children, and making confusion -worse confounded. Then, armed with lodge-poles, the squaws, throwing -down their loads, rush to the rescue, dealing stalwart blows on the -pugnacious curs, and finally restoring something like order to the -march. - -“Tszoo—tszoo!” they cry, “wah, kashne, ceit-cha—get on, you devilish -beasts—tszoo—tszoo!” and belabouring them without mercy, they start -them into a gallop, which, once commenced, is generally continued -till they reach their destination. - -The Indian dogs are, however, invariably well treated by the squaws, -since they assist materially the every-day labours of these patient -over-worked creatures, in hauling firewood to the lodge, and, on the -line of march, carrying many of the household goods and chattels, -which otherwise the squaw herself would have to carry on her back. -Every lodge possesses from half-a-dozen to a score—some for draught -and others for eating—for dog meat forms part and parcel of an Indian -feast. The former are stout, wiry animals, half wolf half sheep-dog, -and are regularly trained to draught; the latter are of a smaller -kind, more inclined to fat, and embrace every variety of the genus -cur. Many of the southern tribes possess a breed of dogs entirely -divested of hair, which evidently have come from South America, and -are highly esteemed for the kettle. Their meat, in appearance and -flavour, resembles young pork, but far surpasses it in richness and -delicacy. - -The Sioux are very expert in making their lodges comfortable, taking -more pains in their construction than most Indians. They are all -of conical form: a framework of straight slender poles, resembling -hop-poles, and from twenty to twenty-five feet long, is first erected, -round which is stretched a sheeting of buffalo robes, softly dressed, -and smoked to render them water-tight. The apex, through which the -ends of the poles protrude, is left open to allow the smoke to escape. -A small opening, sufficient to permit the entrance of a man, is made -on one side, over which is hung a door of buffalo hide. A lodge of -the common size contains about twelve or fourteen skins, and contains -comfortably a family of twelve in number. The fire is made in the -centre immediately under the aperture in the roof, and a flap of the -upper skins is closed or extended at pleasure, serving as a cowl or -chimney-top to regulate the draught and permit the smoke to escape -freely. Round the fire, with their feet towards it, the inmates sleep -on skins and buffalo rugs, which are rolled up during the day, and -stowed at the back of the lodge. - -In travelling, the lodge-poles are secured half on each side a horse, -and the skins placed on transversal bars near the ends, which trail -along the ground,—two or three squaws or children mounted on the same -horse, or the smallest of the latter borne in the dog travées. A set -of lodge-poles will last from three to seven years, unless the village -is constantly on the move, when they are soon worn out in trailing -over the gravelly prairie. They are usually of ash, which grows on -many of the mountain creeks, and regular expeditions are undertaken -when a supply is required, either for their own lodges, or for trading -with those tribes who inhabit the prairies at a great distance from -the locality where the poles are procured. - -There are also certain creeks where the Indians resort to lay in a -store of kinnik-kinnik (the inner bark of the red willow), which they -use as a substitute for tobacco, and which has an aromatic and very -pungent flavour. It is prepared for smoking by being scraped in thin -curly flakes from the slender saplings, and crisped before the fire, -after which it is rubbed between the hands into a form resembling -leaf-tobacco, and stored in skin bags for use. It has a highly -narcotic effect on those not habituated to its use, and produces a -heaviness sometimes approaching stupefaction, altogether different -from the soothing effects of tobacco. - -Every year, owing to the disappearance of the buffalo from their -former haunts, the Indians are compelled to encroach upon each -other's hunting-grounds, which is a fruitful cause of war between -the different tribes. It is a curious fact, that the buffalo retire -before the whites, whilst the presence of Indians in their pastures -appears in no degree to disturb them. Wherever a few white hunters -are congregated in a trading port, or elsewhere, so sure it is that, -if they remain in the same locality, the buffalo will desert the -vicinity, and seek pasture elsewhere. In this, the Indians affirm, -the wah-keitcha, or “bad medicine,” of the pale-faces is very -apparent; and they ground upon it their well-founded complaints of the -encroachments made upon their hunting-grounds by the white hunters. - -In the winter, many of the tribes are reduced to the very verge of -starvation—the buffalo having passed from their country into that -of their enemies, when no other alternative is offered them, but to -remain where they are and starve, or to follow the game into a hostile -region, a move entailing war and all its horrors. - -Reckless, moreover, of the future, in order to prepare robes for the -traders, and to procure the pernicious fire-water, they wantonly -slaughter, every year, vast numbers of buffalo cows (the skins of -which sex only are dressed), and thus add to the evils in store for -them. When questioned on this subject, and reproached with such -want of foresight, they answer, that however quickly the buffalo -disappears, the Red man “goes under” more quickly still; and that the -Great Spirit has ordained that both shall be “rubbed out” from the -face of nature at one and the same time,—“that arrows and bullets -are not more fatal to the buffalo than the small-pox and fire-water -to them, and that before many winters' snows have disappeared, the -buffalo and the Red man will only be remembered by their bones, -which will strew the plains.”—“They look forward, however, to a -future state, when, after a long journey, they will reach the happy -hunting-grounds, where buffalo will once more blacken the prairies; -where the pale-faces dare not come to disturb them; where no winter -snows cover the ground, and the buffalo are always plentiful and fat.” - -As soon as the streams opened, La Bonté, now reduced to two animals -and four traps, sallied forth again, this time seeking the dangerous -country of the Blackfeet, on the head waters of the Yellow Stone -and Upper Missouri. He was accompanied by three others, a man named -Wheeler, and one Cross-Eagle, a Swede, who had been many years in -the western country. Reaching the forks of a small creek, on both of -which appeared plenty of beaver sign, La Bonté followed the left-hand -one alone, whilst the others trapped the right in company, the former -leaving his squaw in the company of a Sioux woman, who followed the -fortunes of Cross-Eagle, the party agreeing to rendezvous at the -junction of the two forks as soon as they had trapped to their heads -and again descended them. The larger party were the first to reach the -rendezvous, and camped on the banks of the main stream to await the -arrival of La Bonté. - -The morning after their return, they had just risen from their -blankets, and were lazily stretching themselves before the fire, when -a volley of firearms rattled from the bank of the creek, and two of -their number fell dead to the ground, whilst at the same moment the -deafening yells of Indians broke upon the ears of the frightened -squaws. Cross-Eagle seized his rifle, and, though severely wounded, -rushed to the cover of a hollow tree which stood near, and crawling -into it, defended himself the whole day with the greatest obstinacy, -killing five Indians outright, and wounding several more. Unable to -drive the gallant trapper from his retreat, the savages took advantage -of a favourable wind which suddenly sprang up, and fired the long dry -grass surrounding the tree. The rotten log catching fire, at length -compelled the hunter to leave his retreat. Clubbing his rifle, he -charged amongst the Indians, and fell at last, pierced through and -through with wounds, but not until two more of his assailants had -fallen by his hand. - -The two squaws were carried off, and one was sold shortly afterwards -to some white men at the trading ports on the Platte; but La Bonté -never recovered the “Bending Reed,” nor even heard of her existence -from that day. So once more was the mountaineer bereft of his better -half; and when he returned to the rendezvous, a troop of wolves were -feasting on the bodies of his late companions, and of the Indians -killed in the affray, of which he only heard the particulars a long -time after from a trapper, who had been present when one of the squaws -was offered at the trading post for sale, and had heard her recount -the miserable fate of her husband and his companions on the forks of -the creek, which, from the fact of La Bonté being the leader of the -party, has since borne his name. - -Undaunted by this misfortune, the trapper continued his solitary -hunt, passing through the midst of the Crow and Blackfeet country; -encountering many perils, often hunted by the Indians, but always -escaping. He had soon loaded both his animals with beaver, and then -thought of bending his steps to some of the trading rendezvous on the -other side of the mountains, where employés of the Great North-west -Fur Company meet the trappers with the produce of their hunts, on -Lewis's fork of the Columbia, or one of its numerous affluents. His -intention was to pass the winter at some of the company's trading -posts in Oregon, into which country he had never yet penetrated. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - -We have said that La Bonté was a philosopher: he took the streaks of -ill luck which checkered his mountain life with perfect carelessness, -if not with stoical indifference. Nothing ruffled his danger-steeled -equanimity of temper; no sudden emotion disturbed his mind. We have -seen how wives were torn from him without eliciting a groan or -grumble, (but such _contretemps_, it may be said, can scarcely find a -place in the category of ills); how the loss of mules and mustangs, -harried by horse-stealing Indians, left him in the _ne-plus-ultra_ -of mountain misery—“afoot;” how packs and peltries, the hard-earned -“beaver” of his perilous hunts, were “raised” at one fell swoop by -free-booting bands of savages. Hunger and thirst, we know, were -commonplace sensations to the mountaineer. His storm-hardened flesh -scarce felt the pinging wounds of arrow-point or bullet; and when in -the midst of Indian fight, it is not probable that any tender qualms -of feeling would allay the itching of his fingers for his enemy's -scalp-lock, nor would any remains of civilised fastidiousness prevent -his burying his knife again and again in the life-blood of an Indian -savage. - -Still, in one dark corner of his heart, there shone at intervals a -faint spark of what was once a fiercely-burning fire. Neither time, -that corroder of all things, nor change, that ready abettor of -oblivion, nor scenes of peril and excitement, which act as dampers -to more quiet memories, could smother this little smouldering spark, -which now and again—when rarely-coming calm succeeded some stirring -passage in the hunter's life, and left him, for a brief time, devoid -of care, and victim to his thoughts—would flicker suddenly, and light -up all the nooks and corners of his rugged breast, and discover to his -mind's eye that one deep-rooted memory clung there still, though long -neglected; proving that, spite of time and change, of life and fortune, - - “On revient toujours à ses premiers amours.” - -Often and often as La Bonté sat cross-legged before his solitary -camp-fire, and, pipe in mouth, watched the blue smoke curling -upwards in the clear cold sky, a well-remembered form appeared to -gaze upon him from the vapoury wreaths. Then would old recollections -crowd before him, and old emotions, long a stranger to his breast, -shape themselves, as it were, into long-forgotten but now familiar -pulsations. Again he felt the soft subduing influence which once, in -days gone by, a certain passion exercised over his mind and body; and -often a trembling seized him, the same he used to experience at the -sudden sight of one Mary Brand, whose dim and dreamy apparition so -often watched his lonely bed, or, unconsciously conjured up, cheered -him in the dreary watches of the long and stormy winter nights. - -At first he only knew that one face haunted his dreams by night, and -the few moments by day when he thought of any thing, and this face -smiled lovingly upon him, and cheered him mightily. Name he had quite -forgotten, or recalled it vaguely, and, setting small store by it, had -thought of it no more. - -For many years after he had deserted his home, La Bonté had cherished -the idea of again returning to his country. During this period he had -never forgotten his old flame, and many a choice fur he had carefully -laid by, intended as a present for Mary Brand; and many a _gâge -d'amour_ of cunning shape and device, worked in stained quills of -porcupine and bright-coloured beads—the handiwork of nimble-fingered -squaws—he had packed in his possible sack for the same destination, -hoping a time would come when he might lay them at her feet. - -Year after year wore on, however, and still found him, with traps and -rifle, following his perilous avocation; and each succeeding one saw -him more and more wedded to the wild mountain-life. He was conscious -how unfitted he had become again to enter the galling harness of -conventionality and civilisation. He thought, too, how changed in -manners and appearance he now must be, and could not believe that -he would again find favour in the eyes of his quondam love, who, he -judged, had long since forgotten him; and inexperienced as he was in -such matters, yet he knew enough of womankind to feel assured that -time and absence had long since done the work, if even the natural -fickleness of woman's nature had lain dormant. Thus it was that he -came to forget Mary Brand, but still remembered the all-absorbing -feeling she had once created in his breast, the shadow of which still -remained, and often took form and feature in the smoke-wreaths of his -solitary camp-fire. - -If truth be told, La Bonté had his failings as a mountaineer, and—sin -unpardonable in hunter law—still possessed, in holes and corners of -his breast seldom explored by his inward eye, much of the leaven of -kindly human nature, which now and again involuntarily peeped out, as -greatly to the contempt of his comrade trappers as it was blushingly -repressed by the mountaineer himself. Thus, in his various matrimonial -episodes, he treated his dusky _sposas_ with all the consideration -the sex could possibly demand from hand of man. No squaw of his ever -humped shoulder to receive a castigatory and marital “lodge-poling” -for offence domestic; but often has his helpmate blushed to see her -pale-face lord and master devote himself to the feminine labour -of packing huge piles of fire-wood on his back, felling trees, -butchering unwieldy buffalo—all which are included in the Indian -category of female duties. Thus he was esteemed an excellent _parti_ -by all the marriageable young squaws of Blackfoot, Crow, and -Shoshone, of Yutah, Shian, and Arapaho; but after his last connubial -catastrophe, he steeled his heart against all the charms and coquetry -of Indian belles, and persevered in unblessed widowhood for many a -long day. - -From the point where we left him on his way to the waters of the -Columbia, we must jump with him over a space of nearly two years, -during which time he had a most uninterrupted run of good luck; -trapping with great success on the head streams of the Columbia and -Yellow Stone—the most dangerous of trapping ground—and finding good -market for his peltries at the “North-west” posts—beaver fetching as -high a price as five and six dollars a “plew”—the “golden age” of -trappers, now, alas, never to return, and existing only in the fond -memory of the mountaineers. This glorious time, however, was too good -to last. In mountain language, “such heap of fat meat was not going to -'shine' much longer.” - -La Bonté was at this time one of a band of eight trappers, whose -hunting ground was about the head waters of the Yellow Stone, which -we have before said is in the country of the Blackfeet. With him were -Killbuck, Meek, Marcellin, and three others; and the leader of the -party was Bill Williams, that old “hard case” who had spent forty -years and more in the mountains, until he had become as tough as the -parflêche soles of his moccasins. They were all good men and true, -expert hunters, and well-trained mountaineers. After having trapped -all the streams they were acquainted with, it was determined to strike -into the mountains, at a point where old Williams affirmed, from the -“run” of the hills, there must be plenty of water, although not one -of the party had before explored the country, or knew any thing of -its nature, or of the likelihood of its affording game for themselves -or pasture for their animals. However, they packed their peltry, and -put out for the land in view—a lofty peak, dimly seen above the more -regular summit of the chain, being their landmark. - -For the first day or two their route lay between two ridges of -mountains, and by following the little valley which skirted a creek, -they kept on level ground, and saved their animals considerable labour -and fatigue. Williams always rode ahead, his body bent over his -saddle-horn, across which rested a long heavy rifle, his keen gray -eyes peering from under the slouched brim of a flexible felt-hat, -black and shining with grease. His buckskin hunting-shirt, bedaubed -until it had the appearance of polished leather, hung in folds over -his bony carcass; his nether extremities being clothed in pantaloons -of the same material (with scattered fringes down the outside of -the leg—which ornaments, however, had been pretty well thinned to -supply “whangs” for mending moccasins or pack-saddles), which, shrunk -with wet, clung tightly to his long, spare, sinewy legs. His feet -were thrust into a pair of Mexican stirrups made of wood, and as big -as coal-scuttles; and iron spurs of incredible proportions, with -tinkling drops attached to the rowels, were fastened to his heel—a -bead-worked strap, four inches broad, securing them over the instep. -In the shoulder-belt which sustained his powder-horn and bullet-pouch, -were fastened the various instruments essential to one pursuing his -mode of life. An awl, with deer-horn handle, and the point defended -by a case of cherry-wood carved by his own hand, hung at the back -of the belt, side by side with a worm for cleaning the rifle; and -under this was a squat and quaint-looking bullet-mould, the handles -guarded by strips of buckskin to save his fingers from burning when -running balls, having for its companion a little bottle made from the -point of an antelope's horn, scraped transparent, which contained -the “medicine” used in baiting the traps. The old coon's face was -sharp and thin, a long nose and chin hob-nobbing each other; and -his head was always bent forward giving him the appearance of being -hump-backed. He _appeared_ to look neither to the right nor left, -but, in fact, his little twinkling eye was everywhere. He looked at -no one he was addressing, always seeming to be thinking of something -else than the subject of his discourse, speaking in a whining, thin, -cracked voice, and in a tone that left the hearer in doubt whether he -was laughing or crying. On the present occasion he had joined this -band, and naturally assumed the leadership (for Bill ever refused to -go in harness), in opposition to his usual practice, which was to hunt -alone. His character was well known. Acquainted with every inch of the -Far West, and with all the Indian tribes who inhabited it, he never -failed to outwit his Red enemies, and generally made his appearance -at the rendezvous, from his solitary expeditions, with galore of -beaver, when numerous bands of trappers dropped in on foot, having -been despoiled of their packs and animals by the very Indians through -the midst of whom old Williams had contrived to pass unseen and -unmolested. On occasions when he had been in company with others, and -attacked by Indians, Bill invariably fought manfully, and with all the -coolness that perfect indifference to death or danger could give, but -always “on his own hook.” His rifle cracked away merrily, and never -spoke in vain; and in a charge—if ever it came to that—his keen-edged -butcher-knife tickled the fleece of many a Blackfoot. But at the same -time, if he saw that discretion was the better part of valour, and -affairs wore so cloudy an aspect as to render retreat advisable, he -would first express his opinion in curt terms, and decisively, and, -charging up his rifle, would take himself off and “câche”[25] so -effectually that to search for him was utterly useless. Thus, when -with a large party of trappers, when any thing occurred which gave him -a hint that trouble was coming, or more Indians were about than he -considered good for his animals, Bill was wont to exclaim— - -“Do 'ee hyar now, boys, thar's sign about? this hos feels like -caching;” and, without more words, and stoically deaf to all -remonstrances, he would forthwith proceed to pack his animals, talking -the while to an old, crop-eared, raw-boned Nez-percé pony, his own -particular saddle-horse, who in dogged temper and iron hardiness, was -a worthy companion of his self-willed master. This beast, as Bill -seized his apishamore to lay upon its galled back, would express -displeasure by humping its back and shaking its withers with a wincing -motion, that always excited the ire of the old trapper; and no sooner -had he laid the apishamore smoothly on the chafed skin, than a wriggle -of the animal shook it off. - -“Do 'ee hyar now, you darned crittur?” he would whine out, “can't -'ee keep quiet your old fleece now? Isn't this old coon putting out -to save 'ee from the darned Injuns now, do 'ee hyar?” And then, -continuing his work and taking no notice of his comrades, who stood -by bantering the eccentric old trapper, he would soliloquise—“Do 'ee -hyar, now? This niggur sees sign ahead—he does; he'll be afoot afore -long, if he don't keep his eye skinned,—_he_ will. _Injuns_ is all -about, they ar': Blackfoot at that. Can't come round this child—they -can't, wagh!” And at last, his pack animals securely tied to the tail -of his horse, he would mount, and throwing the rifle across the horn -of his saddle, and without noticing his companions, would drive the -jingling spurs into his horse's gaunt sides, and muttering, “Can't -come round this child—they can't!” would ride away; and nothing more -would be seen or heard of him perhaps for months, when they would -not unfrequently, themselves bereft of animals in the scrape he had -foreseen, find him located in some solitary valley, in his lonely -camp, with his animals securely picketed around, and his peltries safe. - -However, if he took it into his head to keep company with a party, -all felt perfectly secure under his charge. His iron frame defied -fatigue, and, at night, his love for himself and his own animals -was sufficient guarantee that the camp would be well guarded. As he -rode ahead, his spurs jingling, and thumping the sides of his old -horse at every step, he managed, with admirable dexterity, to take -advantage of the best line of country to follow—avoiding the gullies -and cañons and broken ground, which would otherwise have impeded his -advance. This tact appeared instinctive, for he looked neither right -nor left, whilst continuing a course as straight as possible at the -foot of the mountains. In selecting a camping site, he displayed -equal skill: wood, water, and grass began to fill his thoughts -towards sundown, and when these three requisites for a camping ground -presented themselves, old Bill sprang from his saddle, unpacked his -animals in a twinkling, and hobbled them, struck fire and ignited a -few chips (leaving the rest to pack in the wood), lit his pipe, and -enjoyed himself. On one occasion, when passing through the valley, -they had come upon a band of fine buffalo cows, and, shortly after -camping, two of the party rode in with a good supply of fat fleece. -One of the party was a “greenhorn” on his first hunt, fresh from a -fort on Platte, and as yet uninitiated in the mysteries of mountain -cooking. Bill, lazily smoking his pipe, called to him, as he happened -to be nearest, to butcher off a piece of meat and put it in his pot. -Markhead seized the fleece, and commenced innocently carving off a -huge ration, when a gasping roar from the old trapper caused him to -drop his knife. - -“Ti-ya,” growled Bill, “do 'ee hyar, now, you darned greenhorn, do 'ee -spile fat cow like that whar you was raised? Them doins wont shine in -this crowd, boy, do 'ee hyar, darned you? What! butcher meat across -the grain! why, whar'll the blood be goin' to, you precious Spaniard? -Down the grain, I say,” he continued in a severe tone of rebuke, -“and let your flaps be long, or out the juice'll run slick—do 'ee -hyar, now?” But this heretical error nearly cost the old trapper his -appetite, and all night long he grumbled his horror at seeing “fat -cow spiled in that fashion.” - -When two or three days' journey brought them to the end of the -valley, and they commenced the passage of the mountain, their march -was obstructed by all kinds of obstacles; although they had chosen -what appeared to be a gap in the chain, and what was in fact the only -practicable passage in that vicinity. They followed the cañon of a -branch of the Yellow Stone, where it entered the mountain; but from -this point it became a torrent, and it was only by dint of incredible -exertions that they reached the summit of the ridge. Game was -exceedingly scarce in the vicinity, and they suffered extremely from -hunger, having, on more than one occasion, recourse to the parflêche -soles of their moccasins to allay its pangs. Old Bill, however, never -grumbled; he chewed away at his shoes with relish even, and as long as -he had a pipeful of tobacco in his pouch, was a happy man. Starvation -was as yet far off, for all their animals were in existence; but as -they were in a country where it was difficult to procure a remount, -each trapper hesitated to sacrifice one of his horses to his appetite. - -From the summit of the ridge, Bill recognised the country on the -opposite side to that whence they had just ascended as familiar to -him, and pronounced it to be full of beaver, as well as abounding in -the less desirable commodity of Indians. This was the valley lying -about the lakes now called Eustis and Biddle, in which are many -thermal and mineral springs, well known to the trappers by the names -of the Soda, Beer, and Brimstone Springs, and regarded by them with no -little awe and curiosity, as being the breathing-places of his Satanic -majesty—considered, moreover, to be the “biggest kind” of “medicine” -to be found in the mountains. If truth be told, old Bill hardly -relished the idea of entering this country, which he pronounced to be -of “bad medicine” notoriety, but nevertheless agreed to guide them to -the best trapping ground. - -One day they reached a creek full of beaver sign, and determined to -halt here and establish their headquarters, while they trapped in the -neighbourhood. We must here observe, that at this period—which was -one of considerable rivalry amongst the various trading companies in -the Indian territory—the Indians, having become possessed of arms -and ammunition in great quantities, had grown unusually daring and -persevering in their attacks on the white hunters who passed through -their country, and consequently the trappers were compelled to roam -about in larger bands for mutual protection, which, although it made -them less liable to open attack, yet rendered it more difficult for -them to pursue their calling without being discovered; for, where one -or two men might pass unseen, the broad trail of a large party, with -its animals, was not likely to escape the sharp eyes of the cunning -savages. - -They had scarcely encamped when the old leader, who had sallied out a -short distance from camp to reconnoitre the neighbourhood, returned -with an Indian moccasin in his hand, and informed his companions that -its late owner and others were about. - -“Do 'ee hyar now, boys, thar's _Injuns_ knocking round, and Blackfoot -at that; but thar's plenty of beaver too, and this child means -trapping any how.” - -His companions were anxious to leave such dangerous vicinity; but the -old fellow, contrary to his usual caution, determined to remain where -he was—saying that there were Indians all over the country for that -matter; and as they had determined to hunt here, he had made up his -mind too—which was conclusive, and all agreed to stop where they were, -in spite of the Indians. La Bonté killed a couple of mountain sheep -close to camp, and they feasted rarely on the fat mutton that night, -and were unmolested by marauding Blackfeet. - -The next morning, leaving two of their number in camp, they started in -parties of two, to hunt for beaver sign and set their traps. Markhead -paired with one Batiste, Killbuck and La Bonté formed another couple, -Meek and Marcellin another; two Canadians trapped together, and Bill -Williams and another remained to guard the camp: but this last, -leaving Bill mending his moccasins, started off to kill a mountain -sheep, a band of which animals was visible. - -Markhead and his companion, the first couple on the list, followed a -creek, which entered that on which they had encamped, about ten miles -distant. Beaver sign was abundant, and they had set eight traps, when -Markhead came suddenly upon fresh Indian sign, where squaws had passed -through the shrubbery on the banks of the stream to procure water, as -he knew from observing a large stone placed by them in the stream, -on which to stand to enable them to dip their kettles in the deepest -water. Beckoning to his companion to follow, and cocking his rifle, -he carefully pushed aside the bushes, and noiselessly proceeded up -the bank, when, creeping on hands and knees, he gained the top, and, -looking from his hiding-place, descried three Indian huts standing -on a little plateau near the creek. Smoke curled from the roofs of -branches, but the skin doors were carefully closed, so that he was -unable to distinguish the number of the inmates. At a little distance, -however, he observed two or three squaws gathering wood, with the -usual attendance of curs, whose acuteness in detecting the scent of -strangers was much to be dreaded. - -Markhead was a rash and daring young fellow, caring no more for -Indians than he did for prairie dogs, and acting ever on the spur -of the moment, and as his inclination dictated, regardless of -consequences. He at once determined to enter the lodges, and attack -the enemy, should any be there; and the other trapper was fain to -join him in the enterprise. The lodges proved empty, but the fires -were still burning, and meat cooking upon them, to which the hungry -hunters did ample justice, besides helping themselves to whatever -goods and chattels, in the shape of leather and moccasins, took their -fancy. - -Gathering their spoil into a bundle, they sought their horses, which -they had left tied under cover of the timber on the banks of the -creek; and, mounting, took the back trail, to pick up their traps -and remove from so dangerous a neighbourhood. They were approaching -the spot where the first trap was set, a thick growth of ash and -quaking-ash concealing the stream, when Markhead, who was riding -ahead, observed the bushes agitated, as if some animal was making its -way through them. He instantly stopped his horse, and his companion -rode to his side, to inquire the cause of this abrupt halt. They -were within a few yards of the belt of shrubs which skirted the -stream; and before Markhead had time to reply, a dozen swarthy heads -and shoulders suddenly protruded from the leafy screen, and as many -rifle-barrels and arrows were pointing at their breasts. Before the -trappers had time to turn their horses and fly, a cloud of smoke -burst from the thicket almost in their faces. Batiste, pierced with -several balls, fell dead, and Markhead felt himself severely wounded. -However, he struck the spurs into his horse; and as some half-score -Blackfeet jumped with loud cries from their cover, he discharged -his rifle amongst them, and galloped off, a volley of balls and -arrows whistling after him. He drew no bit until he reined up at the -camp-fire, where he found Bill quietly dressing a deer-skin. That -worthy looked up from his work; and seeing Markhead's face streaming -with blood, and the very unequivocal evidence of an Indian rencontre -in the shape of an arrow sticking in his back, he asked,—“Do 'ee feel -bad now, boy? Whar away you see them darned Blackfoot?” - -“Well, pull this arrow out of my back, and may be I'll feel like -telling,” answered Markhead. - -“Do 'ee hyar now! hold on till I've grained this cussed skin, will -'ee! Did 'ee ever see sich a darned pelt, now? it won't take the -smoke any how I fix it.” And Markhead was fain to wait the leisure of -the imperturbable old trapper, before he was eased of his annoying -companion. - -Old Bill expressed no surprise or grief when informed of the fate of -poor Batiste. He said it was “just like greenhorns, runnin' into them -cussed Blackfoot;” and observed that the defunct trapper, being only a -Vide-pôche, was “no account anyhow.” Presently Killbuck and La Bonté -galloped into camp, with another alarm of Indians. They had also been -attacked suddenly by a band of Blackfeet, but, being in a more open -country, had got clear off, after killing two of their assailants, -whose scalps hung at the horns of their saddles. They had been in -a different direction to that in which Markhead and his companion -had proceeded, and, from the signs they had observed, expressed -their belief that the country was alive with Indians. Neither of -these men had been wounded. Presently the two Canadians made their -appearance on the bluff, galloping with might and main to camp, and -shouting “Indians, Indians,” as they came. All being assembled, and a -council held, it was determined to abandon the camp and neighbourhood -immediately. Old Bill was already packing his animals, and as he -pounded the saddle down on the withers of his old Rosinante, he -muttered,—“Do 'ee hyar, now! this coon 'ull câche, _he_ will.” So -mounting his horse, and leading his pack mule by a lariat, he bent -over his saddle-horn, dug his ponderous rowels into the lank sides of -his beast, and, without a word, struck up the bluff and disappeared. - -The others, hastily gathering up their packs, and most of them having -lost their traps, quickly followed his example, and “put out.” On -cresting the high ground which rose from the creek, they observed -thin columns of smoke mounting into the air from many different -points, the meaning of which they were at no loss to guess. However -they were careful not to show themselves on elevated ground, keeping -as much as possible under the banks of the creek, when such a course -was practicable; but, the bluffs sometimes rising precipitously from -the water, they were more than once compelled to ascend the banks, -and continue their course along the uplands, whence they might easily -be discovered by the Indians. It was nearly sundown when they left -their camp, but they proceeded during the greater part of the night at -as rapid a rate as possible; their progress, however, being greatly -retarded as they advanced into the mountain, their route lying up -stream. Towards morning they halted for a brief space, but started -again as soon as daylight permitted them to see their way over the -broken ground. - -The creek now forced its way through a narrow cañon, the banks being -thickly clothed with a shrubbery of cottonwood and quaking-ash. The -mountain rose on each side, but not abruptly, being here and there -broken into plateaus and shelving prairies. In a very thick bottom, -sprinkled with coarse grass, they halted about noon, and removed the -saddles and packs from their wearied animals, picketing them in the -best spots of grass. - -La Bonté and Killbuck, after securing their animals, left the camp to -hunt, for they had no provisions of any kind; and a short distance -beyond it, the former came suddenly upon a recent moccasin track in -the timber. After examining it for a moment, he raised his head with -a broad grin, and, turning to his companion, pointed into the cover, -where, in the thickest part, they discerned the well-known figure of -old Bill's horse, browsing upon the cherry bushes. Pushing through the -thicket in search of the brute's master, La Bonté suddenly stopped -short as the muzzle of a rifle-barrel gaped before his eyes at the -distance of a few inches, whilst the thin voice of Bill muttered— - -“Do 'ee hyar now, I was nigh giving 'ee h——: I _was_ now. If I -didn't think 'ee was Blackfoot, I'm dogged now.” And not a little -indignant was the old fellow that his câche had been so easily, though -accidentally, discovered. However, he presently made his appearance in -camp, leading his animals, and once more joined his late companions, -not deigning to give any explanation as to why or wherefore he had -deserted them the day before, merely muttering, “do 'ee hyar now, -thar's trouble comin'.” - -The two hunters returned after sundown with a black-tailed deer; and -after eating the better part of the meat, and setting a guard, the -party were glad to roll in their blankets and enjoy the rest they -so much needed. They were undisturbed during the night; but at dawn -of day the sleepers were roused by a hundred fierce yells, from the -mountains enclosing the creek on which they had encamped. The yells -were instantly followed by a ringing volley, the bullets thudding into -the trees, and cutting the branches near them, but without causing -any mischief. Old Bill rose from his blanket and shook himself, and -exclaimed “Wagh!” as at that moment a ball plumped into the fire over -which he was standing, and knocked the ashes about in a cloud. All -the mountaineers seized their rifles and sprang to cover; but as yet -it was not sufficiently light to show them their enemy, the bright -flashes from the guns alone indicating their position. As morning -dawned, however, they saw that both sides of the cañon were occupied -by the Indians; and, from the firing, judged there must be at least a -hundred warriors engaged in the attack. Not a shot had yet been fired -by the trappers, but as the light increased, they eagerly watched -for an Indian to expose himself, and offer a mark to their trusty -rifles. La Bonté, Killbuck, and old Bill, lay a few yards distant from -each other, flat on their faces, near the edge of the thicket, their -rifles raised before them, and the barrels resting in the forks of -convenient bushes. From their place of concealment to the position of -the Indians—who, however, were scattered here and there, wherever a -rock afforded them cover—was a distance of about a hundred and fifty -yards, or within fair rifle-shot. The trappers were obliged to divide -their force, since both sides of the creek were occupied; but, such -was the nature of the ground, and the excellent cover afforded by -the rocks and boulders, and clumps of dwarf pine and hemlock, that -not a hand's-breadth of an Indian's body had yet been seen. Nearly -opposite La Bonté, a shelving glade in the mountain side ended in an -abrupt precipice, and at the very edge, and almost toppling over it, -were several boulders, just of sufficient size to afford cover to a -man's body. As this bluff overlooked the trappers' position, it was -occupied by the Indians, and every rock covered an assailant. At one -point, just over where La Bonté and Killbuck were lying, two boulders -lay together, with just sufficient interval to admit a rifle-barrel -between them, and from this breas-twork an Indian kept up a most -annoying fire. All his shots fell in dangerous propinquity to one or -other of the trappers, and already Killbuck had been grazed by one -better directed than the others. La Bonté watched for some time in -vain for a chance to answer this persevering marksman, and at length -an opportunity offered, by which he was not long in profiting. - -The Indian, as the light increased, was better able to discern his -mark, and fired, and yelled every time he did so, with redoubled -vigour. In his eagerness, and probably whilst in the act of taking -aim, he leaned too heavily against the rock which covered him, and, -detaching it from its position, down it rolled into the cañon, -exposing his body by its fall. At the same instant, a wreath of smoke -puffed from the bushes which concealed the trappers, and the crack -of La Bonté's rifle spoke the first word of reply to the Indian -challenge. A few feet behind the rock, fell the dead body of the -Indian, rolling down the steep sides of the cañon, and only stopped -by a bush at the very bottom, within a few yards of the spot where -Markhead lay concealed in some high grass. - -That daring fellow instantly jumped from his cover, and drawing his -knife, rushed to the body, and in another moment held aloft the -Indian's scalp, giving, at the same time, a triumphant whoop. A score -of rifles were levelled and discharged at the intrepid mountaineer; -but in the act many Indians incautiously exposed themselves, every -rifle in the timber cracked simultaneously, and for each report an -Indian bit the dust. - -Now, however, they changed their tactics. Finding they were unable -to drive the trappers from their position, they retired from the -mountain, and the firing suddenly ceased. In their retreat they were -forced to expose themselves, and again the whites dealt destruction -amongst them. As the Indians retired, yelling loudly, the hunters -thought they had given up the contest; but presently a cloud of smoke -rising from the bottom immediately below them, at once discovered -the nature of their plans. A brisk wind was blowing up the cañon; -and, favoured by it, they fired the brush on the banks of the stream, -knowing that before this the hunters must speedily retreat. - -Against such a result, but for the gale of wind which drove the fire -roaring before it, they could have provided—for your mountaineer never -fails to find resources on a pinch. They would have fired the brush -to leeward of their position, and also carefully ignited that to -windward, or between them and the advancing flame, extinguishing it -immediately when a sufficient space had thus been cleared, over which -the flame could not leap, and thus cutting themselves off from it both -above and below their position. In the present instance they could not -profit by such a course, as the wind was so strong that, if once the -bottom caught fire, they would not be able to extinguish it; besides -which, in the attempt, they would so expose themselves that they would -be picked off by the Indians without difficulty. As it was, the fire -came roaring before the wind with the speed of a race-horse, and, -spreading from the bottom, licked the mountain sides, the dry grass -burning like tinder. Huge volumes of stifling smoke rolled before it, -and, in a very few minutes, the trappers were hastily mounting their -animals, driving the packed ones before them. The dense clouds of -smoke concealed every thing from their view, and, to avoid this, they -broke from the creek and galloped up the sides of the cañon on to the -more level plateau. As they attained this, a band of mounted Indians -charged them. One, waving a red blanket, dashed through the cavallada, -and was instantly followed by all the loose animals of the trappers, -the rest of the Indians pursuing with loud shouts. So sudden was the -charge, that the whites had not power to prevent the stampede. Old -Bill, as usual, led his pack mules by the lariat; but the animals, -mad with terror at the shouts of the Indians, broke from him, nearly -pulling him out of his seat at the same time. - -To cover the retreat of the others with their prey, a band of mounted -Indians now appeared, threatening an attack in front, whilst their -first assailants, rushing from the bottom, at least a hundred strong, -assaulted in rear. “Do 'ee hyar, boys!” shouted old Bill, “break, or -you'll go under. This child's goin' to câche!” and saying the word, -off he went. _Sauve-qui-peut_ was the order of the day, and not a -moment too soon, for overwhelming numbers were charging upon them, and -the mountain resounded with savage yells. La Bonté and Killbuck stuck -together: they saw old Bill, bending over his saddle, dive right into -the cloud of smoke, and apparently make for the creek bottom—their -other companions scattering each on his own hook, and saw no more -of them for many a month; and thus was one of the most daring and -successful bands broken up that ever trapped in the mountains of the -Far West. - -It is painful to follow the steps of the poor fellows who, thus -despoiled of the hardly-earned produce of their hunt, saw all their -wealth torn from them at one swoop. The two Canadians were killed upon -the night succeeding that of the attack. Worn with fatigue, hungry and -cold, they had built a fire in what they thought was a secure retreat, -and, rolled in their blankets, were soon buried in a sleep from which -they never awoke. An Indian boy tracked them, and watched their camp. -Burning with the idea of signalising himself thus early, he awaited -his opportunity, and noiselessly approaching their resting-place, -shot them both with arrows, and returned in triumph to his people with -their horses and scalps. - -La Bonté and Killbuck sought a passage in the mountain by which -to cross over to the head waters of the Columbia, and there fall -in with some of the traders or trappers of the North-west. They -became involved in the mountains, in a part where was no game of any -description, and no pasture for their miserable animals. One of these -they killed for food; the other, a bag of bones, died from sheer -starvation. They had very little ammunition, their moccasins were worn -out, and they were unable to procure skins to supply themselves with -fresh ones. Winter was fast approaching; the snow already covered the -mountains; and storms of sleet and hail poured incessantly through -the valleys, benumbing their exhausted limbs, hardly protected by -scanty and ragged covering. To add to their miseries, poor Killbuck -was taken ill. He had been wounded in the groin by a bullet some time -before, and the ball still remained. The wound, aggravated by walking -and the excessive cold, assumed an ugly appearance, and soon rendered -him incapable of sustained exertion, all motion even being attended -with intolerable pain. La Bonté had made a shanty for his suffering -companion, and spread a soft bed of pine branches for him, by the -side of a small creek at the point where it came out of the mountain -and followed its course through a little prairie. They had been three -days without other food than a piece of parflêche, which had formed -the back of La Bonté's bullet-pouch, and which, after soaking in -the creek, they eagerly devoured. Killbuck was unable to move, and -sinking fast from exhaustion. His companion had hunted from morning -till night, as well as his failing strength would allow him, but had -not seen the traces of any kind of game, with the exception of some -old buffalo tracks, made apparently months before by a band of bulls -crossing the mountain. - -The morning of the fourth day La Bonté, as usual, rose at daybreak -from his blanket, and was proceeding to collect wood for the fire -during his absence while hunting, when Killbuck called to him, and in -an almost inarticulate voice desired him to seat himself by his side. - -“Boy,” he said, “this old hos feels like goin' under, and that afore -long. You're stout yet, and if thar was meat handy, you'd come round -slick. Now, boy, I'll be under, as I said, afore many hours, and if -you don't raise meat you'll be in the same fix. I never eat dead -meat[26] myself, and wouldn't ask no one to do it neither; but meat -fair killed is meat any way; so, boy, put your knife in this old -niggur's lights, and help yourself. It's 'poor bull,' I know, but -maybe it'll do to keep life in; and along the fleece thar's meat yet, -and maybe my old hump ribs has picking on 'em.” - -“You're a good old hos,” answered La Bonté, “but this child ain't -turned niggur yet.” - -Killbuck then begged his companion to leave him to his fate, and -strive himself to reach game; but this alternative La Bonté likewise -generously refused, and faintly endeavouring to cheer the sick man, -left him once again to look for game. He was so weak that he felt -difficulty in supporting himself, and knowing how futile would be his -attempts to hunt, he sallied from the camp convinced that a few hours -more would see the last of him. - -He had scarcely raised his eyes, when, hardly crediting his senses, -he saw within a few hundred yards of him an old bull, worn with age, -lying on the prairie. Two wolves were seated on their haunches before -him, their tongues lolling from their mouths, whilst the buffalo -was impotently rolling his ponderous head from side to side, his -blood-shot eyes glaring fiercely at his tormentors, and flakes of -foam, mixed with blood, dropping from his mouth over his long shaggy -beard. La Bonté was transfixed; he scarcely dared to breathe, lest the -animal should be alarmed and escape. Weak as it was, he could hardly -have followed it, and, knowing that his own and companion's life hung -upon the success of his shot, he scarcely had strength to raise his -rifle. By dint of extraordinary exertions and precautions, which were -totally unnecessary, for the poor old bull had not a move in him, the -hunter approached within shot. Lying upon the ground, he took a long -steady aim, and fired. The buffalo raised its matted head, tossed it -wildly for an instant, and, stretching out its limbs convulsively, -turned over on its side and was dead. - -Killbuck heard the shot, and crawling from under the little shanty -which covered his bed, saw, to his astonishment, La Bonté in the act -of butchering a buffalo within two hundred yards of camp. “Hurraw for -you!” he faintly exclaimed; and exhausted by the exertion he had used, -and perhaps by the excitement of an anticipated feast, fell back and -fainted. - -However, the killing was the easiest matter, for when the huge carcass -lay dead upon the ground, our hunter had hardly strength to drive the -blade of his knife through the tough hide of the old patriarch. Then -having cut off as much of the meat as he could carry, eating the while -sundry portions of the liver, which he dipped in the gall-bladder by -way of relish, La Bonté cast a wistful look upon the half-starved -wolves, who now loped round and round, licking their chops, only -waiting until his back was turned to fall to with appetite equal to -his own, and capabilities of swallowing and digesting far superior. La -Bonté looked at the buffalo and then at the wolves, levelled his rifle -and shot one dead, at which the survivor scampered off without delay. - -Arrived at camp, packing in a tolerable load of the best part of the -animal—for hunger lent him strength—he found poor Killbuck lying on -his back, deaf to time, and to all appearance gone under. Having no -salvolatile or vinaigrette at hand, La Bonté flapped a lump of raw -fleece into his patient's face, and this instantly revived him. Then -taking the sick man's shoulder, he raised him tenderly into a sitting -posture, and invited, in kindly accents, “the old hos to feed,” -thrusting at the same time a tolerable slice of liver into his hand, -which the patient looked at wistfully and vaguely for a few short -moments, and then greedily devoured. It was nightfall by the time that -La Bonté, assisted by many intervals of hard eating, packed in the -last of the meat, which formed a goodly pile around the fire. - -“Poor bull” it was in all conscience: the labour of chewing a mouthful -of the “tender loin” was equal to a hard day's hunt; but to them, -poor starved fellows, it appeared the richest of meat. They still -preserved a small tin pot, and in this, by stress of eternal boiling, -La Bonté contrived to make some strong soup, which soon restored his -sick companion to marching order. For himself, as soon as a good meal -had filled him, he was strong as ever, and employed himself in drying -the remainder of the meat for future use. Even the wolf, bony as he -was, was converted into meat, and rationed them several days. Winter, -however, had set in with such severity, and Killbuck was still so -weak, that La Bonté determined to remain in his present position -until spring, as he now found that buffalo frequently visited the -valley, as it was more bare of snow than the lowlands, and afforded -them better pasture; and one morning he had the satisfaction of seeing -a band of seventeen bulls within long rifle-shot of the camp, out of -which four of the fattest were soon laid low by his rifle. - -They still had hard times before them, for towards spring the buffalo -again disappeared; the greater part of their meat had been spoiled, -owing to there not being sufficient sun to dry it thoroughly; and -when they resumed their journey they had nothing to carry with them, -and had a desert before them without game of any kind. We pass over -what they suffered. Hunger and thirst were their portion, and Indians -assaulted them at times, and many miraculous and hair-breadth escapes -they had from these enemies. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - -The trail to Oregon, followed by traders and emigrants, crosses the -Rocky Mountains at a point known as the South Pass, where a break in -the chain occurs of such moderate and gradual elevation, as to permit -the passage of waggons with tolerable facility. The Sweet Water Valley -runs nearly to the point where the dividing ridge of the Pacific and -Atlantic waters throws off its streams to their respective oceans. At -one end of this valley, and situated on the right bank of the Sweet -Water, a huge isolated mass of granitic rock rises to the height of -three hundred feet, abruptly from the plain. On the smooth and scarped -surface presented by one of its sides, are rudely carved the names and -initials of traders, trappers, travellers, and emigrants, who have -here recorded the memorial of their sojourn in the remote wilderness -of the Far West. The face of the rock is covered with names familiar -to the mountaineers as those of the most renowned of their hardy -brotherhood; while others again occur, better known to the science -and literature of the Old World than to the unlearned trappers of -the Rocky Mountains. The huge mass is a well-known landmark to the -Indians and mountaineers; and travellers and emigrants hail it as the -half-way beacon between the frontiers of the United States and the -still distant goal of their long and perilous journey. - -It was a hot sultry day in July. Not a breath of air relieved the -intense and oppressive heat of the atmosphere, unusual here, where -pleasant summer breezes, and sometimes stronger gales, blow over -the elevated plains with the regularity of trade-winds. The sun, -at its meridian height, struck the dry sandy plain and parched the -drooping buffalo-grass on its surface, and its rays, refracted and -reverberating from the heated ground, distorted every object seen -through its lurid medium. Straggling antelope, leisurely crossing -the adjoining prairie, appeared to be gracefully moving in mid-air; -whilst a scattered band of buffalo bulls loomed huge and indistinct -in the vapoury distance. In the timbered valley of the river, deer -and elk were standing motionless in the water, under the shade of -the overhanging cottonwoods, seeking a respite from the persevering -attacks of swarms of horse-flies and musquitos; and now and then a -heavy splash was heard, as they tossed their antlered heads into the -stream, to free them from the venomous insects that buzzed incessantly -about them. In the sandy prairie, beetles of an enormous size were -rolling in every direction huge balls of earth, pushing them with -their hind legs with comical perseverance; cameleons darted about, -assimilating the hue of their grotesque bodies with the colour of -the sand: groups of prairie-dog houses were seen, each with its -inmate barking lustily on the roof; whilst under cover of nearly -every bush of sage or cactus a rattlesnake lay glittering in lazy -coil. Tantalising the parched sight, the neighbouring peaks of the -lofty Wind River Mountains glittered in a mantle of sparkling snow, -whilst Sweet Water Mountain, capped in cloud, looked gray and cool, -in striking contrast to the burned up plains which lay basking at its -foot. - -Resting their backs against the rock (on which, we have said, are -_now_ carved the names of many travellers), and defended from the -powerful rays of the sun by its precipitous sides, two white men -quietly slept. They were gaunt and lantern-jawed, and clothed in -tattered buckskin. Each held a rifle across his knees, but—strange -sight in this country—one had its pan thrown open, which was -rust-eaten and contained no priming; the other's hammer was without -a flint. Their faces were as if covered with mahogany-coloured -parchment; their eyes were sunken; and as their jaws fell listlessly -on their breasts, their cheeks were hollow, with the bones nearly -protruding from the skin. One was in the prime of manhood, with -handsome features; the other, considerably past middle age, was stark -and stern. Months of dire privation had brought them to this pass. The -elder of the two was Killbuck, of mountain fame; the other was hight -La Bonté. - -The former opened his eyes, and saw the buffalo feeding on the plain. -“Ho, boy,” he said, touching his companion, “thar's meat a-runnin.” - -La Bonté looked in the direction the other pointed, stood up, and -hitching round his pouch and powder-horn, drew the stopper from the -latter with his teeth, and placing the mouth in the palm of his left -hand, turned the horn up and shook it. - -“Not a grain,” he said—“not a grain, old hos.” - -“Wagh!” exclaimed the other, “we'll have to eat afore long,” and -rising, walked into the prairie. He had hardly stepped two paces, -when, passing close to a sage bush, a rattlesnake whizzed a note of -warning with its tail. Killbuck grinned, and taking the wiping-stick -from his rifle-barrel, tapped the snake on the head, and, taking it by -the tail, threw it to La Bonté, saying, “hyar's meat, any how.” The -old fellow followed up his success by slaying half-a-dozen more, and -brought them in skewered through the head on his wiping-stick. A fire -was soon kindled, and the snakes roasting before it; when La Bonté, -who sat looking at the buffalo which fed close to the rock, suddenly -saw them raise their heads, snuff the air, and scamper towards him. A -few minutes afterwards a huge shapeless body loomed in the refracted -air, approaching the spot where the buffalo had been grazing The -hunters looked at it and then at each other, and ejaculated “Wagh!” -Presently a long white mass showed more distinctly, followed by -another, and before each was a string of animals. - -“Waggons, by hos and beaver! Hurrah for Conostoga!” exclaimed the -trappers in a breath, as they now observed two white-tilted waggons, -drawn by several pairs of mules, approaching the very spot where they -sat. Several mounted men were riding about the waggons, and two on -horseback, in advance of all, were approaching the rock, when they -observed the smoke curling from the hunters' fire. They halted at -sight of this, and one of the two, drawing a long instrument from a -case, which Killbuck voted a rifle, directed it towards them for a -moment, and then, lowering it, again moved forward. - -As they drew near, the two poor trappers, although half-dead with -joy, still retained their seats with Indian gravity and immobility of -feature, turning now and then the crackling snakes which lay on the -embers of the fire. The two strangers approached. One, a man of some -fifty years of age, of middle height and stoutly built, was clad in -a white shooting-jacket, of cut unknown in mountain tailoring, and a -pair of trousers of the well-known material called “shepherd's plaid;” -a broad-brimmed Panama shaded his face, which was ruddy with health -and exercise; a belt round the waist supported a handsome bowie-knife, -and a double-barrelled fowling-piece was _slung_ across his shoulder. - -His companion was likewise dressed in a light shooting-jacket, of -many pockets and dandy cut, rode on an English saddle and in _boots_, -and was armed with a superb double rifle, glossy from the case, and -bearing few marks of use or service. He was a tall, fine-looking -fellow of thirty, with light hair and complexion; a scrupulous beard -and mustache; a wide-awake hat, with a short pipe stuck in the band, -not very black with smoke; an elaborate powder-horn over his shoulder, -with a Cairngorm in the butt as large as a plate; a blue handkerchief -tied round his throat in a sailor's knot, and the collar of his shirt -turned carefully over it. He had, moreover, a tolerable idea of his -very correct appearance, and wore Woodstock gloves. - -The trappers looked at them from head to foot, and the more they -looked, the less could they make them out. - -“H—!” exclaimed La Bonté emphatically. - -“This beats grainin' bull-hide slick,” broke from Killbuck as the -strangers reined up at the fire, the younger dismounting, and staring -with wonder at the weather-beaten trappers. - -“Well, my men, how are you?” he rattled out. “Any game here? By Jove!” -he suddenly exclaimed, seizing his rifle, as at that moment a large -buzzard, the most unclean of birds, flew into the topmost branch of a -cottonwood, and sat, a tempting shot. “By Jove, there's a chance!” -cried the mighty hunter; and, bending low, started off to approach the -unwary bird in the most approved fashion of northern deer-stalkers. -The buzzard sat quietly, and now and then stretched its neck to gaze -upon the advancing sportsman, who on such occasions threw himself flat -on the ground, and remained motionless, in dread of alarming the bird. -It was worth while to look at the countenance of old Killbuck, as he -watched the antics of the “bourgeois” hunter. He thought at first that -the dandy rifleman had really discovered game in the bottom, and was -nothing loth that there was a chance of his seeing meat; but when he -understood the object of such manœuvres, and saw the quarry the hunter -was so carefully approaching, his mouth grinned from ear to ear, and, -turning to La Bonté, he said, “Wagh! _he's_ some—_he_ is!” - -Nothing doubting, however, the stranger approached the tree on which -the bird was sitting, and, getting well under it, raised his rifle and -fired. Down tumbled the bird; and the successful hunter, with a loud -shout, rushed frantically towards it, and bore it in triumph to the -camp, earning the most sovereign contempt from the two trappers by the -achievement. - -The other stranger was a quieter character. He, too, smiled as he -witnessed the exultation of his younger companion, (whose horse, by -the way, was scampering about the plain), and spoke kindly to the -mountaineers, whose appearance was clear evidence of the sufferings -they had endured. The snakes by this time were cooked, and the -trappers gave their new acquaintances the never-failing invitation to -“sit and eat.” When the latter, however, understood what the viands -were, their looks expressed the horror and disgust they felt. - -“Good God!” exclaimed the elder, “you surely cannot eat such -disgusting food?” - -“This niggur doesn't savy what disgustin is,” gruffly answered -Killbuck; “but them as carries empty paunch three days an' more, is -glad to get 'snake-meat,' I'm thinkin.” - -“What! you've no ammunition, then?” - -“_Well_, we haven't.” - -“Wait till the waggons come up, and throw away that abominable stuff, -and you shall have something better, I promise,” said the elder of the -strangers. - -“Yes,” continued the younger, “some hot preserved soup, hotch-potch, -and a glass of porter, will do you good.” - -The trappers looked at the speaker, who was talking Greek (to them). -They thought the bourgeois were making fun, and did not half like it, -so answered simply, “Wagh! h—'s full of hosh-posh and porter.” - -Two large waggons presently came up, escorted by some eight or ten -stout Missourians. Sublette was amongst the number, well known as a -mountain trader, and under whose guidance the present party, which -formed a pleasure expedition at the expense of a Scotch sportsman, -was leisurely making its way across the mountains to the Columbia. As -several mountaineers were in company, Killbuck and La Bonté recognised -more than one friend, and the former and Sublette were old compañeros. -As soon as the animals were unhitched, and camp formed on the banks of -the creek, a black cook set about preparing a meal. Our two trapping -friends looked on with astonishment as the sable functionary drew -from the waggon the different articles he required to furnish forth a -feed. Hams, tongues, tins of preserved meats, bottles of pickles, of -porter, brandy, coffee, sugar, flour, were tumbled promiscuously on -the prairie; whilst pots and pans, knives, forks, spoons, plates, &c. -&c., displayed their unfamiliar faces to the mountaineers. “Hosh-posh -and porter” did not now appear such Utopian articles as they had first -imagined; but no one but those who have fared for years on simple meat -and water, can understand the relish with which they accepted the -invitation of the Capen (as they called the Scotchman) to “take a horn -of liquor.” Killbuck and La Bonté sat in the same position as when we -first surprised them asleep under the shadow of Independence Rock, -regarding the profuse display of comestibles with scarce-believing -eyes, and childishly helpless from the novelty of the scene. Each -took the proffered half-pint cup, filled to the brim with excellent -brandy—(no tee-totallers they!)—looked once at the amber-coloured -surface, and with the usual mountain pledge of “here's luck!” tossed -off the grateful liquour at a breath. This prepared them in some -measure for what was yet in store for them. The Scotchman bestirred -the cook in his work, and soon sundry steaming pots were lifted from -the fire, and the skillets emptied of their bread—the contents of the -former poured in large flat pans, while panikins were filled with -smoking coffee. The two trappers needed no second invitation, but, -seizing each a panful of steaming stew, drew the butcher-knives from -their belts, and fell to lustily—the hospitable Scotchman plying them -with more and more, and administering corrective noggins of brandy the -while; until at last they were fain to cry enough, wiped their knives -on the grass, and placed them in their sheaths—a sign that human -nature could no more. How can pen describe the luxury of the smoke -that followed, to lips which had not kissed pipe for many months, and -how the fragrant honey-dew from Old Virginia was relishingly puffed. - -But the Scotchman's bounty did not stop here. He soon elicited from -the lips of the hunters the narrative of their losses and privations, -and learned that they now, without ammunition and scarcely clothed, -were on their way to Platte Fort, to hire themselves to the Indian -traders in order to earn another outfit, wherewith once more to betake -themselves to their perilous employment of trapping. What was their -astonishment to see their entertainer presently lay out upon the -ground two piles of goods, each consisting of a four-point Mackinaw, -two tin canisters of powder, with corresponding lead and flints, a -pair of moccasins, a shirt, and sufficient buckskin to make a pair of -pantaloons; and how much the more was the wonder increased when two -excellent Indian horses were presently lassoed from the cavallada, and -with mountain saddle, bridle, and lariats complete, together with the -two piles of goods described, presented to them “on the prairie” or -“gift-free,” by the kind-hearted stranger, who would not even listen -to thanks for the most timely and invaluable present. - -Once more equipped, our two hunters, filled with good brandy and fat -buffalo meat, again wended on their way; their late entertainers -continuing their pleasure trip across the gap of the South Pass, -intending to visit the Great Salt Lake, or Timponogos, of the West. -The former were bound for the North Fork of the Platte, with the -intention of joining one of the numerous trapping parties which -rendezvous at the American Fur Company's post on that branch of the -river. On a fork of Sweet Water, however, not two days after the -meeting with the Scotchman's waggons, they encountered a band of -a dozen mountaineers, mounted on fine horses, and well armed and -equipped, travelling along without the usual accompaniment of a -mulada of pack-animals, two or three mules alone being packed with -meat and spare ammunition. The band was proceeding at a smart rate, -the horses moving with the gait peculiar to American animals, known -as “_pacing_” or “_racking_,” in Indian file—each of the mountaineers -with a long heavy rifle resting across the horn of his saddle. Amongst -them our two friends recognised Markhead, who had been of the party -dispersed months before by the Blackfeet on one of the head streams -of the Yellow Stone, which event had been the origin of the dire -sufferings of Killbuck and La Bonté. Markhead, after running the -gauntlet of numerous Indians, through the midst of whose country -he passed with his usual temerity and utter disregard to danger, -suffering hunger, thirst, and cold—those every-day experiences of -mountain life—riddled with balls, but with three scalps hanging from -his belt, made his way to a rendezvous on Bear River, whence he struck -out for the Platte in early spring, in time to join the band he now -accompanied, who were on a horse-stealing expedition to the Missions -of Upper California. Little persuasion did either Killbuck or La Bonté -require to join the sturdy freebooters. In five minutes they had gone -“files-about,” and at sundown were camping on the well-timbered bottom -of “Little Sandy,” feasting once more on delicate hump-rib and tender -loin. - -For California, ho! - -Fourteen good rifles in the hands of fourteen mountain men, stout -and true, on fourteen strong horses, of true Indian blood and -training—fourteen cool heads, with fourteen pairs of keen eyes in -them, each head crafty as an Indian's, directing a right arm strong as -steel, and a heart as brave as grizzly bear's. Before them a thousand -miles of dreary desert or wilderness, overrun by hostile savages, -thirsting for the white man's blood; famine and drought, the arrows of -wily hordes of Indians—and, these dangers past, the invasion of the -civilised settlements of whites, the least numerous of which contained -ten times their number of armed and bitter enemies,—the sudden swoop -upon their countless herds of mules and horses, the fierce attack -and bloody slaughter;—such were the consequences of the expedition -these bold mountaineers were now engaged in. Fourteen lives of any -fourteen enemies who would be rash enough to stay them, were, any day -you will, carried in the rifle barrels of these stout fellows; who, -in all the proud consciousness of their physical qualities, neither -thought, nor cared to think, of future perils; and rode merrily on -their way, rejoicing in the dangers they must necessarily meet. Never -a more daring band crossed the mountains; a more than ordinary want -of caution characterised their march, and dangers were recklessly -and needlessly invited, which even the older and more cold-blooded -mountaineers seemed not to care to avoid. They had, each and all, many -a debt to pay the marauding Indians. Grudges for many privations, -for wounds and loss of comrades, rankled in their breasts; and not -one but had suffered more or less in property and person at the hands -of the savages, within a few short months. Threats of vengeance on -every Redskin they met were loud and deep; and the wild war-songs -round their nightly camp-fires, and grotesque scalp-dances, borrowed -from the Indians, proved to the initiated that they were, one and all, -“half-froze for hair.” Soon after Killbuck and La Bonté joined them, -they one day suddenly surprised a band of twenty Sioux, scattered on -a small prairie and butchering some buffalo they had just killed. -Before they could escape, the whites were upon them with loud shouts, -and in three minutes the scalps of eleven were dangling from their -saddle-horns. - -Struggling up mountains, slipping down precipices, dashing over -prairies which resounded with their Indian songs, charging the -Indians wherever they met them, and without regard to their numbers; -frightening with their lusty war-whoops the miserable Diggers, who -were not unfrequently surprised while gathering roots in the mountain -plains, and who, scrambling up the rocks and concealing themselves, -like sage rabbits, in holes and corners, peered, chattering with -fear, as the wild and noisy troop rode by:—scarce drawing rein, -they passed rapidly the heads of Green and Grand Rivers, through a -country abounding in game and in excellent pasture; encountering in -the upland valleys, through which meandered the well-timbered creeks -on which they made their daily camps, many a band of Yutas, through -whom they dashed at random, caring not whether they were friends or -foes. Passing many other heads of streams, they struck at last the -edge of the desert, lying along the south-eastern base of the Great -Salt Lake, and which extends in almost unbroken sterility to the -foot of the range of the Sierra Nevada—a mountain chain, capped with -perpetual snow, that bounds the northern extremity of a singular -tract of country, walled by mountains and utterly desert, whose salt -lagoons and lakes, although fed by many streams, find no outlet to -the ocean, but are absorbed in the spongy soil or thirsty sand, which -characterise the different portions of this deserted tract. In the -“Grand Basin,” it is reported, neither human nor animal life can be -supported. No oases cheer the wanderer in the unbroken solitude of -the vast wilderness. More than once the lone trapper has penetrated, -with hardy enterprise, into the salt plains of the basin; but no signs -of beaver or fur-bearing animal rewarded the attempt. The ground -is scantily covered with coarse unwholesome grass that mules and -horses refuse to eat; and the water of the springs, impregnated with -the impurities of the soil through which it percolates, affords but -nauseating draughts to the thirsty traveller. - -In passing from the more fertile uplands to the lower plains, as they -descended the streams, the timber on their banks became scarcer, -and the groves more scattered. The rich buffalo or _grama_ grass was -exchanged for a coarser species, on which the hard-worked animals soon -grew poor and weak. The thickets of plum and cherry, of boxalder and -quaking ash, which had hitherto fringed the creeks, and where the deer -and bear loved to resort—the former to browse on the leaves and tender -shoots, the latter to devour the fruit—now entirely disappeared, -and the only shrub seen was the eternal sage-bush, which flourishes -every where in the western regions in uncongenial soils where other -vegetation refuses to grow. The visible change in the scenery had also -a sensible effect on the spirits of the mountaineers. They travelled -on in silence through the deserted plains; the hi-hi-hiya of their -Indian chants was no longer heard enlivening the line of march. More -than once a Digger of the Piyutah tribe took himself and hair, in -safety, from their path, and almost unnoticed; but as they advanced -they became more cautious in their movements, and testified, by the -vigilant watch they kept, that they anticipated hostile attacks even -in these arid wastes. They had passed without molestation through -the country infested by the bolder Indians. The mountain Yutas, not -relishing the appearance of the hunters, had left them unmolested; -but they were now entering a country inhabited by the most degraded -and abject of the western tribes; who, nevertheless, ever suffering -from the extremities of hunger, have their brutish wits sharpened -by the necessity of procuring food, and rarely fail to levy a -contribution of rations, of horse or mule flesh, on the passenger in -their inhospitable country. The brutish cunning and animal instinct of -these wretches is such, that although arrant cowards, their attacks -are more feared than those of bolder Indians. These people-called -the Yamparicas or Root-Diggers—are, nevertheless, the degenerate -descendants of those tribes which once overran that portion of the -continent of North America now comprehended within the boundaries of -Mexico, and who have left such startling evidences in their track of a -comparatively superior state of civilisation. They now form an outcast -tribe of the great nation of the Apache, which extends under various -names from the Great Salt Lake along the table-lands on each side the -Sierra Madre to the tropic of Cancer, where they merge into what are -called the Mexican Indians. The whole of this nation is characterised -by most abject cowardice; and they even refuse to meet the helpless -Mexicans in open fight—unlike the Yuta or Camanche, who carry bold and -open warfare into the territories of their civilised enemy, and never -shrink from hand to hand encounter. The Apaches and the degenerate -Diggers pursue a cowardly warfare, hiding in ambush, and shooting the -passer-by with arrows; or, dashing upon him at night when steeped in -sleep, they bury their arrow to the feather in his heaving breast. As -the Mexicans say, “_Sin ventaja, no salen_;” they never attack without -odds. But they are not the less dangerous enemies on this account; and -by the small bands of trappers who visit their country, they are the -more dreaded by reason of this cowardly and wolfish system of warfare. - -To provide against surprise, therefore, as the hunters rode along, -flankers were extended _en guerilla_ on each side, mounting the high -points to reconnoitre the country, and keeping a sharp look-out -for Indian sign. At night the animals were securely hobbled, and -a horse-guard posted round them—a service of great danger, as the -stealthy cat-like Diggers are often known to steal up silently, under -cover of the darkness, towards the sentinel, shoot him with their -arrows, and approaching the animals, cut the hobbles and drive them -away unseen. - -One night they encamped on a creek where was but little of the -coarsest pasture, and that little scattered here and there; so that -they were compelled to allow their animals to roam farther than usual -from camp in search of food. Four of the hunters, however, accompanied -them to guard against surprise; whilst but half of those in camp lay -down to sleep, the others, with rifles in their hands, remaining -prepared for any emergency. This day they had killed one of their two -pack-mules for food, game not having been met with for several days; -but the animal was so poor, that it scarcely afforded more than one -tolerable meal to the whole party. - -A short time before the dawn of day an alarm was given; the animals -were heard to snort violently; a loud shout was heard, followed by -the sharp crack of a rifle, and the tramp of galloping horses plainly -showed that a stampede had been effected. The whites instantly sprang -to their arms, and rushed in the direction of the sounds. The body -of the cavallada, however, had luckily turned, and, being headed by -the mountaineers, were surrounded and secured, with the loss of only -three, which had probably been mounted by the Indians. - -Day breaking soon after, one of their band was discovered to be -missing; and it was then found that a man who had been standing -horse-guard at the time of the attack, had not come into camp with -his companions. At that moment a thin spiral column of smoke was seen -to rise from the banks of the creek, telling but too surely the fate -of the missing mountaineer. It was the signal of the Indians to their -people that a “_coup_” had been struck, and that an enemy's scalp -remained in their triumphant hands. - -“H——!” exclaimed the trappers in a breath; and soon imprecations and -threats of revenge, loud and deep, were showered upon the heads of the -treacherous Indians. Some of the party rushed to the spot where the -guard had stood, and there lay the body of their comrade, pierced -with lance and arrow, the scalp gone, and the body otherwise mutilated -in a barbarous manner. Five were quickly in the saddle, mounted upon -the strongest horses, and flying along the track of the Indians, who -had made off towards the mountains with their prize and booty. We will -not follow them in their work of bloody vengeance, save by saying that -they followed the savages to their village, into which they charged -headlong, recovered their stolen horses, and returned to camp at -sundown with thirteen scalps dangling from their rifles, in payment -for the loss of their unfortunate companion.[27] - -In their further advance, hunger and thirst were their daily -companions; they were compelled to kill several of their animals for -food, but were fortunate enough to replace them by a stroke of good -luck in meeting a party of Indians returning from an excursion against -one of the Californian settlements with a tolerably large band of -horses. Our hunters met this band one fine morning, and dashed into -the midst at once; half a dozen Indians bit the dust, and twenty -horses were turned over from red to white masters in as many seconds, -which remounted those whose animals had been eaten, and enabled -the others to exchange their worn-out steeds for fresh ones. This -fortunate event was considered a _coup_, and the event was celebrated -by the slaughter of a fat young horse, which furnished an excellent -supper that night—a memorable event in these starveling regions. - -They were now devouring their horses and mules at the rate of one -every alternate day; for, so poor were the animals, that one scarcely -furnished an ample meal for the thirteen hungry hunters. They were -once more reduced to the animals they rode on; and after a fast of -twenty-four hours' duration, were debating on the propriety of drawing -lots as to whose Rosinante should fill the kettle, when some Indians -suddenly appeared making signs of peace upon the bluff, and indicating -a disposition to enter the camp for the purpose of trading. Being -invited to approach, they offered to trade a few dressed elk-skins; -but being asked for meat, they said that their village was a long -way off, and they had nothing with them but a small portion of some -game they had lately killed. When requested to produce this, they -hesitated, but the trappers looking hungry and angry at the same -moment, an old Indian drew from under his blanket several flaps of -portable dried meat, which he declared was bear's. It was but a small -ration amongst so many; but, being divided, was quickly laid upon -the fire to broil. The meat was stringy, and of whitish colour, -altogether unlike any flesh the trappers had before eaten. Killbuck -was the first to discover this. He had been quietly masticating the -last mouthful of his portion, the stringiness of which required more -than usual dental exertion, when the novelty of the flavour struck him -as something singular. Suddenly his jaws ceased their work, he thought -a moment, took the morsel from his mouth, looked at it intently, and -dashed it into the fire. - -“Man-meat, by G—!” he cried out; and at the words every jaw stopped -work: the trappers looked at the meat and each other. - -“I'm dog-gone if it ain't!” cried old Walker, looking at his piece, -“and white meat at that, wagh!” (and report said it was not the first -time he had tasted such viands;) and the conviction seizing each mind, -every mouthful was quickly spat into the fire, and the ire of the -deceived whites was instantly turned upon the luckless providers of -the feast. They saw the storm that was brewing, and without more ado -turned tail from the camp, and scuttled up the bluffs, where, turning -round, they fired a volley of arrows at the tricked mountaineers, and -instantly disappeared. - -However, the desert and its nomade pilferers were at length passed; -the sandy plains became grass-covered prairies; the monstrous -cottonwood on the creeks was replaced by oak and ash; the surface of -the country grew more undulating, and less broken up into cañons and -ravines; elk and deer leaped in the bottoms, and bands of antelope -dotted the plains, with occasional troops of wild horses, too wary to -allow the approach of man. On the banks of a picturesque stream called -the San Joaquim, the party halted a few days to recruit themselves and -animals, feasting the while on the fattest of venison and other game. -They then struck to the south-east for two days, until they reached a -branch of the “Las Animas,” a clear stream running through a pretty -valley, well timbered and abounding in game. Here, as they wound along -the river-banks, a horseman suddenly appeared upon the bluff above -them, galloping at a furious rate along the edge. His dress approached -in some degree to civilised attire. A broad-brimmed sombrero -surmounted his swarthy face; a coloured blanket, through a slit in -which his head was thrust, floated in the air from his shoulders; -leathern leggings encased his lower limbs; and huge spurs jingled on -his heels. He rode in a high-peaked Mexican saddle, his feet thrust -in ponderous stirrups, and in his hand swung a coil of ready lasso, -his only offensive arm. One of the trappers knew a little Spanish, and -instantly hailed him. - -“_Compadre_,” he shouted, “_por onde va?_” The Californian reined in -suddenly, throwing the horse he rode on its very haunches, and darting -down the bluff, galloped unhesitatingly into the midst of the hunters. - -“_Americanos!_” he exclaimed, glancing at them; and continued, -smiling—“_Y caballos quieren, por eso vienen tan lejitos. Jesus, que -mala gente!_”—“It's horses you want, and for this you come all this -way. Ah, what rogues you are!” - -He was an Indian, employed at the mission of San Fernando, distant -three days' journey from their present position, and was now searching -for a band of horses and mules which had strayed. San Fernando, -it appeared, had once before been visited by a party of mountain -free-booters, and the Indian therefore divined the object of the -present one. He was, he told them, “_un Indio, pero mansito_:” an -Indian, but a tame one;[28] “_de mas, Christiano_:” a Christian -moreover (exhibiting a small cross which hung round his neck). -There were many people about the mission, he said, who knew how to -fight, and had plenty of arms; and there were enough to “eat up” -the “_Americanos, sin frijoles_,” without beans, as he facetiously -observed. For his part, however, he was very friendly to the -_Americanos_; he had once met a man of that nation who was a good -sort of fellow, and had made him a present of tobacco, of which he -was particularly fond. Finding this hint did not take, he said that -the horses and mules belonging to the mission were innumerable—“like -that,” he added, sweeping his hand to all points of the compass over -the plain, to intimate that they would cover that extent; and he could -point out a large herd grazing nearer at hand than the mission, and -guarded but by three _vaqueros_. Regaled with venison, and with a -smoke of his coveted tobacco, he rode off, and made his way to the -mission without delay, conveying the startling intelligence that a -thousand Americans were upon them. - -The next morning the thirteen doughty mountaineers quietly resumed -their journey, moving leisurely along towards the object of their -expedition. - -It will not be out of place here to digress a little, in order to -describe the singular features of the establishments formed in those -remote regions by the Catholic church, as nuclei round which to -concentrate the wandering tribes that inhabit the country, with a view -to give them the benefit of civilised example, and to wean them from -their restless nomadic habits. - -The establishment of missions in Upper California is coeval with -the first settlement of Southern Mexico. No sooner had Spanish rule -taken a firm foot-hold in the Aztec empire, than the avowed primary -object of the military expedition began to be carried into effect. -“To save the souls” of the savage and barbarous subjects of their -most Catholic majesties was ever inculcated upon the governors of -the conquered country as the grand object to be sought after, as -soon as tranquillity was partially restored by the submission of the -Mexicans; and the Cross, the sacred emblem of the Catholic faith, was -to be upraised in the remotest corners of the country, and the natives -instructed and compelled to worship it, in lieu of the grotesque -images of their own idolatrous religion. - -To carry into effect these orthodox instructions, troops of pious -priests, of friars and monks of every order, and even of saintly -nuns, followed in the wake of the victorious armies of Cortez; and, -girding up their loins with zealous fervour and enthusiasm, and with -an enterprise and hardihood worthy of buccaneers, they pushed their -adventurous way far into the bowels of the land, preaching devoutly -and with commendable perseverance to savages who did not understand a -syllable of what they so eloquently discoursed; and returning, after -the lapse of many months passed in this first attempt, with glowing -accounts of the “_muy buen indole_,” the very ductile disposition of -the savages, and of the thousands they had converted to “_la santa fé -catolica_.” - -Ferdinand and Isabel, of glorious memory, at once beat up for -volunteers. Crowds of Franciscan monks, greasy Capuchinos, and nuns -of orthodox odour, joined the band; and saints even of the feminine -gender, long since canonised and up aloft amongst the goodly muster of -saints and martyrs, put foot once more on _terra firma_, and, rosary -in hand, crossed the seas to participate in the good work. As proof -of this latter fact, one Venabides, a Franciscan, whose veracity is -beyond impeachment, declared that, while preaching in the regions -now known as New Mexico, one million Indians from the “rumbo” known -as Cibolo, a mighty nation, approached his temporary pulpit on the -Rio Grande, and requested in a body the favour of being baptised. -Struck with the singularity of this request from Indians with whom -he had as yet held no communication, and with conscientious scruple -as to whether he would be justified in performing such ceremony -without their having received previous instruction, he hesitated a few -moments before making an answer. At this juncture the Indians espied a -medallion which hung around his neck, bearing the effigy of a certain -saint of extraordinary virtue. At sight of this they fell on their -knees before it; and it was some time before they found words (in -what language does not appear) to explain to the holy father that the -original of that effigy, which hung pendant from his neck, had been -long amongst them instructing them in the elements of the Christian -religion, and had only lately disappeared; informing them that certain -reverend men would shortly appear in the land, who would finish the -good work she had devoutly commenced, and clench the business by -baptising the one million miserable sinners who now knelt before El -Padre Venabides. - -“Valgame Dios!” reverently exclaimed that worthy man, “qui milagro es -este;” [what a miracle is this I hear;] and casting up his eyes, and -speaking slowly, as if he weighed every word, and taxing his memory of -the historical calendar of saints, continued,— - -“_Se murió—aquella—santissima—muger—en el ano 175—es decir—ya -hacen—mil—quatro—cientos—anos._” [That most holy woman died in the -year 175, that is to say, one thousand four hundred years ago.] - -“Oh, what a strange thing is this!” the padre continues devoutly. -“After so many ages spent in heaven in company of the angels, of most -holy men, and of virgins the most pure; and, perhaps, also in the -company of my worthy and esteemed friend and patron, Don Vincente -Carvajal y Calvo, who died a few years ago in San Lucar of Xeres -(bequeathing me certain arrobas of dry wine, of a class I greatly -esteem—for which act he deserved to be canonised, and, I have no -doubt, is), the said Don Vincente Carvajal y Calvo being, moreover, a -man of the purest and holiest thoughts (Dios mio! what a puchero that -man always had on his table!) this holy woman comes here—to these wild -and remote regions; this holy woman (who died fifteen hundred years -ago), abandoning the company of angels, of holy men, and sanctified -women and virgins, and also of Don Vincente Carvajal y Calvo (that -worthy man!)—comes here, I say, where there are neither pucheros, nor -garbanzos, nor dry wine, nor sweet wine, neither of Xeres, nor of Val -de Peñas, nor of Peralta; where” (sobbed the padre, and bellowed -the last word) “there is—nothing either to eat or to drink. Valgame -Purissima Maria! And what is the name of this holy woman? the world -will ask,” continues Venabides. “Santa Clara of Carmona is her name, -one well known in my native country, who leaves heaven and all its -joys, wends her way to the distant wilds of New Spain, and spends -years in inducting the savage people to the holy faith. Truly a pious -work, and pleasing to God!”[29] - -Thus spoke Venabides the Franciscan, and no doubt he believed what he -said; and many others in Old Spain were fools enough to believe it -too, for the shaven heads flocked over in greater numbers, and the cry -was ever “still they come.” - -Along the whole extent of the table-lands, not an Indian tribe but was -speedily visited by the preaching friars and monks; and, in less than -a century after the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards, these hardy -and enthusiastic frayles had pushed their way into the inhospitable -regions of New Mexico, nearly two thousand miles distant from the -valley of Anahuac. How they succeeded in surmounting the natural -obstacles presented by the wild and barren deserts they traversed; how -they escaped the infinite peril they encountered at every step, at the -hands of the savage inhabitants of the country, with whose language -they were totally unacquainted, is sufficient puzzle to those who, in -the present day, have attempted a journey in the same regions. - -However, it is impossible not to admire the hardihood of these holy -pioneers of civilisation, who, totally unfitted by their former mode -of life for undergoing such hardships as they must have anticipated, -threw themselves into the wilderness with fearless and stubborn zeal. - -For the most part, however, they found the Indians exceedingly -hospitable and well disposed; and it was not until some time -after—when, receiving from the missionary monks glowing, and not -always very truthful accounts of the riches of the country in which -they had located themselves, the governors of Mexico despatched -armed expeditions under adventurous desperadoes to take and retain -possession of the said country, with orders to compel the submission -of the native tribes, and enforce their obedience to the authority -of the whites—that the simple and confiding Indians began to see the -folly they had committed in permitting the residence amongst them -of these superior beings, whom they had first looked upon as more -than mortal, but who, when strong enough to do so, were not long in -throwing off the mask, and proving to the simple savages that they -were much “more human than divine.” - -Thus, in the province of New Mexico, Fray Augustin Ruiz, with his -co-preachers, Marcos and Venabides, were kindly received by the native -inhabitants, and we have seen how one million (?) Indians came from -the “rumbo” of the Cibolo, ready and willing to receive the baptismal -sacrament. This Cibolo, or Sivulo, as it is written in some old MSS., -is, by the way, mysteriously alluded to by the monkish historians who -have written on this region, as being a kingdom inhabited by a very -superior class of Indians to any met with between Anahuac and the Vale -of Taos—in the enjoyment of a high state of civilisation, inhabiting -a well-built city, the houses of which were three stories high, and -having attained considerable perfection in the domestic arts. This, -notwithstanding the authority of Don Francisco Vasquez Coronado, who -visited Cibolo, and of Solis and Venegas, who have guaranteed the -assertion, must be received _cum grano salis_; but, at all events, -the civilisation of the mysterious Cibolo may be compared to that -of the Aztec empire, under Montezuma, at the time of the Spanish -Conquest, both being egregiously exaggerated by the historians of -the day. Cibolo was situated on a river called Tegue. At this day, -neither name is known to the inhabitants of New Mexico. If pate-shaven -Venabides had held his tongue, New Mexico might now be in the peaceful -possession of the Catholic Missions, and the property of the Church -of Mexico pretty considerably enhanced by the valuable _placeres_, or -gold washings, which abound in that province. Full, however, of the -wonderful miracle of Santa Clara of Carmona, which had been brought to -light through the agency of the medallion at the end of his rosario, -Fray Venabides must needs return to Spain, and humbug poor old -Fernando, and even the more sensible Isabel, with wonderful accounts -of the riches of the country he had been instrumental in exploring, -and of the excellent disposition of the natives to receive the word -of God. Don Juan Oñate was, therefore, quickly despatched to take -possession; and in his train followed twelve Castilian families of -_sangre azul_, to colonise the newly-acquired territory. The names of -these still remain, disgraced by the degenerate wretches who now bear -them, but in whom scarce a drop of blood remains which ever filtered -from the veins of the paladins of Old Castile. - -Then commenced the troublous times. The missions were upheld by dint -of steel alone; and frequently the Indians rose, and often massacred -their white persecutors. The colonists were more than once driven -bodily from New Mexico, and were only reinstated by the aid of large -bodies of armed men. - -In California, however, they managed these things better. The wily -monks took care to keep all interlopers from the country, established -themselves in snug quarters, instructed the Indians in agriculture, -and soon gained such an ascendancy over them, that no difficulty was -experienced in keeping them under proper and wholesome restraint. -Strong and commodious missions were built and fortified, well stored -with arms and ammunition, and containing sufficient defenders to defy -attack. Luxuriant gardens and thriving vineyards soon surrounded these -isolated stations: the plains waved with golden corn; whilst domestic -cattle, thriving on the rich pasture, and roaming far and near, -multiplied and increased a hundred-fold. - -Nothing can be more beautiful than the appearance of one of these -missions, to the traveller who has lately passed the arid and barren -wilderness of the North-west. The _adobe_ walls of the convent-looking -building, surmounted by cross and belfry, are generally hidden in a -mass of luxuriant vegetation. Fig-trees, bananas, cherry, and apple, -leaf-spreading platanos, and groves of olives, form umbrageous vistas, -under which the sleek monks delight to wander; gardens, cultivated -by their own hands, testify to the horticultural skill of the worthy -padres; whilst vineyards yield their grateful produce to gladden the -hearts of the holy exiles in these western solitudes. Vast herds of -cattle roam half-wild on the plains, and bands of mules and horses, -whose fame has even reached the distant table-lands of the Rocky -Mountains, and excited the covetousness of the hunters—and thousands -of which, from the day they are foaled to that of their death, never -feel a saddle on their backs—cover the country. Indians (Mansitos) -idle round the skirts of these vast herds (whose very numbers keep -them together), living, at their own choice, upon the flesh of mule, -or ox, or horse. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - -The Mission of San Fernando is situated on a small river called Las -Animas, a branch of the Los Martires. The convent is built at the neck -of a large plain, at the point of influx of the stream from the broken -spurs of the sierra. The savana is covered with luxuriant grass, kept -down, however, by the countless herds of cattle which pasture on it. -The banks of the creek are covered with a lofty growth of oak and -poplar, which near the Mission have been considerably thinned for the -purpose of affording fuel and building materials for the increasing -settlement. The convent stands in the midst of a grove of fruit-trees, -its rude tower and cross peeping above them, and contrasting -picturesquely with the wildness of the surrounding scenery. Gardens -and orchards lie immediately in front of the building, and a vineyard -stretches away to the upland ridge of the valley. The huts of the -Indians are scattered here and there, built of stone and adobe, -sometimes thatched with flags and boughs, but comfortable enough. The -convent itself is a substantial building, of the style of architecture -characterising monastic edifices in most parts of the world. -Loopholes peer from its plastered walls, and on a flat portion of the -roof a comically mounted gingall or wall-piece, carrying a two-pound -ball, threatens the assailant in time of war. At one end of the oblong -building, a rough irregular arch of sun-burned bricks is surmounted by -a rude cross, under which hangs a small but deep-toned bell—the wonder -of the Indian peones, and highly venerated by the frayles themselves, -who received it as a present from a certain venerable archbishop of -Old Spain, and who, whilst guarding it with reverential awe, tell -wondrous tales of its adventures on the road to its present abiding -place. - -Of late years the number of the canonical inmates of the convent has -been much reduced—there being but four priests now to do the duties of -the eleven who formerly inhabited it: Fray Augustin, a Capuchin of due -capacity of paunch, being at the head of the holy quartette. Augustin -is the conventual name of the reverend father, who fails not to -impress upon such casual visitants to that _ultima Thule_ as he deems -likely to appreciate the information, that, but for his humility, -he might add the sonorous appellations of Ignacio Sabanal-Morales-y -Fuentes—his family being of the best blood of Old Castile, and known -there since the days of Ruy Gomez—el Campéador—possessing, moreover, -half the “vega” of the Ebro, &c., where, had fate been propitious, he -would now have been the sleek superior of a rich capuchin convent, -instead of vegetating, a leather-clad frayle, in the wilds of -California Alta. - -Nevertheless, his lot is no bad one. With plenty of the best and -fattest meat to eat, whether of beef or venison, of bear or mountain -mutton; with good wine and brandy of home make, and plenty of it; -fruit of all climes in great abundance; wheaten or corn bread to suit -his palate; a tractable flock of natives to guide, and assisted in the -task by three brother shepherds; far from the strife of politics or -party—secure from hostile attack (not quite, by-the-by), and eating, -drinking, and sleeping away his time, one would think that Fray -Augustin Ignacio Sabanal-Morales-y Fuentes had little to trouble him, -and had no cause to regret even the vega of Castilian Ebro, held by -his family since the days of el Campéador. - -One evening Fray Augustin sat upon an adobe bench, under the fig-tree -shadowing the porch of the Mission. He was dressed in a goat-skin -jerkin, softly and beautifully dressed, and descending to his hips, -under which his only covering—tell it not in Gath!—was a long linen -shirt, reaching to his knees, and lately procured from Puebla de los -Angeles, as a sacerdotal garment. Boots, stockings, or unmentionables, -he had none. A cigarito, of tobacco rolled in corn shuck, was -occasionally placed between his lips; whereupon huge clouds of smoke -rushed in columns from his mouth and nostrils. His face was of a -golden yellow colour, relieved by arched and very black eyebrows; -his shaven chin was of most respectable duplicity—his corporation -of orthodox dimensions. Several Indians and half-bred Mexican women -were pounding Indian corn on metates near at hand; whilst sundry -beef-fed urchins of whitey-brown complexion sported before the door, -exhibiting, as they passed Fray Augustin, a curious resemblance to the -strongly marked features of that worthy padre. They were probably his -nieces and nephews—a class of relations often possessed in numbers by -priests and monks. - -The three remaining brothers were absent from the Mission; Fray -Bernardo, hunting elk in the sierra; Fray José, gallivanting at Puebla -de los Angeles, ten days' journey distant; Fray Cristoval, lassoing -colts upon the plain. Augustin, thus left to his own resources, had -just eaten his vespertine frijolitos and chile colorado, and was -enjoying a post-cœnal smoke of fragrant pouche under the shadow of his -own fig-tree. - -Whilst thus employed, an Indian dressed in Mexican attire approached -him hat in hand, and, making a reverential bow, asked his directions -concerning domestic business of the Mission. - -“Hola! friend José,” cried Fray Augustin in a thick guttural voice, -“pensaba yo—I was thinking that it was very nearly this time three -years ago when those 'malditos Americanos' came by here and ran off -with so many of our cavallada.” - -“True, reverend father,” answered the administrador, “just three years -ago, all but fifteen days: I remember it well. _Malditos sean_—curse -them!” - -“How many did we kill, José?” - -“Quizas mōōchos—a great many, I dare say. But they did not fight -fairly—charged right upon us, and gave us no time to do any thing. -They don't know how to fight, these Mericanos; come right at you, -before you can swing a lasso, hallooing like Indios Bravos.” - -“But, José, how many did they leave dead on the field?” - -“Not one.” - -“And we?” - -“Valgame Dios! thirteen dead, and many more wounded.” - -“That's it! Now if these savages come again (and the Chemeguaba, -who came in yesterday, says he saw a large trail), we must fight -adentro—within—outside is no go; for as you very properly say, José, -these Americans don't know how to fight, and kill us before—before we -can kill them! Vaya!” - -At this moment there issued from the door of the Mission Don Antonio -Velez Trueba, a Gachupin—that is, a native of Old Spain—a wizened old -hidalgo refugee, who had left the mother country on account of his -political opinions, which were stanchly Carlist, and had found his -way—how, he himself scarcely knew—from Mexico to San Francisco in -Upper California, where, having a most perfect contempt for every -thing Mexican, and hearing that in the Mission of San Fernando, far -away, were a couple of Spanish padres of “sangre regular,” he had -started into the wilderness to ferret them out; and having escaped -all dangers on the route (which, however, were hardly dangers to the -Don, who could not realise the idea of scalp-taking savages), had -arrived with a whole skin at the Mission. There he was received with -open arms by his countryman Fray Augustin, who made him welcome to -all the place afforded, and there he harmlessly smoked away his time; -his heart far away on the banks of the Genil and in the grape-bearing -vegas of his beloved Andalusia, his withered cuerpo in the sierras of -Upper California. Don Antonio was the walking essence of a Spaniard -of the _ancien régime_. His family dated from the Flood, and with -the exception of sundry refreshing jets of Moorish blood, injected -into the Truebas during the Moorish epoch, no strange shoot was ever -engrafted on their genealogical tree. The marriages of the family were -ever confined to the family itself—never looking to fresh blood in a -station immediately below it, which was not hidalgueño; nor above, -since any thing higher in rank than the Trueba y Trueba family, _no -habia_, there was not. - -Thus, in the male and female scions of the house, were plainly visible -the ill effects of breeding “in and in.” The male Truebas were sadly -degenerate Dons, in body as in mind—compared to their ancestors of -Boabdil's day; and the señoritas of the name were all eyes, and eyes -alone, and hardly of such stamp as would have tempted that amorous -monarch to bestow a kingdom for a kiss, as ancient ballads tell. - - “Dueña de la negra toca, - Por un beso de tu boca, - Diera un reyno, Boabdil; - Y yo por ello, Cristiana, - Te diera de buena gana - Mil cielos, si fueran mil.” - -Come of such poor stock, and reared on tobacco smoke and “gazpacho,” -Don Antonio would not have shone, even amongst pigmy Mexicans, for -physical beauty. Five feet high, a framework of bones covered with a -skin of Andalusian tint, the Trueba stood erect and stiff in all the -consciousness of his “sangre regular.” His features were handsome, -but entirely devoid of flesh, his upper lip was covered with a -jet-black mustache mixed with gray, his chin was bearded “like the -pard.” Every one around him clad in deer and goat skin, our Don walked -conspicuous in shining suit of black—much the worse for wear, it must -be confessed—with beaver hat sadly battered, and round his body and -over his shoulder an unexceptionable “capa” of the amplest dimensions. -Asking, as he stepped over him, the pardon of an Indian urchin who -blocked the door, and bowing with punctilious politeness to the -sturdy mozas who were grinding corn, Don Antonio approached our friend -Augustin, who was discussing warlike matters with his administrador. - -“Hola! Don Antonio, how do you find yourself, sir?” - -“Perfectly well, and your very humble servant, reverend father; and -your worship also, I trust you are in good health?” - -“_Sin novedad_—without novelty;” which, since it was one hour and a -half since our friends had separated to take their siestas, was not -impossible. - -“Myself and the worthy José,” continued Fray Augustin, “were speaking -of the vile invasion of a band of North American robbers, who three -years since fiercely assaulted this peaceful Mission, killing many -of its inoffensive inhabitants, wounding many more, and carrying off -several of our finest colts and most promising mules to their dens and -caves in the Rocky Mountains. Not with impunity, however, did they -effect this atrocity. José informs me that many of the assailants were -killed by my brave Indians. How many said you, José?” - -“Quizas mo-o-ochos,” answered the Indian. - -“Yes, probably a great multitude,” continued the padre; “but, unwarned -by such well-merited castigation, it has been reported to me by a -Chemeguaba mansito, that a band of these audacious marauders are now -on the road to repeat the offence, numbering many thousands, well -mounted and armed; and to oppose these white barbarians it behoves us -to make every preparation of defence.”[30] - -“There is no cause for alarm,” answered the Andaluz. “I (tapping -his breast) have served in three wars: in that glorious one 'de la -Independencia,' when our glorious patriots drove the French like sheep -across the Pyrenees; in that equally glorious one of 1821; and in the -late magnanimous struggle for the legitimate rights of his majesty -Charles V., king of Spain (doffing his hat), whom God preserve. With -that right arm,” cried the spirited Don, extending his shrivelled -member, “I have supported the throne of my kings—have fought for my -country, mowing down its enemies before me; and with it,” vehemently -exclaimed the Gachupin, working himself into a perfect frenzy, “I will -slay these Norte Americanos, should they dare to show their faces in -my front. Adios, Don Augustin Ignacio Sabanal-Morales-y Fuentes,” he -cried, doffing his hat with an earth-sweeping bow; “I go to grind my -sword. Till then adieu.” - -“A countryman of mine!” said the frayle, admiringly, to the -administrador. “With him by our side we need not to fear: neither -Norte Americanos, nor the devil himself, can harm us when he is by.” - -Whilst the Trueba sharpens his Tizona, and the priest puffs volumes -of smoke from his nose and mouth, let us introduce to the reader one -of the muchachitas, who knelt grinding corn on the metate, to make -tortillas for the evening meal. Juanita was a stout wench from Sonora, -of Mexican blood, hardly as dark as the other women who surrounded -her, and with a drop or two of the Old Spanish blood struggling with -the darker Indian tint to colour her plump cheeks. An enagua (a -short petticoat) of red serge was confined round her waist by a gay -band ornamented with beads, and a chemisette covered the upper part -of the body, permitting, however, a prodigal display of her charms. -Whilst pounding sturdily at the corn, she laughed and joked with her -fellow-labourers upon the anticipated American attack, which appeared -to have but few terrors for her. “Que vengan,” she exclaimed—“let them -come; they are only men, and will not molest us women. Besides, I -have seen these white men before—in my own country, and they are fine -fellows, very tall, and as white as the snow on the sierras. Let them -come, say I!” - -“Only hear the girl!” cried another: “if these savages come, then will -they kill Pedrillo, and what will Juanita say to lose her sweetheart?” - -“Pedrillo!” sneered the latter; “what care I for Pedrillo? Soy -Mejicana, yo—a Mexican girl am I, I'd have you know, and don't demean -me to look at a wild Indian. Not I, indeed, by my salvation! What I -say is, let the Norte Americanos come.” - -At this juncture Fray Augustin called for a glass of aguardiente, -which Juanita was despatched to bring, and, on presenting it, the -churchman facetiously inquired why she wished for the Americans, -adding, “Don't think they'll come here—no, no: here we are brave men, -and have Don Antonio with us, a noble fellow, well used to arms.” As -the words were on his lips, the clattering of a horse's hoofs was -heard rattling across the loose stones and pebbles in the bed of the -river, and presently an Indian herder galloped up to the door of the -Mission, his horse covered with foam, and its sides bleeding from -spur-wounds. - -“Oh, padre mio!” he cried, as soon as he caught sight of his -reverence, “vienen los Americanos—the Americans, the Americans are -upon us. Ave Maria purissima!—more than ten thousand are at my heels!” - -Up started the priest and shouted for the Don. - -That hidalgo presently appeared, armed with the sword that had graced -his thigh in so many glorious encounters—the sword with which he -had mowed down the enemies of his country, and by whose aid he now -proposed to annihilate the American savages, should they dare to -appear before him. - -The alarm was instantly given; peones, vagueros hurried from the -plains; and milpas, warned by the deep-toned bell, which soon rung out -its sonorous alarum. A score of mounted Indians, armed with gun and -lasso, dashed off to bring intelligence of the enemy. The old gingall -on the roof was crammed with powder and bullets to the very muzzle, by -the frayle's own hand. Arms were brought and piled in the sala, ready -for use. The padre exhorted, the women screamed, the men grew pale -and nervous, and thronged within the walls. Don Antonio, the fiery -Andaluz, alone remained outside, flourishing his whetted sabre, and -roaring to the padre, who stood on the roof with lighted match, by the -side of his formidable cannon, not to be affrighted. “That he, the -Trueba, was there, with his Tizona, ready to defeat the devil himself -should he come on.” - -He was deaf to the entreaties of the priest to enter. - -“Siempre en el frente—Ever in the van,” he said, “was the war-cry of -the Truebas.” - -But now a cloud of dust was seen approaching from the plain, and -presently a score of horsemen dashed headlong towards the Mission. -“El enemigo,” shouted Fray Augustin; and, without waiting to aim, he -clapped his match to the touch-hole of the gun, harmlessly pointed to -the sky, and crying out “in el nombre de Dios”—in God's name—as he did -so, was instantly knocked over and over by the recoil of the piece, -then was as instantly seized by some of the Indian garrison, and -forced through the trap-door into the building; whilst the horsemen -(who were his own scouts) galloped up with the intelligence that the -enemy was at hand, and in overwhelming force. - -Thereupon the men were all mounted, and formed in a body before the -building, to the amount of more than fifty, well armed with guns or -bows and arrows. Here the gallant Don harangued them, and infusing -into their hearts a little of his own courage, they eagerly demanded -to be led against the enemy. Fray Augustin re-appeared on the roof, -gave them his blessing, advised them to give no quarter, and, with -slight misgivings, saw them ride off to the conflict. - -About a mile from the Mission, the plain gradually ascended to a ridge -of moderate elevation, on which was a growth of dwarf oak and ilex. -To this point the eyes of the remaining inmates of the convent were -earnestly directed, as here the enemy was first expected to make his -appearance. Presently a few figures were seen to crown the ridge, -clearly defined against the clear evening sky. Not more than a dozen -mounted men composed this party, which all imagined must be doubtless -the vanguard of the thousand invaders. On the summit of the ridge -they halted a few minutes, as if to reconnoitre; and by this time -the Californian horsemen were halted in the plain, midway between -the Mission and the ridge, and distant from the former less than -half-a-mile, so that all the operations were clearly visible to the -lookers-on. - -The enemy wound slowly, in Indian file, down the broken ground of the -descent; but when the plain was reached, they formed into something -like a line, and trotted fearlessly towards the Californians. These -began to sit uneasily in their saddles; nevertheless they made a -forward movement, and even broke into a gallop, but soon halted, and -again huddled together. Then the mountaineers quickened their pace, -and their loud shout was heard as they dashed into the middle of the -faltering troop. The sharp cracks of the rifles followed, and the -duller reports of the smooth-bored pieces of the Californians; a cloud -of smoke and dust arose from the plain, and immediately half-a-dozen -horses, with empty saddles, broke from it, followed quickly by the -Californians, flying like mad across the level. The little steady line -of the mountaineers advanced, and puffs of smoke arose, as they loaded -and discharged their rifles at the flying horsemen. As the Americans -came on, however, one was seen to totter in his saddle, the rifle fell -from his grasp, and he tumbled headlong to the ground. For an instant -his companions surrounded the fallen man, but again forming, dashed -towards the Mission, shouting fierce war-whoops, and brandishing -aloft their long and heavy rifles. Of the defeated Californians some -jumped off their horses at the door of the Mission, and sought shelter -within; others galloped off towards the sierra in panic-stricken -plight. Before the gate, however, still paced valiantly the proud -hidalgo, encumbered with his cloak, and waving with difficulty his -sword above his head. To the priest and women, who implored him to -enter, he replied with cries of defiance, “Viva Carlos Quinto,” and -“Death or glory.” He shouted in vain to the flying crowd to halt; -but, seeing their panic was beyond hope, he clutched his weapon more -firmly as the Americans dashed at him, closed his teeth and his eyes, -thought once of the vega of his beloved Genil, and of Granada la -Florida, and gave himself up for lost. Those inside the Mission, when -they observed the flight of their cavalry, gave up the defence as -hopeless; and already the charging mountaineers were almost under the -walls, when they observed the curious figure of the little Don making -demonstrations of hostility. - -“Wagh!” exclaimed the leading hunter (no other than our friend La -Bonté), “here's a little crittur as means to do all the fighting;” -and seizing his rifle by the barrel, he poked at the Don with the -butt-end, who parried the blow, and with such a sturdy stroke, as -nearly severed the stock in two. Another mountaineer rode up, and, -swinging his lasso overhead, threw the noose dexterously over the -Spaniard's head, and as it fell over his shoulders, drew it taut, thus -securing the arms of the pugnacious Don as in a vice. - -“Quartel!” cried the latter; “por Dios, quartel!” - -“Quarter be d——!” exclaimed one of the whites, who understood -Spanish; “who's agoin' to hurt you, you little crittur?” - -By this time Fray Augustin was waving a white flag from the roof, in -token of surrender; and soon after he appeared trembling at the door, -beseeching the victors to be merciful and to spare the lives of the -vanquished, when all and every thing in the Mission would be freely -placed at their disposal. - -“What does the niggur say!” asked old Walker, the leader of the -mountaineers, of the interpreter. - -“Well, he talks so queer, this hos can't rightly make it out.” - -“Tell the old coon then to quit that, and make them darned greasers -clear out of the lodge, and pock some corn and shucks here for the -animals, for they're nigh give out.” - -This being conveyed to him in mountain Spanish, which fear alone made -him understand, the padre gave orders to the men to leave the Mission, -advising them, moreover, not to recommence hostilities, as himself was -kept as hostage, and if a finger was lifted against the mountaineers, -he would be killed at once, and the Mission burned to the ground. Once -inside, the hunters had no fear of attack, they could have kept the -building against all California; so, leaving a guard of two outside -the gate, and first seeing their worn-out animals supplied with piles -of corn and shucks, they made themselves at home, and soon were paying -attention to the hot tortillas, meat, and chile colorado which were -quickly placed before them, washing down the hot-spiced viands with -deep draughts of wine and brandy. It would have been amusing to have -seen the faces of these rough fellows as they gravely pledged each -other in the grateful liquor, and looked askance at the piles of fruit -served by the attendant Hebes. These came in for no little share of -attention, it may be imagined; but the utmost respect was paid to -them, for your mountaineer, rough and bear-like though he be, never, -by word or deed, offends the modesty of a woman, although sometimes -obliged to use a compulsory wooing, when time is not allowed for -regular courtship, and not unfrequently known to jerk a New Mexican -or Californian beauty behind his saddle, should the obdurate parents -refuse consent to their immediate union. It tickled the Americans not -a little to have all their wants supplied, and to be thus waited upon, -by what they considered the houris of paradise; and after their long -journey, and the many hardships and privations they had suffered, -their present luxurious situation seemed scarcely real. - -The hidalgo, released from the durance vile of the lasso, assisted at -the entertainment; his sense of what was due to the “sangre regular” -which ran in his veins being appeased by the fact, that he sat _above_ -the wild uncouth mountaineers, these preferring to squat cross-legged -on the floor in their own fashion, to the uncomfortable and novel -luxury of a chair. Killbuck, indeed, seemed to have quite forgotten -the use of such pieces of furniture. On Fray Augustin offering him -one, and begging him, with many protestations, to be seated, that -old mountain worthy looked at it, and then at the padre, turned it -round, and at length comprehending the intention, essayed to sit. -This he effected at last, and sat grimly for some moments, when, -seizing the chair by the back, he hurled it out of the open door, -exclaiming,—“Wagh! this coon aint hamshot anyhow, and don't want such -fixins, he don't;” and gathering his legs under his body, reclined in -the manner customary to him. There was a prodigious quantity of liquor -consumed that night, the hunters making up for their many banyans; -but as it was the pure juice of the grape, it had little or no effect -upon their hard heads. They had not much to fear from attacks on the -part of the Californians; but, to provide against all emergencies, the -padre and the Gachupin were “hobbled,” and confined in an inner room, -to which there was no ingress nor egress save through the door which -opened into the apartment where the mountaineers lay sleeping, two of -the number keeping watch. A fandango with the Indian girls had been -proposed by some of them, but Walker placed a decided veto on this. -He said “they had need of sleep now, for there was no knowing what -to-morrow might bring forth; that they had a long journey before them, -and winter was coming on; they would have to 'streak' it night and -day, and sleep when their journey was over, which would not be until -Pike's Peak was left behind them. It was now October, and the way -they'd have to hump it back to the mountains would take the gristle -off a painter's tail.” - -Young Ned Wooton was not to the fore when the roll was called. He -was courting the Sonora wench Juanita, and to some purpose, for we -may at once observe, that the maiden accompanied the mountaineer to -his distant home, and at the present moment is sharing his lodge on -Hard-scrabble creek of the upper Arkansa, having been duly and legally -married by Fray Augustin before their departure. - -But now the snow on the ridge of the Sierra Madre, and the nightly -frosts; the angular flights of geese and ducks constantly passing -overhead; the sober tints of the foliage, and the dead leaves that -strew the ground; the withering grass on the plain, and the cold -gusts, sometimes laden with snow and sleet, that sweep from the -distant snow-clad mountains;—all these signs warn us to linger no -longer in the tempting valley of San Fernando, but at once to pack our -mules to cross the dreary and desert plains and inhospitable sierras; -and to seek with our booty one of the sheltered bayous of the Rocky -Mountains. - -On the third day after their arrival, behold our mountaineers -again upon the march, driving before them—with the assistance of -half-a-dozen Indians, impressed for the first few days of the journey -until the cavallada get accustomed to travel without confusion—a band -of four hundred head of mules and horses, themselves mounted on the -strongest and fleetest they could select from at least a thousand. - -Fray Augustin and the Hidalgo, from the house-top, watched them -depart: the former glad to get rid of such unscrupulous guests at any -cost, the latter rather loath to part with his boon companions, with -whom he had quaffed many a quartillo of Californian wine. Great was -the grief, and violent the sobbing, when all the girls in the Mission -surrounded Juanita to bid her adieu; as she, seated en cavalier on -an easy pacing mule, bequeathed her late companions to the keeping -of every saint in the calendar, and particularly to the great St -Ferdinand himself, under whose especial tutelage all those in the -Mission were supposed to live. Pedrillo, poor forsaken Pedrillo, a -sullen sulky half-breed, was overcome, not with grief, but with anger -at the slight put upon him, and vowed revenge. He of the “sangre -regular,” having not a particle of enmity in his heart, waved his -arm—that arm with which he had mowed down the enemies of Carlos -Quinto—and requested the mountaineers, if ever fate should carry them -to Spain, not to fail to visit his quinta in the vega of Genil, which, -with all in it, he placed at their worships' disposal—con muchissima -franqueza. - -Fat Fray Augustin likewise waved his arm, but groaned in spirit as he -beheld the noble band of mules and horses, throwing back clouds of -dust on the plain where they had been bred. One noble roan stallion -seemed averse to leave his accustomed pasture, and again and again -broke away from the band. Luckily old Walker had taken the precaution -to secure the “_bell-mare_” of the herd, and mounted on her rode -ahead, the animals all following their well-known leader. As the roan -galloped back, the padre was in ecstasy. It was a favourite steed, and -one he would have gladly ransomed at any price. - -“Ya viene, ya viene!” he cried out, “now, now it's coming! hurra -for the roan!” but, under the rifle of a mountaineer, one of the -Californians dashed at it, a lasso whirling round his head, and -turning and twisting like a doubling hare, as the horse tried to avoid -him, at last threw the open coil over the animal's head, and led him -back in triumph to the band. - -“Maldito sea aquel Indio—curse that Indian!” quoth the padre, and -turned away. - -And now our sturdy band—less two who had gone under—were fairly on -their way. They passed the body of their comrade who had been killed -in the fight before the Mission; the wolves, or Indian dogs, had -picked it to the bones; but a mound near by, surrounded by a rude -cross, showed where the Californians (seven of whom were killed) had -been interred—the pile of stones at the foot of the cross testifying -that many an _ave maria_ had already been said by the poor Indians, -to save the souls of their slaughtered companions from the pangs of -purgatory. - -For the first few days progress was slow and tedious. The confusion -attendant upon driving so large a number of animals over a country -without trail or track of any description, was sufficient to prevent -speedy travelling; and the mountaineers, desirous of improving the -pace, resolved to pursue a course more easterly, and to endeavour to -strike the great SPANISH TRAIL, which is the route followed by the -New Mexicans in their journeys to and from the towns of Puebla de -los Angeles and Santa Fé. This road, however, crosses a long stretch -of desert country, destitute alike of grass and water, save at a few -points, the regular halting-places of the caravans; and as but little -pasture is to be found at these places at any time, there was great -reason to doubt, if the Santa Fé traders had passed this season, that -there would not be sufficient grass to support the numerous cavallada, -after the herbage had been laid under contribution by the traders' -animals. However, a great saving of time would be effected by taking -this trail, although it wound a considerable distance out of the way -to avoid the impassable chain of the Sierra Nevada—the gap in those -mountains through which the Americans had come being far to the -southward, and at this late season probably obstructed by the snow. - -Urged by threats and bribes, one of the Indians agreed to guide the -cavallada to the trail, which he declared was not more than five -days' distant. As they advanced, the country became wilder and more -sterile,—the valleys, through which several small streams coursed, -alone being capable of supporting so large a number of animals. No -time was lost in hunting for game; the poorest of the mules and horses -were killed for provisions, and the diet was improved by a little -venison when a deer casually presented itself near the camping ground. -Of Indians they had seen not one; but they now approached the country -of the Diggers, who infest the district through which the Spanish -trail passes, laying contributions on the caravans of traders, and who -have been, not inaptly, termed the “Arabs of the American desert.” The -Californian guide now earnestly entreated permission to retrace his -steps, saying, that he should lose his life if he attempted to pass -the Digger country alone on his return. He pointed to a snow-covered -peak, at the foot of which the trail passed; and leave being accorded, -he turned his horse's head towards the Mission of San Fernando. - -Although the cavallada travelled, by this time, with much less -confusion than at first, still, from the want of a track to follow, -great trouble and exertion were required to keep the proper direction. -The bell-mare led the van, carrying Walker, who was better acquainted -with the country than the others; another hunter, of considerable -distinction in the band, on a large mule, rode by his side. Then -followed the cavallada, jumping and frisking with each other, stopping -whenever a blade of grass showed, and constantly endeavouring to -break away to green patches which sometimes presented themselves in -the plains. Behind the troop, urging them on by dint of loud cries -and objurgations, rode six mountaineers, keeping as much as possible -in a line. Two others were on each flank to repress all attempts to -wander, and keep the herd in a compact body. In this order the caravan -had been crossing a broken country, up and down ridges, all day, -the animals giving infinite trouble to their drivers, when a loud -shout from the advanced guard put them all upon the _qui-vive_. Old -Walker was seen to brandish the rifle over his head and point before -him, and presently the cry of “The trail! the trail!” gladdened all -hearts with the anticipation of a respite from the harassing labour -of mule-driving. Descending a broken ridge, they at once struck into -a distinct and tolerably well-worn track, into which the cavallada -turned as easily and instinctively as if they had all their lives -been accustomed to travel on beaten roads. Along this they travelled -merrily—their delight being, however, alloyed by frequent indications -that hunger and thirst had done their work on the mules and horses of -the caravans which had preceded them on the trail. They happened to -strike it in the centre of a long stretch of desert, extending sixty -miles without either water or pasture; and many animals had perished -here, leaving their bones to bleach upon the plain. The soil was -sandy, but rocks and stones covered the surface, disabling the feet of -many of the young horses and mules; several of which, at this early -stage of the journey, were already abandoned. Traces of the wretched -Diggers became very frequent; these abject creatures resorting to the -sandy plains for the purpose of feeding upon the lizards which there -abound. As yet they did not show; only at night they prowled around -the camp, waiting a favourable opportunity to run the animals. In the -present instance, however, many of the horses having been left on the -road, the Diggers found so plentiful a supply of meat as to render -unnecessary any attack upon the formidable mountaineers. - -One evening the Americans had encamped, earlier than usual, on a creek -well-timbered with willow and quaking-ash, and affording tolerable -pasture; and although it was still rather early, they determined to -stop here, and give the animals an opportunity to fill themselves. -Several deer had jumped out of the bottom as they entered it; and -La Bonté and Killbuck had sallied from the camp with their rifles, -to hunt and endeavour to procure some venison for supper. Along the -river banks, herds of deer were feeding in every direction, within -shot of the belt of timber; and the two hunters had no difficulty in -approaching and knocking over two fine bucks within a few paces of -the thicket. They were engaged in butchering the animals, when La -Bonté, looking up from his work, saw half-a-dozen Indians dodging -among the trees, within a few yards of himself and Killbuck. At the -same instant two arrows _thudded_ into the carcass of the deer over -which he knelt, passing but a few inches from his head. Hollowing to -his companion, La Bonté immediately seized the deer, and, lifting it -with main strength, held it as a shield before him, but not before -an arrow had struck him in the shoulder. Rising from the ground he -retreated behind cover, yelling loudly to alarm the camp, which was -not five hundred yards' distant on the other side of the stream. -Killbuck, when apprised of the danger, ran bodily into the plain, -and, keeping out of shot of the timber, joined La Bonté, who now, out -of arrow-shot, threw down his shield of venison and fired his rifle -at the assailants. The Indians appeared at first afraid to leave -the cover; but three or four more joining them, one a chief, they -advanced into the plain, with drawn bows, scattering wide apart, and -running swiftly towards the whites, in a zigzag course, in order not -to present a steady mark to their unerring rifles. The latter were -too cautious to discharge their pieces, but kept a steady front, -with rifle at shoulder. The Indians evidently disliked to approach -nearer; but the chief, an old grizzled man, incited them by word and -gesture—running in advance, and calling upon the others to follow him. - -“Ho, boy!” exclaimed Killbuck to his companion, “that old coon must go -under, or we'll get rubbed out by these darned critturs.” - -La Bonté understood him. Squatting on the ground, he planted his -wiping-stick firmly at the extent of his left arm, and resting the -long barrel of his rifle on his left hand, which was supported by the -stick, he took a steady aim and fired. The Indian, throwing out his -arms, staggered and let fall his bow—tried hard to recover himself, -and then fell forward on his face. The others, seeing the death -of their chief, turned and made again for the cover. “You darned -critturs,” roared Killbuck, “take that!” and fired his rifle at the -last one, tumbling him over as dead as a stone. The camp had also been -alarmed. Five of them waded across the creek and took the Indians in -rear; their rifles cracked within the timber, several more Indians -fell, and the rest quickly beat a retreat. The venison, however, was -not forgotten; the two deer were packed into camp, and did the duty of -mule-meat that night. - -This lesson had a seasonable effect upon the Diggers, who made no -attempt on the cavallada that night or the next; for the camp remained -two days to recruit the animals. - -We will not follow the party through all the difficulties and perils -of the desert route, nor detail the various devilries of the Diggers, -who constantly sought opportunities to stampede the animals, or, -approaching them in the night as they grazed, fired their arrows -indiscriminately at the herd, trusting that dead or disabled ones -would be left behind, and afford them a good supply of meat. In the -month of December the mountaineers crossed the great dividing ridge -of the Rocky Mountains, making their way through the snowy barrier -with the utmost difficulty, and losing many mules and horses in the -attempt. On passing the ridge, they at once struck the head-springs -of the Arkansa river, and turned into the Bayou Salade. Here they -found a village of Arapahos, and were in no little fear of leaving -their cavallada with these dexterous horse-thieves. Fortunately, the -chief in command was friendly to the whites, and restrained his young -men; and a present of three horses insured his good offices. Still, -the near neighbourhood of these Indians being hardly desirable, after -a few days' halt, the Americans were again on their way, and halted -finally at the juncture of the Fontaine-qui-bout with the Arkansa, -where they determined to construct a winter camp. They now considered -themselves at home, and at once set about building a log-shanty -capable of containing them all, and a large corral for securing the -animals at night, or in case of Indian alarms. This they effected by -felling several large cottonwoods, and throwing them in the form of -a horse-shoe: the entrance, however, being narrower than in that -figure, and secured by upright logs, between which poles were fixed -to be withdrawn at pleasure. The house, or “fort”—as any thing in the -shape of a house is called in these parts, where, indeed, every man -must make his house a castle—was loopholed on all sides, and boasted -a turf chimney of rather primitive construction; but which answered -the purpose of drawing the smoke from the interior. Game was plentiful -all around;—bands of buffalo were constantly passing the Arkansa; and -there were always deer and antelope within sight of the fort. The -pasture, too, was good and abundant—being the rich grama or buffalo -grass, which, although rather dry at this season, still retains its -fattening qualities; and the animals soon began to improve wonderfully -in condition and strength. - -Of the four hundred head of mules and horses with which they had -started from California, but one-half reached the Arkansa. Many had -been killed for food (indeed they had furnished the only provisions -during the journey), many had been stolen by the Indians, or shot by -them at night; and many had strayed off and not been recovered. We -have omitted to mention that the Sonora girl, Juanita, and her spouse, -Ned Wooton, remained behind at Roubideau's fort and rendezvous on the -Uintah, which our band had passed on the other side of the mountains, -whence they proceeded with a party to Taos in New Mexico, and resided -there for some years, blessed with a fine family, &c. &c. &c., as the -novels end. - -As soon as the animals were fat and strong, they were taken down the -Arkansa to Bent's Indian trading fort, about sixty miles below the -mouth of Fontaine-qui-bout. Here a ready sale was found for them, -mules being at that time in great demand on the frontier of the United -States, and every season the Bents carried across the plains to -Independence a considerable number collected in the Indian country, -and in the upper settlements of New Mexico. While the mountaineers -were descending the Arkansa, a little incident occurred, and some of -the party very unexpectedly encountered an old friend. Killbuck and -La Bonté, who were generally compañeros, were riding some distance -ahead of the cavallada, passing at the time the mouth of the Huerfano -or Orphan Creek, when, at a long distance before them, they saw the -figure of a horseman, followed by two loose animals, descending the -bluff into the timbered bottom of the river. Judging the stranger to -be Indian, they spurred their horses and galloped in pursuit, but the -figure ahead suddenly disappeared. However, they quickly followed the -track, which was plain enough in the sandy bottom, that of a horse -and two mules. Killbuck scrutinised the “sign,” and puzzled over it a -considerable time; and at last exclaimed—“Wagh! this sign's as plain -as mon beaver to me; look at that hos-track, boy; did ye ever see that -afore?” - -“_Well_, I have!” answered La Bonté, peering down at it: “that ar -shuffle-toe seems handy to me now, I _tell_ you.” - -“The man as used to ride that hos is long gone under, but the hos, -darn the old crittur, is old Bill Williams's, I'll swar by hook.” - -“Well, it aint nothin else,” continued La Bonté, satisfying himself -by a long look; “it's the old boy's hos as shure as shootin: and them -Rapahos has rubbed him out at last, and raised his animals. Ho, boy! -let's lift their hair.” - -“Agreed,” answered Killbuck; and away they started in pursuit, -determined to avenge the death of their old comrade. - -They followed the track through the bottom and into the stream, which -it crossed, and, passing a few yards up the bank, entered the water -again, when they could see nothing more of it. Puzzled at this, -they sought on each side the river, but in vain; and, not wishing -to lose more time in the search, they proceeded through the timber -on the banks to find a good camping-place for the night, which had -been their object in riding in advance of the cavallada. On the left -bank, a short distance before them, was a heavy growth of timber, -and the river ran in one place close to a high bluff, between which -and the water was an almost impervious thicket of plum and cherry -trees. The grove of timber ended before it reached this point, and -but few scattered trees grew in the little glade which intervened, -and which was covered with tolerable grass. This being fixed upon -as an excellent camp, the two mountaineers rode into the glade, and -dismounted close to the plum and cherry thicket, which formed almost a -wall before them, and an excellent shelter from the wind. Jumping off -their horses, they were in the act of removing the saddles from their -backs, when a shrill neigh burst from the thicket not two yards behind -them; a rustling in the bushes followed, and presently a man dressed -in buckskin, and rifle in hand, burst out of the tangled brush, -exclaiming in an angry voice— - -“Do'ee hy'ar now? I was nigh upon gut-shootin some of e'e—I was now; -thought e'e was darned Rapahos, I did, and câched right off.” - -“Ho, Bill! what, old hos! not gone under yet?” cried both the hunters. -“Give us your paw.” - -“Do'ee now, if hy'ar ar'nt them boys as was rubbed out on Lodge Pole -(creek) a time ago. Do'ee hyar? if this aint 'some' now, I would'nt -say so.” - -Leaving old Bill Williams and our two friends to exchange their rough -but hearty greetings, we will glance at that old worthy's history -since the time when we left him caching in the fire and smoke on the -Indian battle-ground in the Rocky Mountains. He had escaped fire -and smoke, or he would not have been here on Arkansa with his old -grizzled Nez-percé steed. On that occasion, the veteran mountaineer -had lost his two pack-animals and all his beaver. He was not the man, -however, to want a horse or mule as long as an Indian village was -near at hand. Skulking, therefore, by day in cañons and deep gorges -of the mountains, and travelling by night, he followed closely on the -trail of the victorious savages, bided his time, struck his “coup,” -and recovered a pair of pack-horses, which was all he required. Ever -since, he had been trapping alone in all parts of the mountains; had -visited the rendezvous but twice for short periods, and then with full -packs of beaver; and was now on his way to Bent's Fort, to dispose of -his present loads of peltry, enjoy one good carouse on Taos whisky, -and then return to some hole or corner in the mountains which he -knew of, to follow in the spring his solitary avocation. He too had -had his share of troubles, and had many Indian scrapes, but passed -safely through all, and scarcely cared to talk of what he had done, -so matter-of-fact to him were the most extraordinary of his perilous -adventures. - -Arrived at Bent's Fort, the party disposed of their cavallada, and -then—respect for the pardonable weaknesses of our mountain friends -prompts us to draw a veil over the furious orgies that ensued. A -number of hunters and trappers were “in” from their hunting-grounds, -and a village of Shians and some lodges of Kioways were camped round -the fort. As long as the liquor lasted, and there was good store of -alcohol as well as of Taos whisky, the Arkansa resounded with furious -mirth—not unmixed with graver scenes; for your mountaineer, ever -quarrelsome in his cups, is quick to give and take offence, when -rifles alone can settle the difference, and much blood is spilt upon -the prairie in his wild and frequent quarrels. - -Bent's Fort is situated on the left or northern bank of the river -Arkansa, about one hundred miles from the foot of the Rocky -Mountains—on a low and level bluff of the prairie which here slopes -gradually to the water's-edge. The walls are built entirely of -adobes—or sun-burned bricks—in the form of a hollow square, at two -corners of which are circular flanking towers of the same material. -The entrance is by a large gateway into the square, round which are -the rooms occupied by the traders and employés of the host. These are -small in size, with walls coloured by a white-wash made of clay found -in the prairie. Their flat roofs are defended along the exterior by -parapets of adobe, to serve as a cover to marksmen firing from the -top; and along the coping grow plants of cactus of all the varieties -common in the plains. In the centre of the square is the press for -packing the furs; and there are three large rooms, one used as a store -and magazine, another as a council-room, where the Indians assemble -for their “talks,” whilst the third is the common dining-hall, where -the traders, trappers, and hunters, and all employés, feast upon the -best provender the game-covered country affords. Over the culinary -department presided of late years a fair lady of colour, Charlotte -by name, who was, as she loved to say, “de onlee lady in de dam Injun -country,” and who moreover was celebrated from Long's Peak to the -Cumbres Espanolás for slapjacks and pumpkin pies. - -Here congregate at certain seasons the merchants of the plains and -mountains, with their stocks of peltry. Chiefs of the Shian, the -Kioway, and Arapaho, sit in solemn conclave with the head traders, -and smoke the “calumet” over their real and imaginary grievances. Now -O-cun-no-whurst, the Yellow Wolf, grand chief of the Shian, complains -of certain grave offences against the dignity of his nation! A trader -from the “big lodge” (the fort) has been in his village, and before -the trade was opened, in laying the customary chief's gift “on the -prairie”[31] has not “opened his hand,” but “squeezed out his present -between his fingers,” grudgingly, and with too sparing measure. This -was hard to bear, but the Yellow Wolf would say no more! - -Tah-kai-buhl, or, “he who jumps,” is deputed from the Kioway to -warn the white traders not to proceed to the Canadian to trade with -the Comanche. That nation is mad—a “heap mad” with the whites, and -has “dug up the hatchet” to “rub out” all who enter its country. -The Kioway loves the paleface, and gives him warning (and “he who -jumps” looks as if he deserves something “on the prairie” for his -information). - -Shawh-noh-qua-mish, “the peeled lodge-pole,” is there to excuse his -Arapaho braves, who lately made free with a band of horses belonging -to the fort. He promises the like shall never happen again, and he, -Shawh-noh-qua-mish, speaks with a “single tongue.” Over clouds of -tobacco and kinnik-kinnik, these grave affairs are settled and terms -arranged. - -In the corral, groups of leather-clad mountaineers, with “decks” of -“euker” and “seven up,” gamble away their hard-earned peltries. The -employés—mostly St Louis Frenchmen and Canadian voyageurs—are pressing -packs of buffalo skins, beating robes, or engaged in other duties -of a trading fort. Indian squaws, the wives of mountaineers, strut -about in all the pride of beads and fofarrow, jingling with bells and -bugles, and happy as paint can make them. Hunters drop in with animals -packed with deer or buffalo meat to supply the fort; Indian dogs look -anxiously in at the gateway, fearing to enter and encounter their -natural enemies, the whites: and outside the fort, at any hour of the -day or night, one may safely wager to see a dozen cayeutes or prairie -wolves loping round, or seated on their haunches, and looking gravely -on, waiting patiently for some chance offal to be cast outside. -Against the walls, groups of Indians, too proud to enter without an -invitation, lean, wrapped in their buffalo robes, sulky and evidently -ill at ease to be so near the whites without a chance of fingering -their scalp-locks; their white lodges shining in the sun, at a little -distance from the river-banks; their horses feeding in the plain -beyond. - -The appearance of the fort is very striking, standing as it does -hundreds of miles from any settlement, on the vast and lifeless -prairie, surrounded by hordes of hostile Indians, and far out of reach -of intercourse with civilised man; its mud-built walls inclosing a -little garrison of a dozen hardy men, sufficient to hold in check the -numerous tribes of savages ever thirsting for their blood. Yet the -solitary stranger passing this lone fort, feels proudly secure when he -comes within sight of the “stars and stripes” which float above the -walls. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - -Again we must take a jump with La Bonté over a space of several -months; when we find him, in company of half a dozen trappers, amongst -them his inseparable compañero Killbuck, camped on the Greenhorn -creek, _en route_ to the settlements of New Mexico. They have a few -mules packed with beaver for the Taos market: but this expedition has -been planned more for pleasure than profit—a journey to Taos valley -being the only civilised relaxation coveted by the mountaineers. Not a -few of the present band are bound thither with matrimonial intentions; -the belles of Nuevo Mejico being to them the _ne plus ultra_ of female -perfection, uniting most conspicuous personal charms (although coated -with cosmetic _alegria_—an herb, with the juice of which the women -of Mexico hideously bedaub their faces), with all the hard-working -industry of Indian squaws. The ladies, on their part, do not hesitate -to leave the paternal abodes, and eternal tortilla-making, to share -the perils and privations of the American mountaineers in the distant -wilderness. Utterly despising their own countrymen, whom they are -used to contrast with the dashing white hunters who swagger in all -the pride of fringe and leather through their towns—they, as is but -natural, gladly accept husbands from the latter class; preferring the -stranger, who possesses the heart and strong right arm to defend them, -to the miserable cowardly “peládos,” who hold what little they have on -sufferance of savage Indians, but one degree superior to themselves. - -Certainly no band of hunters that ever appeared in the vale of Taos, -numbered in its ranks a properer lot of lads than those now camped on -Greenhorn, intent on matrimonial foray into the settlements of New -Mexico. There was young Dick Wooton, who was “some” for his inches, -being six feet six, and as straight and strong as the barrel of his -long rifle. Shoulder to shoulder with this “boy,” stood Rube Herring, -and not a hair's-breadth difference in height or size was there -between them. Killbuck, though mountain winters had sprinkled a few -snow-flakes on his head, _looked up_ to neither; and La Bonté held -his own with any mountaineer who ever set a trap in sight of Long's -Peak or the Snowy Range. Marcellin—who, though a Mexican, despised -his people and abjured his blood, having been all his life in the -mountains with the white hunters—looked down easily upon six feet and -odd inches. In form a Hercules, he had the symmetry of an Apollo; -with strikingly handsome features, and masses of long black hair -hanging from his slouching beaver over the shoulders of his buckskin -hunting shirt. He, as he was wont to say, was “no dam Spaniard, but -'mountainee man,' wagh!” Chabonard, a half-breed, was not lost in -the crowd;—and, the last in height, but the first in every quality -which constitutes excellence in a mountaineer, whether of indomitable -courage, or perfect indifference to death or danger; with an iron -frame capable of withstanding hunger, thirst, heat, cold, fatigue, and -hardships of every kind; of wonderful presence of mind, and endless -resources in times of peril; with the instinct of an animal, and the -moral courage of a _man_—who was “taller” for his inches than KIT -CARSON, paragon of mountaineers?[32] Small in stature, and slenderly -limbed, but with muscles of wire, with a fair complexion and quiet -intelligent features, to look at Kit none would suppose that the -mild-looking being before him was an incarnate devil in Indian fight, -and had raised more hair from head of Redskins than any two men in the -western country; and yet, thirty winters had scarcely planted a line -or furrow on his clean-shaven face. No name, however, was better known -in the mountains—from Yellow Stone to Spanish Peaks, from Missouri to -Columbia River—than that of Kit Carson, “raised” in Boonlick, county -of Missouri State, and a credit to the diggins that gave him birth. - -On Huerfano or Orphan Creek, so called from an isolated _hutte_ which -stands on a prairie near the stream, our party fell in with a village -of Yuta Indians, at that time hostile to the whites. Both parties -were preparing for battle, when Killbuck, who spoke the language, -went forward with signs of peace, and after a talk with several -chiefs, entered into an armistice, each party agreeing not to molest -the other. After trading for a few deer-skins, which the Yutas are -celebrated for dressing delicately fine, the trappers moved hastily -on out of such dangerous company, and camped under the mountain on -Oak Creek, where they forted in a strong position, and constructed a -corral in which to secure their animals at night. At this point is -a tolerable pass through the mountains, where a break occurs in a -range, whence they gradually decrease in magnitude until they meet -the sierras of Mexico, which connect the two mighty chains of the -Andes and the Rocky Mountains. From the summit of the dividing ridge, -to the eastward, a view is had of the vast sea of prairie which -stretches away from the base of the mountains, in dreary barrenness, -for nearly a thousand miles, until it meets the fertile valley of -the great Missouri. Over this boundless expanse, nothing breaks the -uninterrupted solitude of the view. Not a tree or atom of foliage -relieves the eye; for the lines of scattered timber which belt the -streams running from the mountains, are lost in the shadow of their -stupendous height, and beyond this nothing is seen but the bare -surface of the rolling prairie. In no other part of the chain are the -grand characteristics of the Far West more strikingly displayed than -from this pass. The mountains here rise, on the eastern side, abruptly -from the plain, and the view over the great prairies is not therefore -obstructed by intervening ridges. To the westward the eye sweeps over -the broken spurs which stretch from the main range in every direction; -whilst distant peaks, for the most part snow-covered, are seen at -intervals rising isolated above the range. On all sides the scene is -wild and dismal. - -Crossing by this pass, the trappers followed the Yuta trail over a -plain, skirting a pine-covered ridge, in which countless herds of -antelope, tame as sheep, were pasturing. Numerous creeks intersect it, -well timbered with oak, pine, and cedar, and well stocked with game of -all kinds. On the eleventh day from leaving the Huerfano, they struck -the Taos valley settlement on Arroyo Hondo, and pushed on at once to -the village of Fernandez—sometimes, but improperly, called Taos. As -the dashing band clattered through the village, the dark eyes of the -reboso-wrapped muchachas peered from the doors of the adobe houses, -each mouth armed with cigarito, which was at intervals removed to -allow utterance to the salutation to each hunter as he trotted past of -_Adios Americanos_,—“Welcome to Fernandez!” and then they hurried off -to prepare for the fandango, which invariably followed the advent of -the mountaineers. The men, however, seemed scarcely so well pleased; -but leaned sulkily against the walls, their sarapes turned over the -left shoulder, and concealing the lower part of the face, the hand -appearing from its upper folds only to remove the eternal cigarro from -their lips. They, from under their broad-brimmed sombreros, scowled -with little affection upon the stalwart hunters, who clattered past -them, scarcely deigning to glance at the sullen Peládos, but paying -incomprehensible compliments to the buxom wenches who smiled at them -from the doors. Thus exchanging salutations, they rode up to the house -of an old mountaineer, who had long been settled here with a New -Mexican wife, and who was the recognised entertainer of the hunters -when they visited Taos valley, receiving in exchange such peltry as -they brought with them. - -No sooner was it known that Los Americanos had arrived, than nearly -all the householders of Fernandez presented themselves to offer the -use of their “salas” for the fandango which invariably celebrated -their arrival. This was always a profitable event; for as the -mountaineers were generally pretty well “flush” of cash when on -their “spree,” and as open-handed as an Indian could wish, the sale -of whisky, with which they regaled all comers, produced a handsome -return to the fortunate individual whose room was selected for the -fandango. On this occasion the sala of the Alcalde Don Cornelio Vegil -was selected and put in order; a general invitation was distributed; -and all the dusky beauties of Fernandez were soon engaged in arraying -themselves for the fête. Off came the coats of dirt and “alegnía” -which had bedaubed their faces since the last “funcion,” leaving -their cheeks clear and clean. Water was profusely used, and their -cuerpos were doubtless astonished by the unusual lavation. Their long -black hair was washed and combed, plastered behind their ears, and -plaited into a long queue, which hung down their backs. _Enaguas_ -of gaudy colour (red most affected) were donned, fastened round the -waist with ornamented belts, and above this a snow-white _camisita_ -of fine linen was the only covering, allowing a prodigal display -of their charms. Gold and silver ornaments, of antiquated pattern, -decorate their ears and necks; and massive crosses of the precious -metals, wrought from the gold or silver of their own placeres, hang -pendant on their breasts. The enagua or petticoat, reaching about -halfway between the knee and ancle, displays their well-turned limbs, -destitute of stockings, and their tiny feet, thrust into quaint little -shoes (_zapatitos_) of Cinderellan dimensions. Thus equipped, with the -reboso drawn over their heads and faces, out of the folds of which -their brilliant eyes flash like lightning, and each pretty mouth -armed with its cigarito, they coquettishly enter the fandango.[33] -Here, at one end of a long room, are seated the musicians, their -instruments being generally a species of guitar, called heaca, a -_bandolin_, and an Indian drum, called _tombé_—one of each. Round the -room groups of New Mexicans lounge, wrapped in the eternal sarape, and -smoking of course, scowling with jealous eyes at the more favoured -mountaineers. These, divested of their hunting-coats of buckskins, -appear in their bran-new shirts of gaudy calico, and close fitting -buckskin pantaloons, with long fringes down the outside seam from the -hip to the ancle; with moccasins, ornamented with bright beads and -porcupine quills. Each, round his waist, wears his mountain-belt and -scalp-knife, ominous of the company he is in, and some have pistols -sticking in their belt. - -The dances—save the mark!—are without form or figure, at least -those in which the white hunters sport the “fantastic toe.” Seizing -his partner round the waist with the gripe of a grisly bear, each -mountaineer whirls and twirls, jumps and stamps; introduces Indian -steps used in the “scalp” or “buffalo” dances, whooping occasionally -with unearthly cry, and then subsiding into the jerking step, raising -each foot alternately from the ground, so much in vogue in Indian -ballets. The hunters have the floor all to themselves. The Mexicans -have no chance in such physical force dancing; and if a dancing -Peládo[34] steps into the ring, a lead-like thump from a galloping -mountaineer quickly sends him sprawling, with the considerate -remark—“Quit, you darned Spaniard! you can't 'shine' in this crowd.” - -During a lull, guagés[35] filled with whisky go the rounds—offered to -and seldom refused by the ladies—sturdily quaffed by the mountaineers, -and freely swallowed by the Peládos, who drown their jealousy and -envious hate of their entertainers in potent aguardiente. Now, as the -guagés are oft refilled and as often drained, and as night advances, -so do the spirits of the mountaineers become more boisterous, while -their attentions to their partners become warmer—the jealousy of -the natives waxes hotter thereat—and they begin to show symptoms -of resenting the endearments which the mountaineers bestow upon -their wives and sweethearts. And now, when the room is filled to -crowding,—with two hundred people, swearing, drinking, dancing, and -shouting—the half-dozen Americans monopolising the fair, to the -evident disadvantage of at least threescore scowling Peládos, it -happens that one of these, maddened by whisky and the green-eyed -monster, suddenly seizes a fair one from the waist-encircling arm of -a mountaineer, and pulls her from her partner. Wagh!—La Bonté—it is -he—stands erect as a pillar for a moment, then raises his hand to -his mouth, and gives a ringing war-whoop—jumps upon the rash Peládo, -seizes him by the body as if he were a child, lifts him over his head, -and dashes him with the force of a giant against the wall. - -The war, long threatened, has commenced; twenty Mexicans draw their -knives and rush upon La Bonté, who stands his ground, and sweeps them -down with his ponderous fist, one after another, as they throng around -him. “Howgh-owgh-owgh-owgh-h!” the well-known warhoop, bursts from the -throats of his companions, and on they rush to the rescue. The women -scream, and block the door in their eagerness to escape; and thus -the Mexicans are compelled to stand their ground and fight. Knives -glitter in the light, and quick thrusts are given and parried. In the -centre of the room the whites stand shoulder to shoulder—covering the -floor with Mexicans by their stalwart blows; but the odds are fearful -against them, and other assailants crowd up to supply the place of -those who fall. - -The alarm being given by the shrieking women, reinforcements of -Peládos rushed to the scene of action, but could not enter the -room, which was already full. The odds began to tell against the -mountaineers, when Kit Carson's quick eye caught sight of a high -stool or stone, supported by three long heavy legs. In a moment he had -cleared his way to this, and in another the three legs were broken off -and in the hands of himself, Dick Wooton, and La Bonté. Sweeping them -round their heads, down came the heavy weapons amongst the Mexicans -with wonderful effect—each blow, dealt by the nervous arms of Wooton -and La Bonté, mowing down a good half-dozen of the assailants. At this -the mountaineers gave a hearty whoop, and charged the wavering enemy -with such resistless vigour, that they gave way and bolted through the -door, leaving the floor strewed with wounded, many most dangerously; -for, as may be imagined, a thrust from the keen scalp-knife by the -nervous arm of a mountaineer was no baby blow, and seldom failed to -strike home—up to the “Green River”[36] on the blade. - -The field being won, the whites, too, beat a quick retreat to the -house where they were domiciled, and where they had left their rifles. -Without their trusty weapons they felt, indeed, unarmed; and not -knowing how the affair just over would be followed up, lost no time in -making preparations for defence. However, after great blustering on -the part of the prefecto, who, accompanied by a _posse comitatus_ of -“Greasers,” proceeded to the house, and demanded the surrender of all -concerned in the affair—which proposition was received with a yell of -derision—the business was compounded by the mountaineers promising to -give sundry dollars to the friends of two of the Mexicans, who died -during the night of their wounds, and to pay for a certain amount of -masses to be sung for the repose of their souls in purgatory. Thus the -affair blew over; but for several days the mountaineers never showed -themselves in the streets of Fernandez without their rifles on their -shoulders, and refrained from attending fandangos for the present, and -until the excitement had cooled down. - -A bitter feeling, however, existed on the part of the men; and one -or two offers of a matrimonial nature were rejected by the papas of -certain ladies who had been wooed by some of the white hunters, and -their hands formally demanded from the respective padres. - -La Bonté had been rather smitten with the charms of one Dolores -Salazar—a buxom lass, more than three parts Indian in her blood, but -confessedly the “beauty” of the Vale of Taos. She, by dint of eye, -and of nameless acts of elaborate coquetry, with which the sex so -universally bait their traps, whether in the salons of Belgravia, or -the rancherias of New Mexico, contrived to make considerable havoc in -the heart of our mountaineer; and when once Dolores saw she had made -an impression, she followed up her advantage with all the arts the -most civilised of her sex could use when fishing for a husband. - -La Bonté, however, was too old a hunter to be easily caught; and -before committing himself, he sought the advice of his tried companion -Killbuck. Taking him to a retired spot without the village, he drew -out his pipe and charged it—seated himself cross-legged on the ground, -and, with Indian gravity, composed himself for a “talk.” - -“Ho, Killbuck!” he began, touching the ground with the bowl of his -pipe, and then turning the stem upwards for “_medicine_”—“Hyar's -a child feels squamptious like, and nigh upon 'gone beaver,' _he_ -is—Wagh!” - -“Wagh!” exclaimed Killbuck, all attention. - -“Old hos,” continued the other, “thar's no use câching anyhow what a -niggur feels—so hyar's to 'put out.' You're good for beaver _I_ know; -at deer or buffler, or darned red Injun either, you're 'some.' Now -that's a fact. 'Off-hand,' or 'with a rest,' you make 'em 'come.' -You knows the 'sign' of Injuns slick—Blackfoot or Sioux, Pawnee or -Burnt-wood, Zeton, Rapaho, Shian, or Shoshonée, Yutah, Piyutah, or -Yamhareek—their trail's a plain as writin', old hos, to you.” - -“Wagh!” grunted Killbuck, blushing bronze at all these compliments. - -“Your sight ain't bad. Elks is elk; black-tail deer ain't white-tails; -and b'ar is b'ar to you, and nothin' else, a long mile off and more.” - -“Wa-agh!” - -“Thar ain't a track as leaves its mark upon the plains or mountains -but you can read off-hand; that I've see'd myself. But tell me, old -hos, can you make understand the 'sign' as shows itself in a woman's -breast?” - -Killbuck removed the pipe from his mouth, raised his head, and puffed -a rolling cloud of smoke into the air,—knocked the ashes from the -bowl, likewise made his “medicine”—and answered thus:— - -“From Red River, away up north amongst the Britishers, to Heely (Gila) -in the Spanish country—from old Missoura to the Sea of Californy, -I've trapped and hunted. I knows the Injuns and thar 'sign,' and they -knows _me_, I'm thinkin. Thirty winters has snowed on me in these -hyar mountains, and a niggur or a Spaniard[37] would larn 'some' in -that time. This old tool” (tapping his rifle) “shoots 'center' _she_ -does; and if thar's game afoot, this child knows 'bull' from 'cow,' -and ought to could. That deer is deer, and goats is goats, is plain -as paint to any but a greenhorn. Beaver's a cunning crittur, but I've -trapped a 'heap;' and at killing meat when meat's a-running, I'll -'shine' in the biggest kind of crowd. For twenty year I packed a squaw -along. Not one, but a many. First I had a Blackfoot—the darndest slut -as ever cried for fofarrow. I lodge-poled her on Colter's Creek, and -made her quit. My buffler hos, and as good as four packs of beaver, I -gave for old Bull-tail's daughter. He was head chief of the Ricaree, -and 'came' nicely 'round' me. Thar was'nt enough scarlet cloth, nor -beads, nor vermilion in Sublette's packs for her. Traps wouldn't buy -her all the fofarrow she wanted; and in two years I'd sold her to -Cross-Eagle for one of Jake Hawkin's guns—this very one I hold in my -hands. Then I tried the Sioux, the Shian, and a Digger from the other -side, who made the best moccasin as ever _I_ wore. She was the best of -all, and was rubbed out by the Yutas in the Bayou Salade. Bad was the -best; and after she was gone under I tried no more. - -“Afore I left the settlements I know'd a white gal, and she was some -punkins. I have never seed nothing as 'ould beat her. Red blood won't -'shine' any ways you fix it; and though I'm h— for 'sign,' a woman's -breast is the hardest kind of rock to me, and leaves no trail that -I can see of. I've hearn you talk of a gal in Memphis county; Mary -Brand you called her oncest. The gal I said _I_ know'd, her name I -disremember, but she stands before me as plain as Chimley Rock on -Platte, and thirty year and more har'nt changed a feature in her face, -to me. - -“If you ask this child, he'll tell you to leave the Spanish slut to -her Greasers, and hold on till you take the trail to old Missoura, -whar white and Christian gals are to be had for axing. Wagh!” - -La Bonté rose to his feet. The mention of Mary Brand's name decided -him; and he said— - -“Darn the Spaniard! she can't shine with me; come, old hos! let's -move.” - -And, shouldering their rifles, the two compañeros returned to the -Ranch. More than one of the mountaineers had fulfilled the object of -their journey, and had taken to themselves a partner from amongst -the belles of Taos, and now they were preparing for their return -to the mountains. Dick Wooton was the only unfortunate one. He had -wooed a damsel whose parents peremptorily forbade their daughter to -wed the hunter, and he therefore made ready for his departure with -considerable regret. - -The day came, however. The band of mountaineers were already mounted, -and those with wives in charge were some hours on the road, leaving -the remainder quaffing many a stirrup-cup before they left. Dick -Wooton was as melancholy as a buffalo bull in spring; and as he rode -down the village, and approached the house of his lady-love, who stood -wrapped in reboso, and cigarito in mouth, on the sill of the door, he -turned away his head as if dreading to say adios. La Bonté rode beside -him, and a thought struck him. - -“Ho, Dick!” he said, “thar's the gal, and thar's the mountains: shoot -sharp's the word.” - -Dick instantly understood him, and was “himself again.” He rode up to -the girl as if to bid her adieu, and she came to meet him. Whispering -one word, she put her foot upon his, was instantly seized round the -waist, and placed upon the horn of his saddle. He struck spurs into -his horse, and in a minute was out of sight, his three companions -covering his retreat, and menacing with their rifles the crowd which -was soon drawn to the spot by the cries of the girl's parents, who had -been astonished spectators of the daring rape. - -The trapper and his bride, however, escaped scatheless, and the whole -party effected a safe passage of the mountains, and reached the -Arkansa, where the band was broken up,—some proceeding to Bent's Fort, -and others to the Platte, amongst whom were Killbuck and La Bonté, -still in company. - -These two once more betook themselves to trapping, the Yellow Stone -being their chief hunting-ground. But we must again leap over months -and years, rather than conduct the reader through all their perilous -wanderings, and at last bring him back to the camp on Bijou, where -we first introduced him to our mountaineers; and as we have already -followed them on the Arapaho trail, which they pursued to recover -their stolen animals from a band of that nation, we will once again -seat ourselves at the camp on Boiling Spring, where they had met a -strange hunter on a solitary expedition to the Bayou Salade, whose -double-barrelled rifle had excited their wonder and curiosity. - -From him they learned also that a large band of Mormons were -wintering on the Arkansa, _en route_ to the Great Salt Lake and Upper -California; and as our hunters had before fallen in with the advanced -guard of these fanatic emigrants, and felt no little wonder that -such helpless people should undertake so long a journey through the -wilderness, the stranger narrated to them the history of the sect, -which we shall shortly transcribe for the benefit of the reader. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - -The Mormons were originally of the sect known as “Latter-day -Saints,” which sect flourishes wherever Anglo-Saxon gulls are found -in sufficient numbers to swallow the egregious nonsense of fanatic -humbugs who fatten upon their credulity. In the United States they -especially abounded; but, the creed becoming “slow,” one Joe Smith, a -_smart_ man, arose from its ranks, and instilled a little life into -the decaying sect. - -Joe, better known as the “Prophet Joe,” was taking his siesta one -fine day, upon hill in one of the New England States, when an angel -suddenly appeared to him, and made known the locality of a new Bible -or Testament, which contained the history of the lost tribes of -Israel; that these tribes were no other than the Indian nations which -possessed the continent of America at the time of its discovery, -and the remains of which still existed in their savage state; that, -through the agency of Joe, these were to be reclaimed, collected into -the bosom of a church to be there established, according to principles -which would be found in the wonderful book—and which church was -gradually to receive into its bosom all other churches, sects, and -persuasions, with “unanimity of belief and perfect brotherhood.” - -After a certain probation, Joe was led in body and spirit to the -mountain; by the angel who first appeared to him, was pointed out the -position of the wonderful book, which was covered by a flat stone, -on which would be found two round pebbles, called Urim and Thummim, -and through the agency of which the mystic characters inscribed on -the pages of the book were to be deciphered and translated. Joe found -the spot indicated without any difficulty, cleared away the earth, -and discovered a hollow place formed by four flat stones; on removing -the topmost one of which sundry plates of brass presented themselves, -covered with quaint and antique carving; on the top lay Urim and -Thummim (commonly known to the Mormons as Mummum and Thummum, the -pebbles of wonderful virtue), through which the miracle of reading the -plates of brass was to be performed. - -Joe Smith, on whom the mantle of Moses had so suddenly fallen, -carefully removed the plates and hid them, burying himself in woods -and mountains whilst engaged in the work of translation. However, he -made no secret of the important task imposed upon him, nor of the -great work to which he had been called. Numbers at once believed -him, but not a few were deaf to belief, and openly derided him. -Being persecuted (as the sect declares, at the instigation of the -authorities), and many attempts being made to steal his precious -treasure, Joe, one fine night, packed his plates in a sack of beans, -bundled them into a Jersey waggon, and made tracks for the West. Here -he completed the great work of translation, and not long after gave -to the world the “Book of Mormon,” a work as bulky as the Bible, and -called “of Mormon,” for so was the prophet named by whose hand the -history of the lost tribes had been handed down in the plates of brass -thus miraculously preserved for thousands of years, and brought to -light through the agency of Joseph Smith. - -The fame of the Book of Mormon spread over all America, and even to -Great Britain and Ireland. Hundreds of proselytes flocked to Joe, to -hear from his lips the doctrine of Mormonism; and in a very brief -period the Mormons became a numerous and recognised sect, and Joe was -at once, and by universal acclamation, installed as the head of the -Mormon church, and was ever after known by the name of the “Prophet -Joseph.” - -However, from certain peculiarities in their social system, the -Mormons became rather unpopular in the settled States, and at length -moved bodily into Missouri, where they purchased several tracts -of land in the neighbourhood of Independence. Here they erected a -large building, which they called the Lord's Store, where goods were -collected on the common account, and retailed to members of the -church at moderate prices. All this time their numbers increased in -a wonderful manner, and immigrants from all parts of the States, as -well as Europe, continually joined them. As they became stronger, they -grew bolder and more arrogant in their projects. They had hitherto -been considered as bad neighbours, on account of their pilfering -propensities, and their utter disregard of the conventional decencies -of society—exhibiting the greatest immorality, and endeavouring to -establish amongst their society an indiscriminate concubinage. This -was sufficient to produce an ill feeling against them on the part of -their neighbours, the honest Missourians; but they still tolerated -their presence amongst them, until the Saints openly proclaimed their -intention of seizing upon the country, and expelling by force the -present occupants—giving, as their reason, that it had been revealed -to their prophets that the “Land of Zion” was to be possessed by -themselves alone. - -The sturdy Missourians began to think this was a little too strong, -and that, if they permitted such aggressions any longer, they would -be in a fair way of being despoiled of their lands by the Mormon -interlopers. At length matters came to a crisis, and the Saints, -emboldened by the impunity with which they had hitherto carried out -their plans, issued a proclamation to the effect that all in that part -of the country, who did not belong to the Mormon persuasion, must -“clear out,” and give up possession of their lands and houses. The -Missourians collected in a body, burned the printing-press from which -the proclamation had emanated, seized several of the Mormon leaders, -and, after inflicting a summary chastisement, “tarred and feathered” -them, and let them go. - -To revenge this insult, the Mormons marshalled an army of Saints, and -marched upon Independence, threatening vengeance against the town -and people. Here they met, however, a band of sturdy backwoodsmen, -armed with rifles, determined to defend the town against the fanatic -mob, who, not relishing their appearance, refused the encounter, and -surrendered their leaders at the first demand. The prisoners were -afterwards released, on condition that the Mormons left that part of -the country without delay. - -Accordingly, they once more “took up their beds and walked,” crossing -the Missouri to Clay County, where they established themselves, and -would finally have formed a thriving settlement but for their own -acts of wilful dishonesty. At this time their blasphemous mummery -knew no bounds. Joe Smith, and other prophets who had lately arisen, -were declared to be chosen of God; and it was the general creed that, -on the day of judgment, the former would take his stand on the right -hand of the judgment-seat, and that none would pass into the kingdom -of heaven without his seal and touch. One of their tenets was the -faith in “spiritual matrimony.” No woman, it appeared, would be -admitted into heaven unless “passed” by a saint. To qualify them for -this, it was necessary that the woman should first be received by the -guaranteeing Mormon as an “earthly wife,” in order that he did not -pass in any of whom he had no knowledge. The consequence of this state -of things may be imagined. The most debasing immorality was a precept -of the order, and an almost universal concubinage existed amongst -the sect, which at this time numbered at least forty thousand. Their -disregard to the laws of decency and morality was such as could not be -tolerated in any class of civilised society. - -Again did the honest Missourians set their faces against this -pernicious example, and when the county to which the Mormons had -removed became more thickly settled, they rose to a man against the -modern Gomorrah. The Mormons, by this time, having on their part -gained considerable accession to their strength, thought to set the -laws at defiance, organised and armed large bodies of men, in order -to maintain the ascendency over the legitimate settlers, and bid fair -to constitute an “imperium in imperio” in the State, and become the -sole possessors of the public lands. This, of course, could not be -tolerated. Governor Boggs at once ordered out a large force of State -militia to put down this formidable demonstration, marched against -the Mormons, and suppressed the insurrectionary movement without -bloodshed. - -From Clay County they moved still farther into the wilds, and settled -at last in Caldwell County, where they built the town of “Far West,” -and here they remained for the space of three years. - -During this time they were continually receiving converts to the -faith, and many of the more ignorant country people were disposed to -join them, being only deterred by the fear of incurring ridicule from -the stronger-minded. The body of the Mormons seeing this, called upon -their prophet, Joe Smith, to perform a miracle in public before all -comers, which was to prove to those of their own people who still -doubted the doctrine, the truth of what it advanced—(the power of -performing miracles was stedfastly declared to be in their hands by -the prophets)—and to enlist those who wavered in the Mormon cause. - -The prophet instantly agreed, and declared that, upon a certain day, -he would walk across the broad waters of the Missouri without wetting -the soles of his feet. On the appointed day, the river banks were -thronged by an expectant crowd. The Mormons sang hymns of praise in -honour of their prophet, and were proud of the forthcoming miracle, -which was to set finally at rest all doubt as to his power and -sanctity. - -This power of performing miracles and effecting miraculous cures of -the sick, was so generally believed by the Mormons, that physic was -never used amongst them. The prophets visited the beds of the sick, -and laid hands upon them, and if, as of course was almost invariably -the case, the patient died, it was attributed to his or her want of -faith; but if, on the contrary, the patient recovered, there was -universal glorification on the miraculous cure. - -Joe Smith was a tall, fine-looking man, of most plausible address, -and possessed the gift of the gab in great perfection. At the time -appointed for the performance of the walking-water miracle, he duly -attended on the river banks, and descended barefoot to the edge of the -water. - -“My brethren!” he exclaimed in a loud voice, “this day is a happy one -to me, to us all, who venerate the great and only faith. The truth of -our great and blessed doctrine will now be proved before the thousands -I see around me. You have asked me to prove by a miracle that the -power of the prophets of old has been given to me. I say unto you, not -only to me, but to all who have faith. I have faith, and can perform -miracles—that faith empowers me to walk across the broad surface of -that mighty river without wetting the soles of my unworthy feet; but -if ye are to _see_ this miracle performed, it is necessary that ye -have faith also, not only in yourselves, but in me. Have ye this faith -in yourselves?” - -“We have, we have!” roared the crowd. - -“Have ye the faith in me, that ye believe I can perform this miracle?” - -“We have, we have!” roared the crowd. - -“Then,” said Joe Smith, coolly walking away, “with such faith do ye -know well that I _could_, but it boots not that I _should_, do it; -therefore, my brethren, doubt no more”—and Joe put on his boots and -disappeared. - -Being again compelled to emigrate, the Mormons proceeded into the -state of Illinois, where, in a beautiful situation, they founded the -new Jerusalem, which, it had been declared by the prophet Mormon, -should rise out of the wilderness of the west, and where the chosen -people should be collected under one church, and governed by the -elders after a “spiritual fashion.” - -The city of Nauvoo soon became a large and imposing settlement. An -enormous building, called the Temple of Zion, was erected, half church -half hôtel, in which Joe Smith and the other prophets resided—and -large storehouses were connected with it, in which the goods and -chattels belonging to the community were kept for the common good. - -However, here, as every where else, they were continually quarrelling -with their neighbours; and as their numbers increased, so did their -audacity. A regular Mormon militia was again organised and armed, -under the command of experienced officers, who had joined the sect; -and now the authority of the state government was openly defied. In -consequence, the executive took measures to put down the nuisance, -and a regular war commenced, and was carried on for some time, with -no little bloodshed on both sides; and this armed movement is known -in the United States as the Mormon war. The Mormons, however, who, -it seemed, were much better skilled in the use of the tongue than -the rifle, succumbed: the city of Nauvoo was taken, Joe Smith and -other ringleading prophets captured; and the former, in an attempt to -escape from his place of confinement, was seized and shot. The Mormons -declare he had long foretold his own fate, and that when the rifles -of the firing party who were his executioners were levelled at the -prophet's breast, a flash of lightning struck the weapons from their -hands, and blinded for a time the eyes of the sacrilegious soldiers. - -With the death of Joe Smith the prestige of the Mormon cause declined; -but still thousands of proselytes joined them annually, and at last -the state took measures to remove them altogether, as a body, from the -country. - -Once again they fled, as they themselves term it, before the -persecutions of the ungodly! But this time their migration was far -beyond the reach of their enemies, and their intention was to place -between them the impassable barrier of the Rocky Mountains, and to -seek a home and resting-place in the remote regions of the Far West. - -This, the most extraordinary migration of modern times, commenced -in the year 1845; but it was not till the following year that the -great body of the Mormons turned their backs upon the settlements of -the United States, and launched boldly out into the vast and barren -prairies, without any fixed destination as a goal to their endless -journey. For many months, long strings of Pittsburg and Conostaga -waggons, with herds of horses and domestic cattle, wound their way -towards the Indian frontier, with the intention of rendezvousing at -Council Bluffs on the Upper Missouri. Here thousands of waggons were -congregated, with their tens of thousands of men, women, and children, -anxiously waiting the route from the elders of the church, who on -their parts scarcely knew whither to direct the steps of the vast -crowd they had set in motion. At length the indefinite destination of -Oregon and California was proclaimed, and the long train of emigrants -took up the line of march. It was believed the Indian tribes would -immediately fraternise with the Mormons, on their approaching their -country; but the Pawnees quickly undeceived them by running off with -their stock on every opportunity. Besides these losses, at every camp, -horses, sheep, and oxen strayed away and were not recovered, and -numbers died from fatigue and want of provender; so that, before they -had been many weeks on their journey, nearly all their cattle, which -they had brought to stock their new country, were dead or missing, -and those that were left were in most miserable condition. - -They had started so late in the season, that the greater part were -compelled to winter on the Platte, on Grand Island, and in the -vicinity, where they endured the greatest privations and suffering -from cold and hunger. Many who had lost their stock lived upon -roots and pig-nuts; and scurvy, in a most malignant form, and other -disorders, carried off numbers of the wretched fanatics. - -Amongst them were many substantial farmers from all parts of the -United States, who had given up their valuable farms, sold off all -their property, and were dragging their irresponsible and unfortunate -families into the wilderness—carried away by their blind and fanatic -zeal in this absurd and incredible faith. There were also many poor -wretches from different parts of England, mostly of the farm-labouring -class, with wives and families, crawling along with helpless and -almost idiotic despair, but urged forward by the fanatic leaders of -the movement, who promised them a land flowing with milk and honey to -reward them for all their hardships and privations. - -Their numbers were soon reduced by want and disease. When too late, -they often wished themselves back in the old country, and sighed many -a time for the beer and bacon of former days, now preferable to the -dry buffalo meat (but seldom obtainable) of the Far West. - -Evil fortune pursued the Mormons, and dogged their steps. The year -following, some struggled on towards the promised land, and of these -a few reached Oregon and California. Many were killed by hostile -Indians; many perished of hunger, cold, and thirst, in passing the -great wilderness; and many returned to the States, penniless and -crestfallen, and heartily cursing the moment in which they had -listened to the counsels of the Mormon prophet. The numbers who -reached their destination of Oregon, California, and the Great Salt -Lake, are computed at 20,000, of whom the United States had an -unregretted riddance. - -One party had followed the troops of the American government intended -for the conquest of New Mexico and the Californias. Of these a -battalion was formed, and part of it proceeded to Upper California; -but the way being impracticable for waggons, some seventy families -proceeded up the Arkansa, and wintered near the mountains, intending -to cross to the Platte the ensuing spring, and join the main body of -emigrants on their way by the south pass of the Rocky Mountains. - -In the wide and well-timbered bottom of the Arkansa, the Mormons had -erected a street of log shanties, in which to pass the inclement -winter. These were built of rough logs of cottonwood, laid one above -the other, the interstices filled with mud, and rendered impervious to -wind or wet. At one end of the row of shanties was built the “church” -or temple—a long building of huge logs, in which the prayer-meetings -and holdings-forth took place. The band wintering on the Arkansa were -a far better class than the generality of Mormons, and comprised many -wealthy and respectable farmers from the western states, most of whom -were accustomed to the life of woodmen, and were good hunters. Thus -they were enabled to support their families upon the produce of their -rifles, frequently sallying out to the nearest point of the mountains -with a waggon, which they would bring back loaded with buffalo, deer, -and elk meat, thereby saving the necessity of killing any of their -stock of cattle, of which but few remained. - -The mountain hunters found this camp a profitable market for their -meat and deer-skins, with which the Mormons were now compelled to -clothe themselves, and resorted there for that purpose—to say nothing -of the attraction of the many really beautiful Missourian girls who -sported their tall graceful figures at the frequent fandangoes. -Dancing and preaching go hand in hand in Mormon doctrine, and the -“temple” was generally cleared for a hop two or three times during -the week, a couple of fiddles doing the duty of orchestra. A party of -mountaineers came in one day, bringing some buffalo meat and dressed -deer-skins, and were invited to be present at one of these festivals. - -Arrived at the temple, they were rather taken aback by finding -themselves in for a sermon, which one of the elders delivered -preparatory to the “physical exercises.” The preacher was one -Brown—called, by reason of his commanding a company of Mormon -volunteers, “Cap'en Brown”—a hard-featured, black-coated man of -five-and-forty, correctly got up in black continuations, and white -handkerchief round his neck, a costume seldom seen at the foot of -the Rocky Mountains. The Cap'en, rising, cleared his voice, and thus -commenced, first turning to an elder (with whom there was a little -rivalry in the way of preaching):—“Brother Dowdle!”—(brother Dowdle -blushed and nodded: he was a long tallow-faced man, with black hair -combed over his face)—“I feel like holding forth a little this -afternoon, before we glorify the Lord,—a—a—in the—a—holy dance. As -there are a many strange gentlemen now—a—present, it's about right to -tell 'em—a—what our doctrine just is, and so I tells 'em right off -what the Mormons is. They are the chosen of the Lord; they are the -children of glory, persecuted by the hand of man: they flies here to -the wilderness, and, amongst the _Injine_ and the buffler, they lifts -up their heads, and cries with a loud voice, Susannah, and hurray for -the promised land! Do you believe it? I _know_ it. - -“They wants to know whar we're going. Whar the church goes—thar we -goes. Yes, to hell, and pull the devil off his throne—that's what -we'll do. Do you believe it? I _know_ it. - -“Thar's milk and honey in that land as we're goin' to, and the lost -tribes of Israel is thar, and will jine us. They say as we'll starve -on the road, bekase thar's no game and no water; but thar's manna up -in heaven, and it 'll rain on us, and thar's prophets among us can -make the water 'come.' Can't they, brother Dowdle?” - -“_Well_, they can.” - -“And now, what have the Gen_tiles_ and the Philis_tines_ to say -against us Mormons? They says we're thieves, and steal hogs; yes, -d—— 'em! they say we has as many wives as we like. So we have. I've -twenty—forty, myself, and mean to have as many more as I can get. But -it's to pass unfortunate females into heaven that I has 'em—yes, to -prevent 'em going to roaring flames and damnation that I does it. - -“Brother Dowdle,” he continued, in a hoarse, low voice, “I've 'give -out,' and think we'd better begin the exercises grettful to the Lord.” - -Brother Dowdle rose, and, after saying that “he didn't feel like -saying much, begged to remind all hands, that dancing was solemn like, -to be done with proper devotion, and not with laughing and talking, -of which he hoped to hear little or none; that joy was to be in their -hearts, and not on their lips; that they danced for the glory of the -Lord, and not their own amusement, as did the Gen_tiles_.” After -saying thus, he called upon brother Ezra to “strike up:” sundry -couples stood forth, and the ball commenced. - -Ezra of the violin was a tall, shambling Missourian, with a pair of -“homespun” pantaloons thrust into the legs of his heavy boots. Nodding -his head in time with the music, he occasionally gave instructions to -such of the dancers as were at fault, singing them to the tune he was -playing, in a dismal nasal tone,— - - “Down the centre—hands across,” - “You, Jake Herring—thump it,” - “Now, you all go right ahead— - Every one of you hump it. - Every one of you—_hump it_.” - -The last words being the signal that all should clap the steam on, -which they did _con amore_, and with comical seriousness. - -A mountaineer, Rube Herring, whom we have more than once met in the -course of this narrative, became a convert to the Mormon creed, -and held forth its wonderful doctrines to such of the incredulous -trappers as he could induce to listen to him. Old Rube stood nearly -six feet six in height, and was spare and bony in make. He had picked -up a most extraordinary cloth coat amongst the Mormons, which had -belonged to some one his equal in stature. This coat, which was of -a snuff-brown colour, had its waist about a hand's span from the -nape of Rube's neck, or about a yard above its proper position, and -the skirts reached to his ancles. A slouching felt-hat covered his -head, from which long black hair escaped, hanging in flakes over his -lantern-jaws. His pantaloons of buckskin were shrunk with wet, and -reached midway between his knees and ancles, and his huge feet were -encased in moccasins of buffalo-cow skin. - -Rube was never without the book of Mormon in his hand, and his -sonorous voice might be heard, at all hours of the day and night, -reading passages from its wonderful pages. He stood the badgering -of the hunters with most perfect good humour, and said there never -was such a book as that ever before printed; that the Mormons were -the “biggest kind” of prophets, and theirs the best faith ever man -believed in. - -Rube had let out one day that he was to be hired as guide by this -party of Mormons to the Great Salt Lake; but their destination being -changed, and his services not required, a wonderful change came over -his mind. He was, as usual, book of Mormon in hand, when brother Brown -announced the change in their plans; at which the book was cast into -the Arkansa, and Rube exclaimed—“Cuss your darned Mummum and Thummum! -thar's not one among you knows 'fat cow' from 'poor bull,' and you may -go h—— for me.” And turning away, old Rube spat out a quid of tobacco -and his Mormonism together. - -Amongst the Mormons was an old man, named Brand, from Memphis county, -state of Tennessee, with a family of a daughter and two sons, the -latter with their wives and children. Brand was a wiry old fellow, -nearly seventy years of age, but still stout and strong, and wielded -axe or rifle better than many a younger man. If truth be told, he was -not a very red-hot Mormon, and had joined them as much for the sake -of company to California, whither he had long resolved to emigrate, -as from any implicit credence in the faith. His sons were strapping -fellows, of the sterling stuff that the Western pioneers are made of; -his daughter Mary, a fine woman of thirty, for whose state of single -blessedness there must doubtless have been sufficient reason; for she -was not only remarkably handsome, but was well known in Memphis to be -the best-tempered and most industrious young woman in those diggings. -She was known to have received several advantageous offers, all of -which she had refused; and report said, that it was from having been -disappointed in very early life in an _affaire du cœur_, at an age -when such wounds sometimes strike strong and deep, leaving a scar -difficult to heal. Neither his daughter, nor any of his family, had -been converted to the Mormon doctrine, but had ever kept themselves -aloof, and refused to join or associate with them; and, for this -reason, the family had been very unpopular with the Mormon families -on the Arkansa; and hence, probably, one great reason why they now -started alone on their journey. - -Spring had arrived, and it was time the Mormons should proceed on -their march; but whether already tired of the sample they had had of -life in the wilderness, or fearful of encountering the perils of the -Indian country, not one amongst them, with the exception of old Brand, -seemed inclined to pursue the journey farther. That old backwoodsman, -however, was not to be deterred, but declared his intention of -setting out alone, with his family, and risking all the dangers to be -anticipated. - -One fine sunny evening in April of 1847, when the cottonwoods on the -banks of the Arkansa began to put forth their buds, and robins and -blue-birds—harbingers of spring—were hopping, with gaudy plumage, -through the thickets, three white-tilted Conostoga waggons emerged -from the timbered bottom of the river, and rumbled slowly over the -prairie, in the direction of the Platte's waters. Each waggon was -drawn by eight oxen, and contained a portion of the farming implements -and household utensils of the Brand family. The teams were driven by -the young boys, the men following in rear with shouldered rifles—Old -Brand himself mounted on an Indian horse, leading the advance. The -women were safely housed under the shelter of the waggon tilts, and -out of the first the mild face of Mary Brand smiled adieu to many -of her old companions who had accompanied them thus far, and now -wished them “God-speed” on their long journey. Some mountaineers, too, -galloped up, dressed in buckskin, and gave them rough greeting—warning -the men to keep their “eyes skinned,” and look out for the Arapahos, -who were out on the waters of the Platte. Presently all retired, and -then the huge waggons and the little company were rolling on their -solitary way through the deserted prairies—passing the first of the -many thousand miles which lay between them and the “setting sun,” as -the Indians style the distant regions of the Far West. And on, without -casting a look behind him, doggedly and boldly marched old Brand, -followed by his sturdy family. - -They made but a few miles that evening, for the first day the _start_ -is all that is effected; and nearly the whole morning is taken up in -getting fairly under weigh. The loose stock had been sent off earlier, -for they had been collected and corralled the previous night; and, -after a twelve hours' fast, it was necessary they should reach the -end of the day's journey betimes. They found the herd grazing in the -bottom of the Arkansa, at a point previously fixed upon for their -first camp. Here the oxen were unyoked, and the waggons drawn up so as -to form the three sides of a small square. The women then descended -from their seats, and prepared the evening meal. A huge fire was -kindled before the waggons, and round this the whole party collected; -whilst large kettles of coffee boiled on it, and hoe-cakes baked upon -the embers. - -The women were sadly downhearted, as well they might be, with the -dreary prospect before them; and poor Mary, when she saw the Mormon -encampment shut out from her sight by the rolling bluffs, and nothing -before her but the bleak, barren prairie, could not divest herself -of the idea that she had looked for the last time on civilised -fellow-creatures, and fairly burst into tears. - -In the morning the heavy waggons rolled on again across the upland -prairies, to strike the trail used by the traders in passing from the -south fork of the Platte to the Arkansa. They had for guide a Canadian -voyageur, who had been in the service of the Indian traders, and knew -the route well, and who had agreed to pilot them to Fort Lancaster, on -the north fork of the Platte. Their course led for about thirty miles -up the Boiling Spring River, whence they pursued a north-easterly -course to the dividing ridge which separates the waters of the Platte -and Arkansa. Their progress was slow, for the ground was saturated -with wet, and exceedingly heavy for the cattle, and they scarcely -advanced more than ten miles a-day. - -At the camp-fire at night, Antoine, the Canadian guide, amused them -with tales of the wild life and perilous adventures of the hunters and -trappers who make the mountains their home; often extorting a scream -from the women by the description of some scene of Indian fight and -slaughter, or beguiling them of a commiserating tear by the narrative -of the sufferings and privations endured by those hardy hunters in -their arduous life. - -Mary listened with the greater interest, since she remembered that -such was the life which had been led by one very dear to her—by one, -long supposed to be dead, of whom she had never but once, since -his departure, nearly fifteen years before, heard a syllable. Her -imagination pictured him as the bravest and most daring of these -adventurous hunters, and conjured up his figure charging through the -midst of whooping savages, or stretched on the ground perishing from -wounds, or cold, or famine. - -Amongst the characters who figured in Antoine's stories, a hunter -named La Bonté was made conspicuous for deeds of hardiness and daring. -The first mention of the name caused the blood to rush to Mary's face: -not that she for a moment imagined it was her La Bonté, for she knew -the name was a common one; but, associated with feelings which she had -never got the better of, it recalled a sad epoch in her former life, -to which she could not look back without mingled pain and pleasure. - -Once only, and about two years after his departure, had she ever -received tidings of her former lover. A mountaineer had returned from -the Far West to settle in his native State, and had found his way to -the neighbourhood of old Brand's farm. Meeting him by accident, Mary, -hearing him speak of the mountain hunters, had inquired, tremblingly, -after La Bonté. Her informant knew him well—had trapped in company -with him—and had heard at the trading fort, whence he had taken his -departure for the settlements, that La Bonté had been killed on the -Yellow Stone by Blackfeet; which report was confirmed by some Indians -of that nation. This was all she had ever learned of the lover of her -youth. - -Now, upon hearing the name of La Bonté so often mentioned by Antoine, -a vague hope was raised in her breast that he was still alive, and she -took an opportunity of questioning the Canadian closely on the subject. - -“Who was this La Bonté, Antoine, who you say was so brave a -mountaineer?” she asked one day. - -“J'ne sais pas; he vas un beau garçon, and strong comme le -diable—enfant de garce, mais he pas not care a dam for les sauvages, -pe gar. He shoot de centare avec his carabine; and ride de cheval -comme one Comanche. He trap heap castor, (what you call beevare,) -and get plenty dollare—mais he open hand vare wide—and got none too. -Den, he hont vid de Blackfoot and avec de Cheyenne, and all round de -montaignes he hont dam sight.” - -“But, Antoine, what became of him at last? and why did he not come -home, when he made so many dollars?” asked poor Mary. - -“Enfant de garce, mais pourquoi he com home? Pe gar, de montaigne-man, -he love de montaigne and de prairie more better dan he love de grandes -villes—même de Saint Louis ou de Montreal. Wagh! La Bonté, well, he -one montaigne-man, wagh! He love de buffaloe and de chevreaux plus -que de bœuf and de mouton, may be. Mais on-dit dat he have autre -raison—dat de gal he lofe in Missouri not lofe him, and for dis he not -go back. Mais now he go ondare, m' on dit. He vas go to de Californe, -may be to steal de hos and de mule—pe gar, and de Espagnols rub him -out, and take his hair, so he mort.” - -“But are you sure of this?” she asked, trembling with grief. - -“Ah, now, j'ne suis pas sûr, mais I tink you know dis La Bonté. -Enfant de garce, maybe you de gal in Missouri he lofe, and not lofe -him. Pe gar! 'fant de garce! fort beau garçon dis La Bonté, pourquoi -you ne l'aimez pas? Maybe he not gone ondare. Maybe he turn op, -autrefois. De trappares, dey go ondare tree, four, ten times, mais -dey turn op twenty time. De sauvage not able for kill La Bonté, ni de -dam Espagnols. Ah, non! ne craignez pas; pe gar, he not gone ondare -encore.” - -Spite of the good-natured attempts of the Canadian, poor Mary burst -into a flood of tears: not that the information took her unawares, for -she long had believed him dead; but because the very mention of his -name awoke the strongest feelings within her breast, and taught her -how deep was the affection she had felt for him whose loss and violent -fate she now bewailed. - -As the waggons of the lone caravan roll on towards the Platte, we -return to the camp where La Bonté, Killbuck, and the stranger, were -sitting before the fire when last we saw them:—Killbuck loquitur:— - -“The doins of them Mormon fools can't be beat by Spaniards, stranger. -Their mummums and thummums you speak of won't 'shine' whar Injuns are -about; nor pint out a trail, whar nothin crossed but rattler-snakes -since fust it snow'd on old Pike's Peak. If they pack along them -_profits_, as you tell of, who can make it rain hump-ribs and -marrow-guts when the crowd gets out of the buffler range, they are -'some,' now, that's a fact. But this child don't believe it. I'd -laugh to get a sight on these darned Mormonites, I would. They're 'no -account,' I guess; and it's the 'meanest' kind of action to haul their -women critters and their young 'uns to sech a starving country as the -Californys.” - -“They are not all Mormons in the crowd,” said the strange hunter; “and -there's one family amongst them with some smartish boys and girls, I -tell you. Their name's Brand.” - -La Bonté looked up from the lock of his rifle, which he was -cleaning—but either didn't hear, or, hearing, didn't heed, for he -continued his work. - -“And they are going to part company,” continued the stranger, “and -put out alone for Platte and the South Pass.” - -“They'll lose their hair, I'm thinking,” said Killbuck, “if the -Rapahos are out thar.” - -“I hope not,” continued the other, “for there's a girl amongst them -worth more than that.” - -“Poor beaver!” said La Bonté, looking up from his work. “I'd hate to -see any white gal in the hands of Injuns, and of Rapahos worse than -all. Where does she come from, stranger?” - -“Down below St Louis, from Tennessee, I've heard them say.” - -“Tennessee,” cried La Bonté,—“hurrah for the old State! What's her -name, stran——” At this moment Killbuck's old mule pricked her ears -and snuffed the air, which action catching La Bonté's eye, he rose -abruptly, without waiting a reply to his question, and exclaimed, “The -old mule smells Injuns, or I'm a Spaniard!” - -The hunter did the old mule justice, and she well maintained her -reputation as the best “guard” in the mountains; for in two minutes an -Indian stalked into the camp, dressed in a cloth capote, and in odds -and ends of civilised attire. - -“Rapaho,” cried Killbuck, as soon as he saw him; and the Indian -catching the word, struck his hand upon his breast, and exclaimed, -in broken Spanish and English mixed, “Si, si, me Arapaho, white man -amigo. Come to camp—eat heap _carne_—me amigo white man. Come from -Pueblo—hunt cibola—me gun break—_no puedo matar nada: mucha hambre_ -(very hungry),—heap eat.” - -Killbuck offered his pipe to the Indian, and spoke to him in his own -language, which both he and La Bonté well understood. They learned -that he was married to a Mexican woman, and lived with some hunters at -the Pueblo fort on the Arkansa. He volunteered the information that -a war party of his people were out on the Platte trail to intercept -the Indian traders on their return from the North Fork; and as some -“Mormones” had just started with three waggons in that direction, -he said his people would make a “roise.” Being muy amigo himself to -the whites, he cautioned his present companions from crossing to the -“divide,” as the “braves,” he said, were a “heap” mad, and their -hearts were “big,” and nothing in the shape of white skin would live -before them. - -“Wagh!” exclaimed Killbuck, “the Rapahos know me, I'm thinking; and -small gain they've made against this child. I've knowed the time when -my gun-cover couldn't hold more of their scalps.” - -The Indian was provided with some powder, of which he stood in need; -and, after gorging as much meat as his capacious stomach would hold, -he left the camp, and started into the mountain. - -The next day our hunters started on their journey down the river, -travelling leisurely, and stopping wherever good grass presented -itself. One morning they suddenly struck a wheel trail, which left -the creek banks and pursued a course at right angles to it, in the -direction of the “divide.” Killbuck pronounced it but a few hours old, -and that of three waggons drawn by oxen. - -“Wagh!” he exclaimed, “if them poor devils of Mormonites ain't going -head first into the Rapaho trap. They'll be 'gone beaver' afore long.” - -“Ay,” said the strange hunter, “these are the waggons belonging to -old Brand, and he has started alone for Laramie. I hope nothing will -happen to them.” - -“Brand!” muttered La Bonté. “I knowed that name mighty well once, -years agone; and should hate the worst kind that mischief happened -to any one who bore it. This trail's as fresh as paint; and it goes -against me to let these simple critters help the Rapahos to their own -hair. This child feels like helping 'em out of the scrape. What do you -say, old hos?” - -“I thinks with you, boy,” answered Killbuck, “and go in for following -this waggon trail, and telling the poor critters that thar's danger -ahead of them. What's your talk, stranger?” - -“I go with you,” shortly answered the latter; and both followed -quickly after La Bonté, who was already trotting smartly on the trail. - -Meanwhile the three waggons, containing the household gods of the -Brand family, rumbled slowly over the rolling prairie, and towards -the upland ridge of the “divide,” which, studded with dwarf pine -and cedar thicket, rose gradually before them. They travelled with -considerable caution, for already the quick eye of Antoine had -discovered recent Indian sign upon the trail, and, with mountain -quickness, had at once made it out to be that of a war party; -for there were no horses with them, and, after one or two of the -moccasin tracks, the mark of a rope which trailed upon the ground -was sufficient to show him that the Indians were provided with the -usual lasso of skin, with which to secure the horses stolen in the -expedition. The men of the party were consequently all mounted and -thoroughly armed, the waggons moved in a line abreast, and a sharp -look-out was kept on all sides. The women and children were all -consigned to the interior of the waggons; and the latter had also guns -in readiness, to take their part in the defence, should an attack be -made. - -However, they had seen no Indians, and no fresh sign, for two days -after they left the Boiling Spring River, and they began to think they -were well out of their neighbourhood. One evening they camped on a -creek called Black Horse, and, as usual, had corralled the waggons, -and forted as well as circumstances would permit, when three or four -Indians suddenly appeared on a bluff at a little distance, and, making -signals of peaceable intentions, approached the camp. Most of the -men were absent at the time, attending to the cattle or collecting -fuel, and only old Brand and one of his young grandchildren, about -fourteen years old, remained in camp. The Indians were hospitably -received, and regaled with a smoke, after which they began to evince -their curiosity by examining every article lying about, and signifying -their wishes that it should be given to them. Finding their hints were -not taken, they laid hold of several things which took their fancies, -and, amongst others, of the pot which was boiling on the fire, and -with which one of them was about very coolly to walk off, when old -Brand, who up to this moment had retained possession of his temper, -seized it out of the Indian's hand, and knocked him down. One of the -others instantly began to draw the buckskin cover from his gun, and -would no doubt have taken summary vengeance for the insult offered -to his companion, when Mary Brand courageously stepped up to him, -and, placing her left hand upon the gun which he was in the act of -uncovering, with the other pointed a pistol at his breast. - -Whether daunted by the bold act of the girl, or admiring her devotion -to her father, the Indian drew himself back, exclaimed “Howgh!” and -drew the cover again on his piece, went up to old Brand, who all this -time looked him sternly in the face, and, shaking him by the hand, -motioned at the same time to the others to be peaceable. - -The other whites presently coming into camp, the Indians sat quietly -down by the fire, and, when the supper was ready, joined in the -repast, after which they gathered their buffalo robes about them, and -quietly withdrew. Meanwhile Antoine, knowing the treacherous character -of the savages, advised that the greatest precaution should be taken -to secure the stock; and before dark, therefore, all the mules and -horses were hobbled and secured within the corral, the oxen being -allowed to feed at liberty—for the Indians scarcely care to trouble -themselves with such cattle. A guard was also set round the camp, and -relieved every two hours; the fire was extinguished, lest the savages -should aim, by its light, at any of the party, and all slept with -rifles ready at their sides. However, the night passed quietly, and -nothing disturbed the tranquillity of the camp. The prairie wolves -loped hungrily around, and their mournful cry was borne upon the wind -as they chased deer and antelope on the neighbouring plain; but not a -sign of lurking Indians was seen or heard. - -In the morning, shortly after sunrise, they were in the act of yoking -the oxen to the waggons, and driving in the loose animals which had -been turned out to feed at daybreak, when some Indians again appeared -upon the bluff, and, descending it, confidently approached the camp. -Antoine strongly advised their not being allowed to enter; but Brand, -ignorant of Indian treachery, replied that, so long as they came as -friends, they could not be deemed enemies, and allowed no obstruction -to be offered to their approach. It was now observed that they were -all painted, armed with bows and arrows, and divested of their buffalo -robes, appearing naked to the breech-clout, their legs only being -protected by deerskin leggings, reaching to the middle of the thigh. -Six or seven first arrived, and others quickly followed, dropping -in one after the other, until a score or more were collected round -the waggons. Their demeanour, at first friendly, soon changed as -their numbers increased, and they now became urgent in their demands -for powder and lead, and bullying in their manner. A chief accosted -Brand, and, through Antoine, informed him “that, unless the demands -of his braves were acceded to, he could not be responsible for the -consequences; that they were out on the 'war-trail,' and their eyes -were red with blood, so that they could not distinguish between white -and Yuta scalps; that the party, with all their women and waggons, -were in the power of the Indian 'braves,' and therefore the white -chief's best plan was to make the best terms he could; that all they -required was that they should give up their guns and ammunition 'on -the prairie.' and all their mules and horses-retaining the 'medicine' -buffaloes (the oxen) to draw their waggons.” - -By this time the oxen were yoked, and the teamsters, whip in hand, -only waited the word to start. Old Brand foamed whilst the Indian -stated his demands, but, hearing him to the end, exclaimed, “Darn the -red devil! I wouldn't give him a grain of powder to save my life. Put -out, boys!”—and, turning to his horse, which stood ready saddled, was -about to mount, when the Indians sprang at once upon the waggons, and -commenced their attack, yelling like fiends. - -One jumped upon old Brand, pulled him back as he was rising in the -stirrup, and drew his bow upon him at the same moment. In an instant -the old backwoodsman pulled a pistol from his belt, and, putting -the muzzle to the Indian's heart, shot him dead. Another Indian, -flourishing his war-club, laid the old man at his feet; whilst some -dragged the women from the waggons, and others rushed upon the men, -who made brave fight in their defence. - -Mary, when she saw her father struck to the ground, sprang with a -shrill cry to his assistance; for at that moment a savage, frightful -as red paint could make him, was standing over his prostrate body, -brandishing a glittering knife in the air, preparatory to thrusting it -into the old man's breast. For the rest, all was confusion: in vain -the small party of whites struggled against overpowering numbers. -Their rifles cracked but once, and they were quickly disarmed; whilst -the shrieks of the women and children, and the loud yells of the -Indians, added to the scene of horror and confusion. As Mary flew to -her father's side, an Indian threw his lasso at her, the noose falling -over her shoulders, and, jerking it tight, he uttered a delighted -yell as the poor girl was thrown back violently to the ground. As -she fell, another deliberately shot an arrow at her body, whilst the -one who had thrown the lasso rushed forward, his scalp-knife flashing -in his hand, to seize the bloody trophy of his savage deed. The girl -rose to her knees, and looked wildly towards the spot where her -father lay bathed in blood; but the Indian pulled the rope violently, -dragged her some yards upon the ground, and then rushed with a yell -of vengeance upon his victim. He paused, however, as at that moment a -shout as fierce as his own sounded at his very ear; and, looking up, -he saw La Bonté gallopping madly down the bluff, his long hair and -the fringes of his hunting-shirt and leggins flying in the wind, his -right arm supporting his trusty rifle, whilst close behind him came -Killbuck and the stranger. Dashing with loud hurrahs to the scene of -action, La Bonté, as he charged down the bluff, caught sight of the -girl struggling in the hands of the ferocious Indian. Loud was the -war-shout of the mountaineer, as he struck his heavy spurs to the -rowels in his horse's side, and bounded like lightning to the rescue. -In a single stride he was upon the Indian, and, thrusting the muzzle -of his rifle into his very breast, he pulled the trigger, driving the -savage backward by the blow itself, at the same moment that the bullet -passed through his heart, and tumbled him over stone-dead. Throwing -down his rifle, La Bonté wheeled his obedient horse, and, drawing a -pistol from his belt, again charged the enemy, among whom Killbuck and -the stranger were dealing death-giving blows. Yelling for victory, -the mountaineers rushed at the Indians; and they, panic-struck at the -sudden attack, and thinking this was but the advanced guard of a large -band, fairly turned and fled, leaving five of their number dead upon -the field. - -Mary, shutting her eyes to the expected death-stroke, heard the loud -shout La Bonté gave in charging down the bluff, and, again looking -up, saw the wild-looking mountaineer rush to her rescue, and save her -from the savage by his timely blow. Her arms were still pinned by the -lasso, which prevented her from rising to her feet; and La Bonté was -the first to run to aid her, as soon as the fight was fairly over. -He jumped from his horse, cut the skin rope which bound her, raised -her from the ground, and, upon her turning up her face to thank him, -beheld his never-to-be-forgotten Mary Brand; whilst she, hardly -believing her senses, recognised in her deliverer her former lover, -and still well-beloved La Bonté. - -“What, Mary! can it be you?” he asked, looking intently upon the -trembling woman. - -“La Bonté, you don't forget me!” she answered, and threw herself -sobbing into the arms of the sturdy mountaineer. - -There we will leave her for the present, and help Killbuck and his -companions to examine the killed and wounded. Of the former, five -Indians and two whites lay dead, grandchildren of old Brand, fine lads -of fourteen or fifteen, who had fought with the greatest bravery, and -lay pierced with arrows and lance wounds. Old Brand had received a -sore buffet, but a hatful of cold water from the creek sprinkled over -his face soon restored him. His sons had not escaped scot-free, and -Antoine was shot through the neck, and, falling, had actually been -half scalped by an Indian, whom the timely arrival of La Bonté had -caused to leave his work unfinished. - -Silently, and with sad hearts, the survivors of the family saw the -bodies of the two boys buried on the river bank, and the spot marked -with a pile of loose stones, procured from the rocky bed of the creek. -The carcasses of the treacherous Indians were left to be devoured by -wolves, and their bones to bleach in the sun and wind—a warning to -their tribe, that such foul treachery as they had meditated had met -with a merited retribution. - -The next day the party continued their course to the Platte. Antoine -and the stranger returned to the Arkansa, starting in the night to -avoid the Indians; but Killbuck and La Bonté lent the aid of their -rifles to the solitary caravan, and, under their experienced guidance, -no more Indian perils were encountered. Mary no longer sat perched -up in her father's Conostoga, but rode a quiet mustang by La Bonté's -side; and no doubt they found a theme with which to while away the -monotonous journey over the dreary plains. South Fork was passed, and -Laramie was reached. The Sweet Water mountains, which hang over the -“pass” to California, were long since in sight; but when the waters -of the North Fork of Platte lay before their horses' feet, and the -broad trail was pointed out which led to the great valley of Columbia -and their promised land, the heads of the oxen were turned _down_ the -stream where the shallow waters flow on to join the great Missouri—and -not _up_, towards the mountains where they leave their spring-heads, -from which springs flow several waters—some coursing their way to -the eastward, fertilising, in their route to the Atlantic, the lands -of civilised man; others westward, forcing a passage through rocky -cañons, and flowing through a barren wilderness, inhabited by fierce -and barbarous tribes. - -These were the routes to choose from: and, what ever was the cause, -the oxen turned their yoked heads away from the rugged mountains; -the teamsters joyfully cracked their ponderous whips, as the waggons -rolled lightly down the Platte; and men, women, and children, waved -their hats and bonnets in the air, and cried out lustily, “Hurrah for -home!” - -La Bonté looked at the dark sombre mountains ere he turned his back -upon them for the last time. He thought of the many years he had spent -beneath their rugged shadow, of the many hardships he had suffered, -of all his pains and perils in those wild regions. The most exciting -episodes of his adventurous career, his tried companions in scenes of -fierce fight and bloodshed, passed in review before him. A feeling -of regret was creeping over him, when Mary laid her hand gently on -his shoulder. One single tear rolled unbidden down his cheek, and he -answered her inquiring eyes: “I'm not sorry to leave it, Mary,” he -said; “but it's hard to turn one's back upon old friends.” - -They had a hard battle with Killbuck, in endeavouring to persuade -him to accompany them to the settlements. The old mountaineer shook -his head. “The time,” he said “was gone by for that. He had often -thought of it, but, when the day arrived, he hadn't heart to leave the -mountains. Trapping now was of no account, he knew; but beaver was -bound to rise, and then the good times would come again. What could he -do in the settlements, where there wasn't room to move, and where it -was hard to breathe—there were so many people?” - -He accompanied them a considerable distance down the river, ever and -anon looking cautiously back, to ascertain that he had not gone out of -sight of the mountains. Before reaching the forks, however, he finally -bade them adieu; and, turning the head of his old grizzled mule -westward, he heartily wrung the hand of his comrade La Bonté; and, -crying Yep! to his well-tried animal, disappeared behind a roll of the -prairie, and was seen no more—a thousand good wishes for the welfare -of the sturdy trapper speeding him on his solitary way. - -Four months from the day when La Bonté so opportunely appeared to -rescue Brand's family from the Indians on Black Horse Creek, that -worthy and the faithful Mary were duly and lawfully united in the -township church of Brandville, Memphis county, State of Tennessee. We -cannot say, in the concluding words of nine hundred and ninety-nine -thousand novels, that “numerous pledges of mutual love surrounded -and cheered them in their declining years,” &c. &c.; because it was -only on the 24th of July, in the year of our Lord 1847, that La Bonté -and Mary Brand were finally made one, after fifteen long years of -separation. - - * * * * * - -The fate of one of the humble characters who have figured in these -pages, we must yet tarry a little longer to describe. - -During the past winter, a party of mountaineers, flying from -overpowering numbers of hostile Sioux, found themselves, one stormy -evening, in a wild and dismal cañon near the elevated mountain valley -called the “New Park.” - -The rocky bed of a dry mountain torrent, whose waters were now -locked up at their spring-heads by icy fetters, was the only road -up which they could make their difficult way: for the rugged sides -of the gorge rose precipitously from the creek, scarcely affording -a foot-hold to even the active bighorn, which occasionally looked -down upon the travellers from the lofty summit. Logs of pine, -uprooted by the hurricanes which sweep incessantly through the -mountain defiles, and tossed headlong from the surrounding ridges, -continually obstructed their way; and huge rocks and boulders, fallen -from the heights and blocking up the bed of the stream, added to the -difficulty, and threatened them every instant with destruction. - -Towards sundown they reached a point where the cañon opened out into a -little shelving glade or prairie, a few hundred yards in extent, the -entrance to which was almost hidden by a thicket of dwarf pine and -cedar. Here they determined to encamp for the night, in a spot secure -from Indians, and, as they imagined, untrodden by the foot of man. - -What, however, was their astonishment, on breaking through the -cedar-covered entrance, to perceive a solitary horse standing -motionless in the centre of the prairie. Drawing near, they found it -to be an old grizzled mustang, or Indian pony, with cropped ears and -ragged tail, (well picked by hungry mules), standing doubled up with -cold, and at the very last gasp from extreme old age and weakness. -Its bones were nearly through the stiffened skin, the legs of the -animal were gathered under it; whilst its forlorn-looking head and -stretched-out neck hung listlessly downwards, almost overbalancing -its tottering body. The glazed and sunken eye—the protruding and -froth-covered tongue—the heaving flank and quivering tail—declared its -race was run; and the driving sleet and snow, and penetrating winter -blast, scarce made impression upon its callous and worn-out frame. - -One of the band of mountaineers was Marcellin, and a single look at -the miserable beast was sufficient for him to recognise the once -renowned Nez-percé steed of old Bill Williams. That the owner himself -was not far distant he felt certain; and, searching carefully around, -the hunters presently came upon an old camp, before which lay, -protruding from the snow, the blackened remains of pine logs. Before -these, which had been the fire, and leaning with his back against a -pine trunk, and his legs crossed under him, half covered with snow, -reclined the figure of the old mountaineer, his snow-capped head bent -over his breast. His well-known hunting-coat of fringed elk-skin hung -stiff and weather-stained about him; and his rifle, packs, and traps, -were strewed around. - -Awe-struck, the trappers approached the body, and found it frozen hard -as stone, in which state it had probably lain there for many days -or weeks. A jagged rent in the breast of his leather coat, and dark -stains about it, showed he had received a wound before his death; but -it was impossible to say, whether to his hurt, or to sickness, or -to the natural decay of age, was to be attributed the wretched and -solitary end of poor Bill Williams. - -A friendly bullet cut short the few remaining hours of the trapper's -faithful steed; and burying, as well as they were able, the body of -the old mountaineer, the hunters next day left him in his lonely -grave, in a spot so wild and remote, that it was doubtful whether even -hungry wolves would discover and disinter his attenuated corpse. - - -THE END. - - -PRINTED BY JOHN HUGHES, 3 THISTLE STREET, EDINBURGH. - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] In accordance with this suggestion, the name was changed to -Brand. The mountaineers, it seems, are more sensitive to type than to -tomahawks; and poor Ruxton, who always contemplated another expedition -among them, would sometimes jestingly speculate upon his reception, -should they learn that he had shown them up in print. - -[2] Killed, } both terms adapted from the Indian figurative - } -[3] Died, } language. - -[4] The Mexicans are called “Spaniards” or “Greasers” (from their -greasy appearance) by the Western people. - -[5] Bent's Indian trading fort on the Arkansa. - -[6] Meaning—if that's what you mean. The “stick” is tied to the beaver -trap by a string; and, floating on the water, points out its position, -should a beaver have carried it away. - -[7] Scalped. - -[8] Soles made of buffalo hide. - -[9] The Hudson Bay Company having amalgamated with the American North -West Company, is known by the name 'North West' to the southern -trappers. Their employés usually wear Canadian capotes. - -[10] A spice of the devil. - -[11] “Euker,” “poker,” and “seven up,” are the fashionable games of -cards. - -[12] Antelope are frequently called “goats” by the mountaineers. - -[13] An Indian is always a “heap” hungry or thirsty—loves a “heap”—is -a “heap” brave—in fact, “heap” is tantamount to very much. - -[14] The young untried warriors of the Indians are thus called. - -[15] There is a great difference between an Indian's fire and a -white's. The former places the ends of logs to burn gradually; the -latter, the centre, besides making such a bonfire that the Indians -truly say, “The white makes a fire so hot that he cannot approach to -warm himself by it.” - -[16] A pithy substance found in dead pine-trees. - -[17] Saddle-blanket made of buffalo-calf skin. - -[18] The French Canadians are called _wah-keitcha_—“bad medicine”—by -the Indians, who account them treacherous and vindictive, and at the -same time less daring than the American hunters. - -[19] A substance obtained from a gland in the scrotum of the beaver, -and used to attract that animal to the trap. - -[20] The Hudson's Bay Company is so called by the American trappers. - -[21] A small lake near the head waters of the Yellow Stone, near which -are some curious thermal springs of ink-black water. - -[22] The Aztecs are supposed to have built this city during their -migration to the south; there is little doubt, however, but that the -region extending from the Gila to the Great Salt Lake, and embracing -the province of New Mexico, was the locality from which they emigrated. - -[23] Creoles of St Louis, and French Canadians. - -[24] “On the prairie,” is the Indian term for a free gift. - -[25] Hide—from _cacher_. - -[26] Carrion. - -[27] In Frémont's expedition to California, on a somewhat similar -occasion, two mountaineers, one the celebrated Kit Carson, the other -a St Louis Frenchman named Godey, and both old trappers, performed a -feat surpassing the one described above, inasmuch as they were but -two. They charged into an Indian village to rescue some stolen horses, -and avenge the slaughter of two New Mexicans who had been butchered by -the Indians; both which objects they effected, returning to camp with -the lost animals and a couple of propitiatory scalps. - -[28] The Mexicans call the Indians living near the missions and -engaged in agriculture, _mansos_, or _mansitos_, tame. - -[29] From a manuscript obtained in Santa Fé of New Mexico, describing -the labours of the missionaries Fray Augustin Ruiz, Venabides, and -Marcos, in the year 1585. - -[30] From the report to the Governor of California by the Head of the -Mission, in reference to the attacks by the American mountaineers. - -[31] Indian expression for a free gift. - -[32] Since the time of which we speak, Kit Carson has distinguished -himself in guiding the several U. S. exploring expeditions, under -Frémont, across the Rocky Mountains, and to all parts of Oregon and -California; and for his services, the President of the United States -presented the gallant Mountaineer with the commission of lieutenant in -a newly raised regiment of mounted riflemen, of which his old leader -Frémont is appointed colonel. - -[33] The word _fandango_, in New Mexico, is not applied to the -peculiar dance known in Spain by that name, but designates a ball or -dancing meeting. - -[34] A nickname for the idle fellows hanging about a Mexican town, -translated into “Greasers” by the Americans. - -[35] Cask-shaped gourds. - -[36] The knives used by the hunters and trappers are manufactured at -the “Green River” works, and have that name stamped upon the blade. -Hence the mountain term for doing any thing effectually is “up to -Green River.” - -[37] Always alluding to Mexicans, who are invariably called Spaniards -by the Western Americans. - - - - - ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ - │ Transcriber's note: │ - │ │ - │ The original spelling, hyphenation, and punctuation have been │ - │ retained, with the exception of apparent typographical errors │ - │ which have been corrected. │ - │ │ - │ Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. │ - │ │ - │ Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant │ - │ form was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. │ - │ │ - │ Footnotes were moved to the end of the book and numbered in one │ - │ sequence. │ - └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE IN THE FAR WEST*** - - -******* This file should be named 55093-0.txt or 55093-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/5/0/9/55093 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: Life in the Far West</p> -<p>Author: George Frederick Augustus Ruxton</p> -<p>Release Date: July 11, 2017 [eBook #55093]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE IN THE FAR WEST***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by Larry B. Harrison, Christian Boissonnas,<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images scanned by<br /> - the Google Books Library Project<br /> - (<a href="https://books.google.com">https://books.google.com</a>)<br /> - and generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeinfarwest01ruxtgoog"> - https://archive.org/details/lifeinfarwest01ruxtgoog</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<div class="transnote covernote"> - The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in - the public domain. -</div> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class="body"> -<h1>LIFE<br /><br /> - <span class="xx-smaller">in</span><br /><br /> - THE FAR WEST</h1> - -<p class="p4 ac x-smaller">by</p> - -<p class="p2 ac">GEORGE FREDERICK RUXTON</p> - -<p class="p2 ac xx-smaller">AUTHOR OF “TRAVELS IN MEXICO,” &c.</p> - -<p class="p4 ac">WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS<br /> - <span class="x-smaller">EDINBURGH AND LONDON.<br /> - M.DCCC.XLIX.</span></p> - - -<p class="p6 ac xx-smaller">ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE.</p> - - -<p class="p6 ac xx-smaller">JOHN HUGHES, PRINTER, EDINBURGH.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="x-smaller">THE LATE</span><br /> -GEORGE FREDERICK RUXTON.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap"> -The</span> London newspapers of October 1848 contained -the mournful tidings of the death, at St -Louis on the Mississippi, and at the early age of -twenty-eight, of Lieutenant George Frederick -Ruxton, formerly of her Majesty's 89th regiment, -the author of the following sketches.</p> - -<p>Many men, even in the most enterprising periods -of our history, have been made the subjects of -elaborate biography, with far less title to the -honour than this lamented young officer. Time -was not granted him to embody in a permanent -shape a tithe of his personal experiences and strange -adventures in three quarters of the globe. Considering, -indeed, the amount of physical labour he -underwent, and the extent of the fields over which -his wanderings spread, it is almost surprising he -found leisure to write so much. At the early age -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span> -of seventeen, Mr Ruxton quitted Sandhurst, to -learn the practical part of a soldier's profession in -the civil wars of Spain. He obtained a commission -in a squadron of lancers then attached to the division -of General Diego Leon, and was actively -engaged in several of the most important combats -of the campaign. For his marked gallantry on -these occasions, he received from Queen Isabell -the cross of the first class of the order of St Fernando, -an honour which has seldom been awarded to -one so young. On his return from Spain he found -himself gazetted to a commission in the 89th regiment; -and it was whilst serving with that distinguished -corps in Canada that he first became -acquainted with the stirring scenes of Indian life, -which he has since so graphically portrayed. His -eager and enthusiastic spirit soon became wearied -with the monotony of the barrack-room; and, -yielding to that impulse which in him was irresistibly -developed, he resigned his commission, and -directed his steps towards the stupendous wilds, -tenanted only by the red Indian, or by the solitary -American trapper.</p> - -<p>Those familiar with Mr Ruxton's writings cannot -fail to have remarked the singular delight with -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span> -which he dwells upon the recollections of this portion -of his career, and the longing which he carried -with him, to the hour of his death, for a return to -those scenes of primitive freedom. “Although -liable to an accusation of barbarism,” he writes, “I -must confess that the very happiest moments of my -life have been spent in the wilderness of the Far -West; and I never recall, but with pleasure, the -remembrance of my solitary camp in the Bayou -Salade, with no friend near me more faithful than -my rifle, and no companions more sociable than my -good horse and mules, or the attendant cayute -which nightly serenaded us. With a plentiful -supply of dry pine-logs on the fire, and its cheerful -blaze streaming far up into the sky, illuminating -the valley far and near, and exhibiting the animals, -with well-filled bellies, standing contentedly at rest -over their picket-fire, I would sit cross-legged, -enjoying the genial warmth, and, pipe in mouth, -watch the blue smoke as it curled upwards, building -castles in its vapoury wreaths, and, in the fantastic -shapes it assumed, peopling the solitude with -figures of those far away. Scarcely, however, did -I ever wish to change such hours of freedom for all -the luxuries of civilised life; and, unnatural and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span> -extraordinary as it may appear, yet such is the -fascination of the life of the mountain hunter, that -I believe not one instance could be adduced of even -the most polished and civilised of men, who had -once tasted the sweets of its attendant liberty, and -freedom from every worldly care, not regretting -the moment when he exchanged it for the monotonous -life of the settlements, nor sighing and sighing -again once more to partake of its pleasures and -allurements.”</p> - -<p>On his return to Europe from the Far West, Mr -Ruxton, animated with a spirit as enterprising and -fearless as that of Raleigh, planned a scheme for -the exploration of Central Africa, which was thus -characterised by the president of the Royal Geographical -Society, in his anniversary address for 1845:—“To -my great surprise, I recently conversed with -an ardent and accomplished youth, Lieutenant -Ruxton, late of the 89th regiment, who had formed -the daring project of traversing Africa in the parallel -of the southern tropic, and has actually started -for this purpose. Preparing himself by previous -excursions on foot, in North Africa and Algeria, he -sailed from Liverpool early in December last, in the -Royalist, for Ichaboe. From that spot he was to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span> -repair to Walvish Bay, where we have already -mercantile establishments. The intrepid traveller -had received from the agents of these establishments -such favourable accounts of the nations towards the -interior, as also of the nature of the climate, that -he has the most sanguine hopes of being able to -penetrate to the central region, if not of traversing -it to the Portuguese colonies of Mozambique. If -this be accomplished, then indeed will Lieutenant -Ruxton have acquired for himself a permanent name -among British travellers, by making us acquainted -with the nature of the axis of the great continent -of which we possess the southern extremity.”</p> - -<p>In pursuance of this hazardous scheme, Ruxton, -with a single companion, landed on the coast of -Africa, a little to the south of Ichaboe, and commenced -his journey of exploration. But it seemed -as if both nature and man had combined to baffle -the execution of his design. The course of their -travel lay along a desert of moving sand, where no -water was to be found, and little herbage, save a -coarse tufted grass, and twigs of the resinous myrrh. -The immediate place of their destination was Angra -Peguena, on the coast, described as a frequented -station, but which in reality was deserted. One -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span> -ship only was in the offing when the travellers -arrived, and, to their inexpressible mortification, -they discovered that she was outward bound. No -trace was visible of the river or streams laid down -in the maps as falling into the sea at this point, and -no resource was left to the travellers save that of -retracing their steps—a labour for which their -strength was hardly adequate. But for the opportune -assistance of a body of natives, who encountered -them at the very moment when they were sinking -from fatigue and thirst, Ruxton and his companion -would have been added to the long catalogue of -those whose lives have been sacrificed in the attempt -to explore the interior of that fatal country.</p> - -<p>The jealousy of the traders, and of the missionaries -settled on the African coast, who constantly -withheld or perverted that information which was -absolutely necessary for the successful prosecution -of the journey, induced Ruxton to abandon the -attempt for the present. He made, however, -several interesting excursions towards the interior, -and more especially in the country of the Bosjesmans.</p> - -<p>Finding his own resources inadequate for the -accomplishment of his favourite project, Mr Ruxton, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span> -on his return to England, made application for -Government assistance. But though this demand -was not altogether refused, it having been referred -to the Council of the Royal Geographical Society, -and favourably reported upon by that body, so -many delays interposed that Ruxton, in disgust, -resolved to withdraw from the scheme, and to abandon -that field of African research which he had -already contemplated from its borders. He next -bent his steps to Mexico; and, fortunately, has presented -to the world his reminiscences of that country, -in one of the most fascinating volumes which, -of late years, has issued from the press. It would, -however, appear that the African scheme, the darling -project of his life, had again recurred to him -at a later period; for, in the course of the present -spring, before setting out on that journey which -was destined to be his last, the following expressions -occur in one of his letters:—</p> - -<div class="bq"> -<p>“My movements are uncertain, for I am trying -to get up a yacht voyage to Borneo and the Indian -Archipelago; have volunteered to Government to -explore Central Africa; and the Aborigines Protection -Society wish me to go out to Canada to organise -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</a></span> -the Indian tribes; whilst, for my own part and -inclination, I wish to go to all parts of the world at -once.”</p></div> - -<hr class="small" /> - -<p>As regards the volume to which this notice serves -as Preface, the editor does not hesitate to express -very high opinion of its merits. Written by a man -untrained to literature, and whose life, from boy-hood -upwards, was passed in the field and on the -road, in military adventure and travel, its style is -yet often as remarkable for graphic terseness and -vigour, as its substance every where is for great -novelty and originality. The narrative of “Life in -the Far West” was first offered for insertion in -<i>Blackwood's Magazine</i> in the spring of 1848, when -the greater portion of the manuscript was sent, and -the remainder shortly followed. During its publication -in that periodical, the wildness of the adventures -related excited suspicions in certain quarters -as to their actual truth and fidelity. It may interest -the reader to know that the scenes described -are pictures from life, the results of the author's -personal experience. The following are extracts -from letters addressed by him, in the course of last -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</a></span>a -summer, to the conductors of the Magazine above -named:—</p> - -<div class="bq"> -<p>“I have brought out a few more softening traits -in the characters of the mountaineers—but not at -the sacrifice of truth—for some of them have their -good points; which, as they are rarely allowed to -rise to the surface, must be laid hold of at once -before they sink again. Killbuck—that 'old hos' -<i>par exemple</i>, was really pretty much of a gentleman, -as was La Bonté. Bill Williams, another 'hard -case,' and Rube Herring, were 'some' too.</p> - -<p>“The scene where La Bonté joins the Chase -family is so far true, that he did make a sudden -appearance; but, in reality, a day before the -Indian attack. The Chases (and I wish I had -not given the proper name<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>) did start for the -Platte alone, and were stampedoed upon the waters -of the Platte.</p> - -<p>“The Mexican fandango <i>is true to the letter</i>. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[Pg xii]</a></span> -It does seem difficult to understand how they contrived -to keep their knives out of the hump-ribs of -the mountaineers; but how can you account for -the fact, that, the other day, 4000 Mexicans, with -13 pieces of artillery, behind strong entrenchments -and two lines of parapets, were routed by 900 raw -Missourians; 300 killed, as many more wounded, -all their artillery captured, as well as several hundred -prisoners; and that not one American was -killed in the affair? <i>This is positive fact.</i></p> - -<p>“I myself, with three trappers, cleared a fandango -at Taos, armed only with bowie-knives—some -score Mexicans, at least, being in the room.</p> - -<p>“With regard to the incidents of Indian attacks, -starvation, cannibalism, &c., I have invented not -one out of my own head. They are all matters of -history in the mountains; but I have, no doubt, -jumbled the <i>dramatis personæ</i> one with another, -and may have committed anachronisms in the -order of their occurrence.”</p></div> - -<p>Again he wrote as follows:—</p> - -<div class="bq"> -<p>“I think it would be as well to correct a misapprehension -as to the truth or fiction of the paper. It is no <i>fiction</i>. There -is no incident in it which -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xiii" id="Page_xiii">[Pg xiii]</a></span> -has not actually occurred, nor one character who is -not well known in the Rocky Mountains, with the -exception of two whose names are changed—the -originals of these being, however, equally well -known with the others.”</p></div> - -<p>His last letter, written just before his departure -from England, a few weeks previously to his death, -will hardly be read by any one who ever knew the -writer, without a tear of sympathy for the sad -fate of this fine young man, dying miserably in a -strange land, before he had well commenced the -hazardous journey whose excitement and dangers -he so joyously anticipated:—</p> - -<div class="bq"> -<p>“As you say, human nature can't go on feeding -on civilised fixings in this 'big village;' and this -child has felt like going West for many a month, -being half froze for buffler meat and mountain -doins. My route takes me <i>viâ</i> New York, the -Lakes, and St Louis, to Fort Leavenworth, or Independence -on the Indian frontier. Thence packing -my 'possibles' on a mule, and mounting a -buffalo horse (Panchito, if he is alive), I strike the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xiv" id="Page_xiv">[Pg xiv]</a></span> -Santa Fé trail to the Arkansa, away up that river -to the mountains, winter in the Bayou Salade, -where Killbuck and La Bonté joined the Yutes, -cross the mountains next spring to Great Salt -Lake—and that's far enough to look forward to—always -supposing my hair is not lifted by Comanche -or Pawnee on the scalping route of the Coon -Creeks and Pawnee Fork.”</p> - -<p>Poor fellow! he spoke lightly, in the buoyancy -of youth and a confident spirit, of the fate he little -thought to meet, but which too surely overtook -him—not indeed by Indian blade, but by the no -less deadly stroke of disease. Another motive, -besides that love of rambling and adventure, which, -once conceived and indulged, is so difficult to eradicate, -impelled him across the Atlantic. He had for -some time been out of health at intervals, and he -thought the air of his beloved prairies would be -efficacious to work a cure. In a letter to a friend, -in the month of May last, he thus referred to the -probable origin of the evil:— -</p> -“I have been confined to my room for many -days, from the effects of an accident I met with in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xv" id="Page_xv">[Pg xv]</a></span> -the Rocky Mountains, having been spilt from the -bare back of a mule, and falling on the sharp picket -of an Indian lodge on the small of my back. I fear -I injured my spine, for I have never felt altogether -the thing since, and shortly after I saw you, the -symptoms became rather ugly. However, I am now -getting round again.”</div> - -<p>His medical advisers shared his opinion that he -had sustained internal injury from this ugly fall; -and it is not improbable that it was the remote, -but real cause of his dissolution. From whatsoever -this ensued, it will be a source of deep and lasting -regret to all who ever enjoyed opportunities of -appreciating the high and sterling qualities of -George Frederick Ruxton. Few men, so prepossessing -on first acquaintance, gained so much by -being better known. With great natural abilities -and the most dauntless bravery, he united a modesty -and gentleness peculiarly pleasing. Had he lived, -and resisted his friends' repeated solicitations to -abandon a roving life, and settle down in England, -there can be little doubt that he would have made -his name eminent on the list of those daring and -persevering men, whose travels in distant and dangerous -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xvi" id="Page_xvi">[Pg xvi]</a></span> -lands have accumulated for England, and -for the world, so rich a store of scientific and general -information. And, although the few words it -has been thought right and becoming here to devote -to his memory, will doubtless be more particularly -welcome to his personal friends, we are persuaded -that none will peruse without interest this brief tribute -to the merits of a gallant soldier, and accomplished -English gentleman.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<p class="p2 ac xx-larger">LIFE IN THE FAR WEST.</p> - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER I.</h2> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap"> -Away</span> to the head waters of the Platte, where -several small streams run into the south fork of -that river, and head in the broken ridges of the -“Divide” which separates the valleys of the Platte -and Arkansa, were camped a band of trappers on a -creek called Bijou. It was the month of October, -when the early frosts of the coming winter had -crisped and dyed with sober brown the leaves of the -cherry and quaking ash belting the brooks; and -the ridges and peaks of the Rocky Mountains were -already covered with a glittering mantle of snow, -sparkling in the still powerful rays of the autumn -sun.</p> - -<p>The camp had all the appearance of permanency; -for not only did it comprise one or two unusually -comfortable shanties, but the numerous stages on -which huge stripes of buffalo meat were hanging in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> -process of cure, showed that the party had settled -themselves here in order to lay in a store of provisions, -or, as it is termed in the language of the -mountains, “to make meat.” Round the camp -fed twelve or fifteen mules and horses, their fore-legs -confined by hobbles of raw hide; and, guarding -these animals, two men paced backwards and forwards, -driving in the stragglers, ascending ever -and anon the bluffs which overhung the river, and -leaning on their long rifles, whilst they swept with -their eyes the surrounding prairie. Three or four -fires burned in the encampment, at some of which -Indian women carefully tended sundry steaming -pots; whilst round one, which was in the centre of -it, four or five stalwart hunters, clad in buckskin, -sat cross-legged, pipe in mouth.</p> - -<p>They were a trapping party from the north fork -of Platte, on their way to wintering-ground in the -more southern valley of the Arkansa; some, indeed, -meditating a more extended trip, even to the distant -settlements of New Mexico, the paradise of mountaineers. -The elder of the company was a tall -gaunt man, with a face browned by twenty years' -exposure to the extreme climate of the mountains; -his long black hair, as yet scarcely tinged with -grey, hanging almost to his shoulders, but his -cheeks and chin clean shaven, after the fashion of -the mountain men. His dress was the usual hunting-frock -of buckskin, with long fringes down the -seams, with pantaloons similarly ornamented, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> -moccasins of Indian make. Whilst his companions -puffed their pipes in silence, he narrated a few of -his former experiences of western life; and whilst -the buffalo “hump-ribs” and “tender loin” are -singing away in the pot, preparing for the hunters' -supper, we will note down the yarn as it spins from -his lips, giving it in the language spoken in the -“far west:”—</p> - -<p>“'Twas about 'calf-time,' maybe a little later, -and not a hunderd year ago, by a long chalk, that -the biggest kind of rendezvous was held 'to' Independence, -a mighty handsome little location away -up on old Missoura. A pretty smart lot of boys -was camp'd thar, about a quarter from the town, -and the way the whisky flowed that time was -'some' now, <i>I</i> can tell you. Thar was old Sam -Owins—him as got 'rubbed out'<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> by the Spaniards -at Sacramenty, or Chihuahuy, this hos doesn't -know which, but he 'went under'<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> any how. Well, -Sam had his train along, ready to hitch up for the -Mexican country—twenty thunderin big Pittsburg -waggons; and the way <i>his</i> Santa Fé boys took in -the liquor beat all—eh, Bill?”</p> - -<p>“<i>Well</i>, it did.”</p> - -<p>“Bill Bent—his boys camped the other side the -trail, and they was all mountain men, wagh!—and -Bill Williams, and Bill Tharpe (the Pawnees took -his hair on Pawnee Fork last spring): three Bills, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> -and them three's all 'gone under.' Surely Hatcher -went out that time; and wasn't Bill Garey along, -too? Didn't him and Chabonard sit in camp for -twenty hours at a deck of Euker? Them was -Bent's Indian traders up on Arkansa. Poor Bill -Bent! them Spaniards made meat of him. He lost -his topknot to Taos. A 'clever' man was Bill -Bent as <i>I</i> ever know'd trade a robe or 'throw' a -bufler in his tracks. Old St Vrain could knock the -hind-sight off him though, when it came to shootin, -and old silver heels spoke true, she did: 'plum-center' -she was, eh?”</p> - -<p>“<i>Well</i>, she wasn't nothin else.”</p> - -<p>“The Greasers<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> payed for Bent's scalp, they -tell me. Old St Vrain went out of Santa Fé with -a company of mountain men, and the way they -made 'em sing out was 'slick as shootin'. He -'counted a coup,' did St Vrain. He throwed a -Pueblo as had on poor Bent's shirt. I guess he -tickled that niggur's hump-ribs. Fort William -<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> -aint the lodge it was, an' never will be agin, now -he's gone under; but St Vrain's 'pretty much of -a gentleman,' too; if he aint, I'll be dog-gone, eh, -Bill?”</p> - -<p>“He is <i>so-o</i>.”</p> - -<p>“Chavez had his waggons along. He was only -a Spaniard any how, and some of his teamsters -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> -put a ball into him his next trip, and made a raise -of <i>his</i> dollars, wagh! Uncle Sam hung 'em for it, -I heard, but can't b'lieve it, nohow. If them -Spaniards wasn't born for shootin', why was beaver -made? You was with us that spree, Jemmy?”</p> - -<p>“No <i>sirre-e</i>; I went out when Spiers lost his -animals on Cimmaron: a hunderd and forty mules -and oxen was froze that night, wagh!”</p> - -<p>“Surely Black Harris was thar; and the darndest -liar was Black Harris—for lies tumbled out of -his mouth like boudins out of a bufler's stomach. -He was the child as saw the putrefied forest in the -Black Hills. Black Harris come in from Laramie; -he'd been trapping three year an' more on Platte -and the 'other side;' and, when he got into -Liberty, he fixed himself right off like a Saint -Louiy dandy. Well, he sat to dinner one day in -the tavern, and a lady says to him:—</p> - -<p>“'Well, Mister Harris, I hear you're a great -travler.'</p> - -<p>“'Travler, marm,' says Black Harris, 'this -niggur's no travler; I ar' a trapper, marm, a mountain-man, -wagh!'</p> - -<p>“'Well, Mister Harris, trappers are great travlers, -and you goes over a sight of ground in your -perishinations, I'll be bound to say.'</p> - -<p>“'A sight, marm, this coon's gone over, if that's -the way your 'stick floats.'<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> -I've trapped beaver -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> -on Platte and Arkansa, and away up on Missoura -and Yaller Stone; I've trapped on Columbia, on -Lewis Fork, and Green River; I've trapped, marm, -on Grand River and the Heely (Gila). I've fout -the 'Blackfoot' (and d——d bad Injuns they ar); -I've 'raised the hair'<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> of more <i>than one</i> Apach, -and made a Rapaho 'come' afore now; I've trapped -in heav'n, in airth, and h—; and scalp my old -head, marm, but I've seen a putrefied forest.'</p> -<p>“'La, Mister Harris, a what?'</p> - -<p>“'A putrefied forest, marm, as sure as my rifle's -got hind-sights, and <i>she</i> shoots center. I was out -on the Black Hills, Bill Sublette knows the time—the -year it rained fire—and every body knows -when that was. If thar wasn't cold doins about -that time, this child wouldn't say so. The snow -was about fifty foot deep, and the bufler lay dead -on the ground like bees after a beein'; not whar -we was tho', for <i>thar</i> was no bufler, and no meat, -and me and my band had been livin' on our mocassins -(leastwise the parflesh<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a>), for six weeks; and -poor doins that feedin' is, marm, as you'll never -know. One day we crossed a 'cañon' and over a -'divide,' and got into a peraira, whar was green -grass, and green trees, and green leaves on the -trees, and birds singing in the green leaves, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> -this in Febrary, wagh! Our animals was like to -die when they see the green grass, and we all sung -out, 'hurraw for summer doins.'</p> - -<p>“'Hyar goes for meat,' says I, and I jest ups -old Ginger at one of them singing birds, and down -come the crittur elegant; its darned head spinning -away from the body, but never stops singing, and -when I takes up the meat, I finds it stone, wagh! -'Hyar's damp powder and no fire to dry it,' I says, -quite skeared.</p> - -<p>“'Fire be dogged,' says old Rube. 'Hyar's a -hos as 'll make fire come;' and with that he takes -his axe and lets drive at a cotton wood. Schr-u-k—goes -the axe agin the tree, and out comes a bit -of the blade as big as my hand. We looks at the -animals, and thar they stood shaking over the g -which I'm dog-gone if it wasn't stone, too. Young -Sublette comes up, and he'd been clerking down to -the fort on Platte, so he know'd something. He -looks and looks, and scrapes the trees with his -butcher knife, and snaps the grass like pipe stems, -and breaks the leaves a-snappin' like Californy -shells.'</p> - -<p>“'What's all this, boy?' I asks.</p> - -<p>“'Putrefactions,' says he, looking smart, 'putrefactions, -or I'm a niggur.'</p> - -<p>“'La, Mister Harris,' says the lady, 'putrefactions! -why, did the leaves, and the trees, and the -grass smell badly?'</p> - -<p>“'Smell badly, marm!' says Black Harris, 'would -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>rass, -a skunk stink if he was froze to stone? No, marm, -this child didn't know what putrefaction was, and -young Sublette's varsion wouldn't 'shine' nohow, -so I chips a piece out of a tree and puts it in my -trap-sack, and carries it in safe to Laramie. Well, -old Captain Stewart, (a clever man was that, though -he was an Englishman), he comes along next spring, -and a Dutch doctor chap was along too. I shows -him the piece I chipped out of the tree, and he -called it a putrefaction too; and so, marm, if that -wasn't a putrefied peraira, what was it? For this -hos doesn't know, and <i>he</i> knows 'fat cow' from -'poor bull,' anyhow.'</p> - -<p>“Well, old Black Harris is gone under too, I -believe. He went to the 'Parks' trapping with a -Vide Poche Frenchman, who shot him for his bacca -and traps. Darn them Frenchmen, they're no account -any way you lays your sight. (Any bacca -in your bag, Bill? this beaver feels like chawing.)</p> - -<p>“Well, any how, thar was the camp, and they -was goin to put out the next morning; and the last -as come out of Independence was that ar Englishman. -He'd a nor-west<a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> capote on, and a two-shoot -gun rifled. Well, them English are darned fools; -they can't fix a rifle any ways; but that one did -shoot 'some;' leastwise <i>he</i> made it throw plum-center. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> -He made the bufler 'come,' <i>he</i> did, and fout -well at Pawnee Fork too. What was his name? -All the boys called him Cap'en, and he got his fixings -from old Choteau; but what he wanted out -thar in the mountains, I never jest rightly know'd. -He was no trader, nor a trapper, and flung about -his dollars right smart. Thar was old grit in him, -too, and a hair of the black b'ar at that. -<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> They -say he took the bark off the Shians when he cleared -out of the village with old Beaver Tail's squaw. -He'd been on Yaller Stone afore that: Leclerc -know'd him in the Blackfoot, and up in the Chippeway -country; and he had the best powder as -ever I flashed through life, and his gun was handsome, -that's a fact. Them thar locks was grand; -and old Jake Hawken's nephey, (him as trapped on -Heeley that time), told me, the other day, as he -saw an English gun on Arkansa last winter as beat -all off hand.</p> - -<p>“Nigh upon two hundred dollars I had in my -possibles, when I went to that camp to see the boys -afore they put out; and you know, Bill, as I sat to -'Euker' and 'seven up'<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a> till every cent was gone.</p> - -<p>“'Take back twenty, old coon,' says Big John.</p> - -<p>“'H—'s full of such takes back,' says I; and I -puts back to town and fetches the rifle and the old -mule, puts my traps into the sack, gets credit for a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> -couple of pounds of powder at Owin's store, and -hyar I ar on Bijou, with half a pack of beaver, and -running meat yet, old hos: so put a log on, and -let's have a smoke.</p> - -<p>“Hurraw, Jake, old coon, bear a hand, and let -the squaw put them tails in the pot; for sun's down, -and we'll have to put out pretty early to reach -'Black Tail' by this time to-morrow. Who's fust -guard, boys? them cussed 'Rapahos' will be after -the animals to-night, or I'm no judge of Injun sign. -How many did you see, Maurice?”</p> - -<p>“Enfant de Gârce, me see bout honderd, when -I pass Squirrel Creek, one dam war-party, parceque, -they no hosses, and have de lariats for steal -des animaux. May be de Yutas in Bayou Salade.”</p> - -<p>“We'll be having trouble to-night, I'm thinking, -if the devils are about. Whose band was it, Maurice?”</p> - -<p>“Slim-Face—I see him ver close—is out; mais -I think it White Wolf's.”</p> - -<p>“White Wolf, maybe, will lose his hair if he and -his band knock round here too often. That Injun -put me afoot when we was out on 'Sandy' that fall. -This niggur owes him one, any how.”</p> - -<p>“H—'s full of White Wolves: go ahead, and -roll out some of your doins across the plains that -time.”</p> - -<p>“You seed sights that spree, eh, boy?”</p> - -<p>“<i>Well</i>, we did. Some of em got their flints -fixed this side of Pawnee Fork, and a heap of mule-meat -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> -went wolfing. Just by Little Arkansa we saw -the first Injun. Me and young Somes was ahead -for meat, and I had hobbled the old mule and was -'approaching' some goats,<a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> when I see the critturs -turn back their heads and jump right away for me. -'Hurraw, Dick!' I shouts, 'hyars brown-skin -acomin,' and off I makes for the mule. The young -greenhorn sees the goats runnin up to him, and not -being up to Injun ways, blazes at the first and -knocks him over. Jest then seven darned red -heads top the bluff, and seven Pawnees com -a-screechin upon us. I cuts the hobbles and jumps -on the mule, and, when I looks back, there was -Dick Somes ramming a ball down his gun like mad, -and the Injuns flinging their arrows at him pretty -smart, I tell you. 'Hurraw, Dick, mind your hair,' -and I ups old Greaser and let one Injun 'have it,' -as was going plum into the boy with his lance. <i>He</i> -turned on his back handsome, and Dick gets the -ball down at last, blazes away, and drops another. -Then we charged on em, and they clears off like -runnin cows; and I takes the hair off the heads of -the two we made meat of; and I do b'lieve thar's -some of them scalps on my old leggings yet.</p> - -<p>“Well, Dick was as full of arrows as a porky-pine: -one was sticking right through his cheek, -one in his meat-bag, and two more 'bout his hump-ribs. -I tuk 'em all out slick, and away we go to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>e -camp, (for they was jost a-campin' when we went -ahead) and carryin' the goat too. Thar' was a -hurroo when we rode in with the scalps at the end -of our guns. 'Injuns! Injuns!' was the cry from -the greenhorns; 'we'll be 'tacked to-night, that's -certain.'</p> - -<p>“'Tacked be ——' says old Bill; 'aint we -men too, and white at that? Look to your guns, -boys; send out a strong hos'-guard with the animals, -and keep your eyes skinned.'</p> - -<p>“Well, as soon as the animals were unhitched -from the waggons, the guvner sends out a strong -guard, seven boys, and old hands at that. It was -pretty nigh upon sundown, and Bill had just sung -out to 'corral.' The boys were drivin' in the animals, -and we were all standin' round to get 'em in -slick, when, 'howgh-owgh-owgh-owgh,' we hears -right behind the bluff, and 'bout a minute and a -perfect crowd of Injuns gallops down upon the -animals. Wagh! war'nt thar hoopin'! We jump -for the guns, but before we get to the fires, the -Injuns were among the cavayard. I saw Ned -Collyer and his brother, who were in the hos'-guard, -let drive at 'em; but twenty Pawnees were -round 'em before the smoke cleared from their -rifles, and when the crowd broke the two boys -were on the ground, and their hair gone. Well, -that ar Englishman just saved the cavayard. He -had his horse, a regular buffalo-runner, picketed -round the fire quite handy, and as soon as he sees -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> -the fix, he jumps upon her and rides right into the -thick of the mules, and passes through 'em, firing -his two-shoot gun at the Injuns, and, by Gor, he -made two come. The mules, which was a snortin' -with funk and running before the Injuns, as soon as -they see the Englisman's mare (mules 'ill go to h— -after a horse, you all know), followed her right into -the corral, and thar they was safe. Fifty Pawnees -come screechin' after 'em, but we was ready that -time, and the way we throw'd 'em was something -handsome, I tell you. But three of the hos'-guard -got skeared—leastwise their mules did, and carried -'em off into the peraira, and the Injuns having -enough of <i>us</i>, dashed after 'em right away. Them -poor devils looked back miserable now, with about a -hundred red varmints tearin' after their hair, and -whooping like mad. Young Jem Bulcher was the -last; and when he seed it was no use, and his time -was nigh, he throw'd himself off the mule, and standing -as upright as a hickory wiping stick, he waves -his hand to us, and blazes away at the first Injun as -come up, and dropped him slick; but the moment -after, you may guess, <i>he</i> died.</p> - -<p>“We could do nothin', for, before our guns were -loaded, all three were dead and their scalps gone. -Five of our boys got rubbed out that time, and seven -Injuns lay wolf's meat, while a many more went -away gut-shot, I'll lay. How'sever, five of us -went under, and the Pawnees made a raise of a -dozen mules, wagh!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span></p> - -<p>Thus far, in his own words, we have accompanied -the old hunter in his tale; and probably he would -have taken us, by the time that the Squaw Chilipat -had pronounced the beaver tails cooked, safely -across the grand prairies—fording Cotton Wood, -Turkey Creek, Little Arkansa, Walnut Creek, and -Pawnee Fork—passed the fireless route of the Coon -Creeks, through a sea of fat buffalo meat, without -fuel to cook it; have struck the big river, and, leaving -at the “Crossing” the waggons destined for -Santa Fé, have trailed us up the Arkansa to Bent's -Fort; thence up Boiling Spring, across the divide -over to the southern fork of the Platte, away up to -the Black Hills, and finally camped us, with hair -still preserved, in the beaver-abounding valleys of -the Sweet Water, and Câche la Poudre, under the -rugged shadow of the Wind River mountains; if it -had not so happened, at this juncture, as all our -mountaineers sat cross-legged round the fire, pipe -in mouth, and with Indian gravity listened to the -yarn of the old trapper, interrupting him only with -an occasional wagh! or with the exclamations of -some participator in the events then under narration, -who would every now and then put in a corroborative,—“This -child remembers that fix,” or, -“hyar's a niggur lifted hair that spree,” &c.—that -a whizzing noise was heard in the air, followed -by a sharp but suppressed cry from one of the -hunters.</p> - -<p>In an instant the mountaineers had sprung from -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> -their seats, and, seizing the ever-ready rifle, each -one had thrown himself on the ground a few paces -beyond the light of the fire (for it was now night-fall;) -but not a word escaped them, as, lying close, -with their keen eyes directed towards the gloom of -the thicket, near which the camp was placed, with -rifles cocked, they waited a renewal of the attack. -Presently the leader of the band, no other than -Killbuck, who had so lately been recounting some -of his experiences across the plains, and than whom -no more crafty woodsman or more expert trapper -ever tracked a deer or grained a beaverskin, raised -his tall, leather-clad form, and, placing his hand -over his mouth, made the prairie ring with the wild -protracted note of an Indian war-whoop. This was -instantly repeated from the direction where the animals -belonging to the camp were grazing, under the -charge of the horse-guard. Three shrill whoops -answered the warning of the leader, and showed -that the guard was on the alert, and understood the -signal. However, with the manifestation of their -presence, the Indians appeared to be satisfied; or, -what is more probable, the act of aggression had -been committed by some daring young warrior, -who, being out on his first expedition, desired to -strike the first <i>coup</i>, and thus signalise himself at -the outset of the campaign. After waiting some few -minutes, expecting a renewal of the attack, the -mountaineers in a body rose from the ground and -made towards the animals, with which they presently -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> -returned to the camp; and, after carefully -hobbling and securing them to pickets firmly driven -into the ground, mounting an additional guard, and -examining the neighbouring thicket, they once more -assembled round the fire, relit their pipes, and puffed -away the cheering weed as composedly as if no such -being as a Redskin, thirsting for their lives, was -within a thousand miles of their perilous encampment.</p> - -<p>“If ever thar was bad Injuns on these plains,” -at last growled Killbuck, biting hard the pipe-stem -between his teeth, “it's these Rapahos, and the -meanest kind at that.”</p> - -<p>“Can't beat the Blackfeet, any how,” chimed in -one La Bonté, from the Yellow Stone country, a -fine handsome specimen of a mountaineer. “However, -one of you quit this arrow out of my hump,” -he continued, bending forwards to the fire, and -exhibiting an arrow sticking out under his right -shoulder-blade, and a stream of blood trickling -down his buckskin coat from the wound.</p> - -<p>This his nearest neighbour essayed to do; but -finding, after a tug, that it “would not come,” -expressed his opinion that the offending weapon -would have to be “butchered” out. This was -accordingly effected with the ready blade of a scalp-knife; -and a handful of beaver-fur being placed on -the wound, and secured by a strap of buckskin -round the body, the wounded man donned his hunting-shirt -once more, and coolly set about lighting -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> -his pipe, his rifle lying across his lap, cocked and -ready for use.</p> - -<p>It was now near midnight—dark and misty; and -the clouds, rolling away to the eastward from the -lofty ridges of the Rocky Mountains, were gradually -obscuring the dim starlight. As the lighter -vapours faded from the mountains, a thick black -cloud succeeded them, and settled over the loftier -peaks of the chain, faintly visible through the gloom -of night, whilst a mass of fleecy scud soon overspread -the whole sky. A hollow moaning sound -crept through the valley, and the upper branches -of the cotton woods, with their withered leaves, -began to rustle with the first breath of the coming -storm. Huge drops of rain fell at intervals, hissing -as they dropped into the blazing fires, and pattering -on the skins with which the hunters hurriedly -covered the exposed baggage. The mules near -the camp cropped the grass with quick and greedy -bites round the circuit of their pickets, as if conscious -that the storm would soon prevent their feeding, -and already humped their backs as the chilling -rain fell upon their flanks. The prairie wolves crept -closer to the camp, and in the confusion that ensued -from the hurry of the trappers to cover the perishable -portions of their equipment, contrived more -than once to dart off with a piece of meat, when -their peculiar and mournful chiding would be heard -as they fought for the possession of the ravished -morsel.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> - -<p>When every thing was duly protected, the men -set to work to spread their beds, those who had not -troubled themselves to erect a shelter getting under -the lee of the piles of packs and saddles; whilst -Killbuck, disdaining even such care of his carcass, -threw his buffalo robe on the bare ground, declaring -his intention to “take” what was coming at all -hazards, and “any how.” Selecting a high spot, -he drew his knife and proceeded to cut drains round -it, to prevent the water running into him as he lay; -then taking a single robe he carefully spread it, -placing under the end farthest from the fire a large -stone brought from the creek. Having satisfactorily -adjusted this pillow, he added another robe to -the one already laid, and placed over all a Navajo -blanket, supposed to be impervious to rain. Then -he divested himself of his pouch and powder-horn, -which, with his rifle, he placed inside his bed, and -quickly covered up lest the wet should reach them. -Having performed these operations to his satisfaction, -he lighted his pipe by the hissing embers of -the half-extinguished fire (for by this time the rain -poured in torrents), and went the rounds of the -picketed animals, cautioning the guard round the -camp to keep their “eyes skinned, for there would -be 'powder burned' before morning.” Then returning -to the fire, and kicking with his mocassined foot -the slumbering ashes, he squatted down before it, -and thus soliloquised:—</p> - -<p>“Thirty year have I been knocking about these -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> -mountains from Missoura's head as far sothe as the -starving Gila. I've trapped a 'heap,' -<a name="FNanchor_13_13" id="FNanchor_13_13"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a> and many a -hundred pack of beaver I've traded in my time, -wagh! What has come of it, and whar's the dollars -as ought to be in my possibles? Whar's the ind of -this, I say? Is a man to be hunted by Injuns all -his days? Many's the time I've said I'd strike for -Taos, and trap a squaw, for this child's getting old, -and feels like wanting a woman's face about his -lodge for the balance of his days; but when it comes -to caching of the old traps, I've the smallest kind of -heart, I have. Certain, the old-state comes across -my mind now and again, but who's thar to remember -my old body? But them diggings gets too -over crowded now-a-days, and its hard to fetch breath -amongst them big bands of corncrackers to Missoura. -Beside, it goes against natur to leave bufler meat -and feed on hog; and them white gals are too much -like picturs, and a deal too 'fofarraw' (fanfaron). -No; darn the settlements, I say. It won't shine, -and whar's the dollars? Howsever, beaver's 'bound -to rise;' human natur can't go on selling beaver a -dollar a pound; no, no, that arn't a going to shine -much longer, I know. Them was the times when -this child first went to the mountains: six dollars -the plew—old 'un or kitten. Wagh! but its bound -to rise, I says agin; and hyar's a coon knows whar -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> -to lay his hand on a dozen pack right handy, and -then he'll take the Taos trail, wagh!”</p> - -<p>Thus soliloquising, Killbuck knocked the ashes -from his pipe, and placed it in the gaily ornamented -case that hung round his neck, drew his knife-belt -a couple of holes tighter, resumed his pouch and -powder-horn, took his rifle, which he carefully covered -with the folds of his Navajo blanket, and -striding into the darkness, cautiously reconnoitred -the vicinity of the camp. When he returned to the -fire he sat himself down as before, but this time -with his rifle across his lap; and at intervals his -keen gray eye glanced piercingly around, particularly -towards an old, weather-beaten, and grizzled -mule, who now, old stager as she was, having filled -her belly, stood lazily over her picket pin, with her -head bent down and her long ears flapping over -her face, her limbs gathered under her, and her -back arched to throw off the rain, tottering from -side to side as she rested and slept.</p> - -<p>“Yep, old gal!” cried Killbuck to the animal, at -the same time picking a piece of burnt wood from -the fire and throwing it at her, at which the mule -gathered itself up and cocked her ears as she recognised -her master's voice. “Yep, old gal! and keep -your nose open; thar's brown skin about, I'm thinkin', -and maybe you'll get 'roped' (lasso'd) by a -Rapaho afore mornin.” Again the old trapper -settled himself before the fire; and soon his head -began to nod, as drowsiness stole over him. Already -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> -he was in the land of dreams; revelling -amongst bands of “fat cow,” or hunting along a -stream well peopled with beaver; with no Indian -“sign” to disturb him, and the merry rendezvous -in close perspective, and his peltry selling briskly -at six dollars the plew, and galore of alcohol to -ratify the trade. Or, perhaps, threading the back -trail of his memory, he passed rapidly through the -perilous vicissitudes of his hard, hard life—starving -one day, revelling in abundance the next; now -beset by whooping savages thirsting for his blood, -baying his enemies like the hunted deer, but with -the unflinching courage of a man; now, all care -thrown aside, secure and forgetful of the past, a -welcome guest in the hospitable trading fort; or -back, as the trail gets fainter, to his childhood's -home in the brown forests of old Kentuck, tended -and cared for—his only thought to enjoy the homminy -and johnny cakes of his thrifty mother. Once -more, in warm and well remembered homespun, he -sits on the snake fence round the old clearing, and -munching his hoe-cake at set of sun, listens to the -mournful note of the whip-poor-will, or the harsh -cry of the noisy catbird, or watches the agile gambols -of the squirrels as they chase each other, chattering -the while, from branch to branch of the lofty -tamarisks, wondering how long it will be before he -will be able to lift his father's heavy rifle, and use -it against the tempting game. Sleep, however, sat -lightly on the eyes of the wary mountaineer, and a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> -snort from the old mule in an instant stretched his -every nerve. Without a movement of his body, -his keen eye fixed itself upon the mule, which now -stood with head bent round, and eyes and ears -pointed in one direction, snuffing the night air and -snorting with apparent fear. A low sound from the -wakeful hunter roused the others from their sleep; -and raising their bodies from their well-soaked beds, -a single word apprised them of their danger.</p> - -<p>“Injuns!”</p> - -<p>Scarcely was the word out of Killbuck's lips, -when, above the howling of the furious wind, and -the pattering of the rain, a hundred savage yells -broke suddenly upon their ears from all directions -round the camp; a score of rifle-shots rattled from -the thicket, and a cloud of arrows whistled through -the air, whilst a crowd of Indians charged upon the -picketed animals. “Owgh, owgh—owgh—owgh—g-h-h.” -“A foot, by gor!” shouted Killbuck, “and -the old mule gone at that. On 'em, boys, for old -Kentuck!” And he rushed towards his mule, which -jumped and snorted mad with fright, as a naked -Indian strove to fasten a lariat round her nose, -having already cut the rope which fastened her to -the picket-pin.</p> - -<p>“Quit that, you cussed devil!” roared the trapper, -as he jumped upon the savage, and without -raising his rifle to his shoulder, made a deliberate -thrust with the muzzle at his naked breast, striking -him full, and at the same time pulling the trigger, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> -actually driving the Indian two paces backwards -with the shock, when he fell in a heap, and dead. -But at the same moment, an Indian, sweeping his -club round his head, brought it with fatal force down -upon Killbuck; for a moment the hunter staggered, -threw out his arms wildly into the air, and fell -headlong to the ground.</p> - -<p>“Owgh! owgh, owgh-h-h!” cried the Rapaho, -and, striding over the prostrate body, he seized -with his left hand the middle lock of the trapper's -long hair, and drew his knife round the head to -separate the scalp from the skull. As he bent over -to his work, the trapper named La Bonté saw his -companion's peril, rushed quick as thought at the -Indian, and buried his knife to the hilt between his -shoulders. With a gasping shudder the Rapaho -fell dead upon the prostrate body of his foe.</p> - -<p>The attack, however, lasted but a few seconds. -The dash at the animals had been entirely successful, -and, driving them before them, with loud cries, -the Indians disappeared quickly in the darkness. -Without waiting for daylight, two of the three trappers -who alone were to be seen, and who had been -within the shanties at the time of attack, without a -moment's delay commenced packing two horses, -which having been fastened to the shanties had -escaped the Indians, and placing their squaws upon -them, showering curses and imprecations on their -enemies, left the camp, fearful of another onset, and -resolved to retreat and câche themselves until the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> -danger was over. Not so La Bonté, who, stout and -true, had done his best in the fight, and now sought -the body of his old comrade, from which, before he -could examine the wounds, he had first to remove -the corpse of the Indian he had slain. Killbuck still -breathed. He had been stunned; but, revived by -the cold rain beating upon his face, he soon opened -his eyes, and recognised his trusty friend, who, -sitting down, lifted his head into his lap, and wiped -away the blood that streamed from the wounded -scalp.</p> - -<p>“Is the top-knot gone, boy?” asked Killbuck; -“for my head feels queersome, I tell you.”</p> - -<p>“Thar's the Injun as felt like lifting it,” answered -the other, kicking the dead body with his -foot.</p> - -<p>“Wagh! boy, you've struck a coup; so scalp -the nigger right off, and then fetch me a drink.”</p> - -<p>The morning broke clear and cold. With the -exception of a light cloud which hung over Pike's -Peak, the sky was spotless; and a perfect calm had -succeeded the boisterous storm of the previous -night. The creek was swollen and turbid with the -rains; and as La Bonté proceeded a little distance -down the bank to find a passage to the water, he -suddenly stopped short, and an involuntary cry -escaped him. Within a few feet of the bank lay -the body of one of his companions, who had formed -the guard at the time of the Indians' attack. It -was lying on the face, pierced through the chest -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> -with an arrow which was buried to the very -feathers, and the scalp torn from the bloody skull. -Beyond, but all within a hundred yards, lay the -three others, dead, and similarly mutilated. So -certain had been the aim, and so close the enemy, -that each had died without a struggle, and consequently -had been unable to alarm the camp. La -Bonté, with a glance at the bank, saw at once that -the wily Indians had crept along the creek, the -noise of the storm facilitating their approach undiscovered, -and crawling up the bank, had watched -their opportunity to shoot simultaneously the four -hunters on guard.</p> - -<p>Returning to Killbuck, he apprised him of the -melancholy fate of their companions, and held a -council of war as to their proceedings. The old -hunter's mind was soon made up. “First,” said -he, “I get back my old mule; she's carried me and -my traps these twelve years, and I aint a goin' to -lose her yet. Second, I feel like taking hair, and -some Rapahos has to 'go under' for this night's -work. Third, We have got to câche the beaver. -Fourth, We take the Injun trail, wharever it -leads.”</p> - -<p>No more daring mountaineer than La Bonté -ever trapped a beaver, and no counsel could have -more exactly tallied with his own inclination than -the law laid down by old Killbuck.</p> - -<p>“Agreed,” was his answer, and forthwith he set -about forming a câche. In this instance they had -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> -not sufficient time to construct a regular one, so -they contented themselves with securing their packs -of beaver in buffalo robes, and tying them in the -forks of several cotton-woods, under which the camp -had been made. This done, they lit a fire, and -cooked some buffalo meat; and, whilst smoking a -pipe, carefully cleaned their rifles, and filled their -horns and pouches with good store of ammunition.</p> - -<p>A prominent feature in the character of the hunters -of the far west is their quick determination and -resolve in cases of extreme difficulty and peril, and -their fixedness of purpose, when any plan of operations -has been laid requiring bold and instant action -in carrying out. It is here that they so infinitely -surpass the savage Indian, in bringing to a successful -issue their numerous hostile expeditions against -the natural foe of the white man in the wild and -barbarous regions of the west. Ready to resolve -as they are prompt to execute, and combining far -greater dash and daring with equal subtlety and -caution, they possess great advantage over the vacillating -Indian, whose superstitious mind in a great -degree paralyses the physical energy of his active -body; and who, by waiting for propitious signs and -seasons before he undertakes an enterprise, often -loses the opportunity by which his white and more -civilised enemy knows so well how to profit.</p> - -<p>Killbuck and La Bonté were no exceptions to this -characteristic rule; and before the sun was a hand's-breadth -above the eastern horizon, the two hunters -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> -were running on the trail of the victorious Indians. -Striking from the creek where the night attack was -made, they crossed to another known as Kioway, -running parallel to Bijou, a few hours' journey westward, -and likewise heading in the “divide.” Following -this to its forks, they struck into the upland -prairies lying at the foot of the mountains; and -crossing to the numerous water-courses which feed -the creek called “Vermilion” or “Cherry,” they -pursued the trail over the mountain-spurs until it -reached a fork of the Boiling Spring. Here the -war-party had halted and held a consultation, for -from this point the trail turned at a tangent to the -westward, and entered the rugged gorges of the -mountains. It was now evident to the two trappers -that their destination was the Bayou Salade,—a -mountain valley which is a favourite resort of the -buffalo in the winter season, and which, and for this -reason, is often frequented by the Yuta Indians as -their wintering ground. That the Rapahos were on -a war expedition against the Yutas, there was little -doubt; and Killbuck, who knew every inch of the -ground, saw at once, by the direction the trail had -taken, that they were making for the Bayou in order -to surprise their enemies, and, therefore, were not -following the usual Indian trail up the cañon of the -Boiling Spring River. Having made up his mind to -this, he at once struck across the broken ground -lying at the foot of the mountains, steering a course -a little to the eastward of north, or almost in the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> -direction whence he had come: and then, pointing -westward, about noon he crossed a mountain chain, -and descending into a ravine through which a little -rivulet tumbled over its rocky bed, he at once proved -the correctness of his judgment by striking the -Indian trail, now quite fresh, as it wound through the -cañon along the bank of the stream. The route he -had followed, impracticable to pack-animals, had -saved at least half-a-day's journey, and brought -them within a short distance of the object of their -pursuit; for, at the head of the gorge, a lofty bluff -presenting itself, the hunters ascended to the summit, -and, looking down, descried at their very feet -the Indian camp, with their own stolen cavallada -feeding quietly round.</p> - -<p>“Wagh!” exclaimed both the hunters in a -breath. “And thar's the old ga'l at that,” chuckled -Killbuck, as he recognised his old grizzled mule -making good play at the rich buffalo grass with -which these mountain valleys abound.</p> - -<p>“If we don't make 'a raise' afore long, I wouldn't -say so. Thar plans is plain to this child as beaver -sign. They're after Yuta hair, as certain as this -gun has got hind-sights; but they ar'nt agoin' to -pack them animals after 'em, and have crawled like -'rattlers' along this bottom to câche 'em till they -come back from the Bayou,—and maybe they'll -leave half a dozen 'soldiers'<a name="FNanchor_14_14" id="FNanchor_14_14"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a> with 'em.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> - -<p>How right the wily trapper was in his conjectures -will be shortly proved. Meanwhile, with his companion, -he descended the bluff, and pushing his way -into a thicket of dwarf pine and cedar, sat down on -a log, and drew from an end of the blanket, strapped -on his shoulder, a portion of a buffalo's liver, which -they both discussed, <i>raw</i>, with infinite relish; eating -in lieu of bread (an unknown luxury in these parts) -sundry strips of dried fat. To have kindled a fire -would have been dangerous, since it was not impossible -that some of the Indians might leave their -camp to hunt, when the smoke would at once have -betrayed the presence of enemies. A light was -struck, however for their pipes, and after enjoying -this true consolation for some time, they laid a -blanket on the ground, and, side by side, soon fell -asleep.</p> - -<p>If Killbuck had been a prophet, or the most prescient -of “medicine men,” he could not have more -exactly predicted the movements in the Indian camp. -About three hours before “sundown,” he rose and -shook himself, which movement was sufficient to -awaken his companion. Telling La Bonté to lie -down again and rest, he gave him to understand -that he was about to reconnoitre the enemy's camp; -and after carefully examining his rifle, and drawing -his knife-belt a hole or two tighter, he proceeded on -his dangerous errand. Ascending the same bluff -whence he had first discovered the Indian camp, he -glanced rapidly around, and made himself master of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> -the features of the ground—choosing a ravine by -which he might approach the camp more closely, -and without danger of being discovered. This was -soon effected; and in half an hour the trapper was -lying on his belly on the summit of a pine-covered -bluff, which overlooked the Indians within easy rifle-shot, -and so perfectly concealed by the low spreading -branches of the cedar and arbor-vitæ, that not -a particle of his person could be detected; unless, -indeed, his sharp twinkling gray eye contrasted too -strongly with the green boughs that covered the -rest of his face. Moreover, there was no danger of -their hitting upon his trail, for he had been careful -to pick his steps on the rock-covered ground, so -that not a track of his moccasin was visible. Here -he lay, still as a carcagien in wait for a deer, only -now and then shaking the boughs as his body quivered -with a suppressed chuckle, when any movement -in the Indian camp caused him to laugh inwardly -at his (if they had known it) unwelcome -propinquity. He was not a little surprised, however, -to discover that the party was much smaller than -he had imagined, counting only forty warriors; and -this assured him that the band had divided, one -half taking the Yuta trail by the Boiling Spring, the -other (the one before him) taking a longer circuit -in order to reach the Bayou, and make the attack -on the Yutas in a different direction.</p> - -<p>At this moment the Indians were in deliberation. -Seated in a large circle round a very small -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> -fire,<a name="FNanchor_15_15" id="FNanchor_15_15"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a> -the smoke from which ascended in a thin -straight column, they each in turn puffed a huge cloud -of smoke from three or four long cherry-stemmed -pipes, which went the round of the party; each -warrior touching the ground with the heel of the -pipe-bowl, and turning the stem upwards and away -from him as “medicine” to the Great Spirit, before -he himself inhaled the fragrant kinnik-kinnik. The -council, however, was not general, for only fifteen -of the older warriors took part in it, the others sitting -outside and at some little distance from the -circle. Behind each were his arms—bow and quiver, -and shield hanging from a spear stuck in the ground, -and a few guns in ornamented covers of buckskin -were added to some of the equipments.</p> - -<p>Near the fire, and in the centre of the inner circle, -a spear was fixed upright in the ground, and on this -dangled the four scalps of the trappers killed the -preceding night; and underneath them, affixed to -the same spear, was the mystic “medicine bag,” by -which Killbuck knew that the band before him was -under the command of the chief of the tribe.</p> - -<p>Towards the grim trophies on the spear, the warriors, -who in turn addressed the council, frequently -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> -pointed—more than one, as he did so, making the -gyratory motion of the right hand and arm, which -the Indians use in describing that they have gained -an advantage by skill or cunning. Then pointing -westward, the speaker would thrust out his -arm, extending his fingers at the same time, and -closing and reopening them repeatedly, meaning, -that although four scalps already ornamented the -“medicine” pole, they were as nothing compared -to the numerous trophies they would bring from the -Salt Valley, where they expected to find their hereditary -enemies the Yutas. “That now was not the -time to count their coups,” (for at this moment one -of the warriors rose from his seat, and, swelling -with pride, advanced towards the spear, pointing to -one of the scalps, and then striking his open hand -on his naked breast, jumped into the air, as if about -to go through the ceremony). “That before many -suns all their spears together would not hold the -scalps they had taken, and that they would return -to their village and spend a moon relating their -achievements, and counting coups.”</p> - -<p>All this Killbuck learned: thanks to his knowledge -of the language of signs—a master of which, -if even he have no ears or tongue, never fails to -understand, and be understood by, any of the hundred -tribes whose languages are perfectly distinct -and different. He learned, moreover, that at sundown -the greater part of the band would resume -the trail, in order to reach the Bayou by the earliest -dawn; and also, that no more than four or five -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> -of the younger warriors would remain with the captured -animals. Still the hunter remained in his -position until the sun had disappeared behind the -ridge; when, taking up their arms, and throwing -their buffalo robes on their shoulders, the war party -of Rapahos, one behind the other, with noiseless -step, and silent as the dumb, moved away from the -camp. When the last dusky form had disappeared -behind a point of rocks which shut in the northern -end of the little valley or ravine, Killbuck withdrew -his head from its screen, crawled backwards on his -stomach from the edge of the bluff, and, rising from -the ground, shook and stretched himself; then gave -one cautious look around, and immediately proceeded -to rejoin his companion.</p> - -<p>“<i>Lave</i> (get up), boy,” said Killbuck, as soon as -he reached him. “Hyar's grainin' to do afore -long—and sun's about down, I'm thinking.”</p> - -<p>“Ready, old hos,” answered La Bonté, giving -himself a shake. “What's the sign like, and how -many's the lodge?”</p> - -<p>“Fresh, and five, boy. How do you feel?”</p> - -<p>“<i>Half froze for hair.</i> Wagh!”</p> - -<p>“We'll have moon to-night, and as soon as <i>she</i> -gets up, we'll make 'em 'come.'”</p> - -<p>Killbuck then described to his companion what he -had seen, and detailed his plan. This was simply to -wait until the moon afforded sufficient light, then to -approach the Indian camp and charge into it, “lift” -as much “hair” as they could, recover their animals, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> -and start at once to the Bayou and join the -friendly Yutas, warning them of the coming danger. -The risk of falling in with either of the Rapaho -bands was hardly considered; to avoid this, they -trusted to their own foresight, and the legs of their -mules, should they encounter them.</p> - -<p>Between sundown and the rising of the moon, -they had leisure to eat their supper, which, as before, -consisted of raw buffalo-liver; after discussing -which, Killbuck pronounced himself “a 'heap' better,” -and ready for “huggin.”</p> - -<p>In the short interval of almost perfect darkness -which preceded the moonlight, and taking advantage -of one of the frequent squalls of wind which -howl down the narrow gorges of the mountains, -these two determined men, with footsteps noiseless -as the panther's, crawled to the edge of the little -plateau of some hundred yards' square, where the -five Indians in charge of the animals were seated -round the fire, perfectly unconscious of the vicinity -of danger. Several clumps of cedar bushes dotted -the small prairie, and amongst these the well-hobbled -mules and horses were feeding. These animals, -accustomed to the presence of whites, would not -notice the two hunters as they crept from clump to -clump nearer to the fire, and also served, even if -the Indians should be on the watch, to conceal their -movements from them.</p> - -<p>This the two men at once perceived; but old Killbuck -knew that if he passed within sight or smell -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> -of his mule, he would be received with a hinny of -recognition, which would at once alarm the enemy. -He therefore first ascertained where his own animal -was feeding, which luckily was at the farther side -of the prairie, and would not interfere with his proceedings.</p> - -<p>Threading their way amongst the feeding mules, -they approached a clump of bushes about forty -yards from the spot where the unconscious savages -were seated smoking round the fire; and here they -awaited, scarcely drawing breath the while, the -moment when the moon rose above the mountain -into the clear cold sky, and gave them light sufficient -to make sure their work of bloody retribution. -Not a pulsation in the hearts of these stern determined -men beat higher than its wont; not the tremour -of a nerve disturbed their frame. They stood -with lips compressed and rifles ready, their pistols -loosened in their belts, their scalp-knives handy to -their gripe. The lurid glow of the coming moon -already shot into the sky above the ridge, which -stood out in bold relief against the light; and the -luminary herself just peered over the mountain, -illuminating its pine-clad summit, and throwing her -beams on an opposite peak, when Killbuck touched -his companion's arm, and whispered, “Wait for the -full light, boy.”</p> - -<p>At this moment, however, unseen by the trapper, -the old grizzled mule had gradually approached, as -she fed along the plateau; and, when within a few -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> -paces of their retreat, a gleam of moonshine revealed -to the animal the erect forms of the two whites. -Suddenly she stood still and pricked her ears, and -stretching out her neck and nose, snuffed the air. -Well she knew her old master.</p> - -<p>Killbuck, with eyes fixed upon the Indians, was -on the point of giving the signal of attack to his -comrade, when the shrill hinny of his mule reverberated -through the gorge. The Indians jumped -to their feet and seized their arms, when Killbuck, -with a loud shout of “At 'em boy; give the niggurs -h—!” rushed from his concealment, and with La -Bonté by his side, yelling a fierce war-whoop, -sprung upon the startled savages.</p> - -<p>Panic-struck with the suddenness of the attack, -the Indians scarcely knew where to run, and for a -moment stood huddled together like sheep. Down -dropped Killbuck on his knee, and stretching out -his wiping-stick, planted it on the ground at the -extreme length of his arm. As methodically and -as coolly as if about to aim at a deer, he raised his -rifle to this rest and pulled the trigger. At the -report an Indian fell forward on his face, at the -same moment that La Bonté, with equal certainty -of aim and like effect, discharged his own rifle.</p> - -<p>The three surviving Indians, seeing that their -assailants were but two, and knowing that their -guns were empty, came on with loud yells. With -the left hand grasping a bunch of arrows, and holding -the bow already bent and arrow fixed, they -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> -steadily advanced, bending low to the ground to -get their objects between them and the light, and -thus render their aim more certain. The trappers, -however, did not care to wait for them. Drawing -their pistols, they charged at once; and although -the bows twanged, and the three arrows struck -their mark, on they rushed, discharging their pistols -at close quarters. La Bonté threw his empty -one at the head of an Indian who was pulling his -second arrow to its head at a yard's distance, drew -his knife at the same moment, and made at him.</p> - -<p>But the Indian broke and ran, followed by his -surviving companion; and as soon as Killbuck could -ram home another ball, he sent a shot flying after -them as they scrambled up the mountain side, -leaving in their fright and hurry their bows and -shields on the ground.</p> - -<p>The fight was over, and the two trappers confronted -each other:—“We've given 'em h—!” -laughed Killbuck.</p> - -<p>“<i>Well</i>, we have,” answered the other, pulling an -arrow out of his arm.—“Wagh!”</p> - -<p>“We'll lift the hair, any how,” continued the -first, “afore the scalp's cold.”</p> - -<p>Taking his whetstone from the little sheath on -his knife-belt, the trapper proceeded to “edge” -his knife, and then stepping to the first prostrate -body, he turned it over to examine if any symptom -of vitality remained. “Thrown cold!” he exclaimed, -as he dropped the lifeless arm he had lifted. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> -“I sighted him about the long ribs, but the light -was bad, and I couldn't get a 'bead' 'off hand' -any how.”</p> - -<p>Seizing with his left hand the long and braided -lock on the centre of the Indian's head, he passed -the point edge of his keen butcher-knife round the -parting, turning it at the same time under the skin -to separate the scalp from the skull; then, with a -quick and sudden jerk of his hand, he removed it -entirely from the head, and giving the reeking -trophy a wring upon the grass to free it from the -blood, he coolly hitched it under his belt, and proceeded -to the next; but seeing La Bonté operating -upon this, he sought the third, who lay some little -distance from the others. This one was still alive, -a pistol-ball having passed through his body, without -touching a vital spot.</p> - -<p>“Gut-shot is this niggur,” exclaimed the trapper; -“them pistols never throws 'em in their -tracks;” and thrusting his knife, for mercy's -sake, into the bosom of the Indian, he likewise -tore the scalp-lock from his head, and placed it -with the other.</p> - -<p>La Bonté had received two trivial wounds, and -Killbuck till now had been walking about with an -arrow sticking through the fleshy part of his thigh, -the point being perceptible near the surface of the -other side. To free his leg from the painful encumbrance, -he thrust the weapon completely through, -and then, cutting off the arrow-head below the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> -barb, he drew it out, the blood flowing freely from -the wound. A tourniquet of buckskin soon stopped -this, and, heedless of the pain, the hardy mountaineer -sought for his old mule, and quickly -brought it to the fire (which La Bonté had -rekindled), lavishing many a caress, and most -comical terms of endearment, upon the faithful -companion of his wanderings. They found all the -animals safe and well; and after eating heartily of -some venison which the Indians had been cooking -at the moment of the attack, made instant preparations -to quit the scene of their exploit, not wishing -to trust to the chance of the Rapahos being too -frightened to again molest them.</p> - -<p>Having no saddles, they secured buffalo robes on -the backs of two mules—Killbuck, of course, riding -his own—and lost no time in proceeding on their -way. They followed the course of the Indians up -the stream, and found that it kept the cañons and -gorges of the mountains, where the road was better; -but it was with no little difficulty that they made -their way, the ground being much broken, and -covered with rocks. Killbuck's wound became very -painful, and his leg stiffened and swelled distressingly, -but he still pushed on all night, and, at daybreak, -recognising their position, he left the Indian -trail, and followed a little creek which rose in a -mountain chain of moderate elevation, and above -which, and to the south, Pike's Peak towered high -into the clouds. With great difficulty they crossed -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> -this ridge, and ascending and descending several -smaller ones, which gradually smoothed away as -they met the valley, about three hours after sunrise -they found themselves in the south-east corner of -the Bayou Salade.</p> - -<p>The Bayou Salade, or Salt Valley, is the most -southern of three very extensive valleys, forming a -series of table-lands in the very centre of the main -chain of the Rocky Mountains, known to the trappers -by the name of the “Parks.” The numerous -streams by which they are watered abound in the -valuable fur-bearing beaver, whilst every species of -game common to the west is found here in great -abundance. The Bayou Salade especially, owing -to the salitrose nature of the soil and springs, is the -favourite resort of all the larger animals common -to the mountains; and, in the sheltered prairies of -the Bayou, the buffalo, forsaking the barren and -inclement regions of the exposed plains, frequent -these upland valleys, in the winter months; and -feeding upon the rich and nutritious buffalo grass -which, on the bare prairies, at that season, is either -dry and rotten, or entirely exhausted, not only -sustain life, but retain a great portion of the “condition” -that the abundant fall and summer pasture -of the lowlands has laid upon their bones. Therefore -is this valley sought by the Indians as a wintering -ground. Its occupancy has been disputed by -most of the mountain tribes, and long and bloody -wars have been waged to make good the claims set -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> -forth by Yuta, Rapaho, Sioux, and Shians. However, -to the first of these it may be said now to -belong, since their “big village” has wintered -there for many successive years; whilst the Rapahos -seldom visit it unless on war expeditions against -the Yutas.</p> - -<p>Judging, from the direction the Rapahos were -taking, that the friendly tribe of Yutas were there -already, the trappers had resolved to join them as -soon as possible; and therefore, without resting, -pushed on through the uplands, and, towards the -middle of the day, had the satisfaction of descrying -the conical lodges of the village, situated on a large -level plateau, through which ran a mountain stream. -A numerous band of mules and horses were scattered -over the pasture, and round them several -mounted Indians kept guard. As the trappers -descended the bluffs into the plain, some straggling -Indians caught sight of them; and instantly one of -them, lassoing a horse from the herd, mounted it, -bare-backed, and flew like wind to the village to -spread the news. Soon the lodges disgorged their -inmates; first the women and children rushed to -the side of the strangers' approach; then the -younger Indians, unable to restrain their curiosity, -mounted their horses, and galloped forth to -meet them. The old chiefs, enveloped in buffalo -robes (softly and delicately dressed as the Yutas -alone know how), and with tomahawk held in one -hand and resting in the hollow of the other arm, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> -sallied last of all from their lodges, and, squatting -in a row on a sunny bank outside the village, -awaited, with dignified composure, the arrival of -the whites. Killbuck was well known to most of -them, having trapped in their country and traded -with them years before at Roubideau's fort at the -head waters of the Rio Grande. After shaking -hands with all who presented themselves, he at -once gave them to understand that their enemies, -the Rapahos, were at hand, with a hundred warriors -at least, elated by the coup they had just -struck against the whites, bringing, moreover, four -white scalps to incite them to brave deeds.</p> - -<p>At this news the whole village was speedily in -commotion: the war-shout was taken up from lodge -to lodge; the squaws began to lament and tear their -hair; the warriors to paint and arm themselves. -The elder chiefs immediately met in council, and, -over the medicine-pipe, debated as to the best course -to pursue,—whether to wait the attack, or sally out -and meet the enemy. In the mean time, the braves -were collected together by the chiefs of their respective -bands, and scouts, mounted on the fastest horses, -despatched in every direction to procure intelligence -of the enemy.</p> - -<p>The two whites, after watering their mules and -picketing them in some good grass near the village, -drew near the council fire, without, however, joining -in the “talk,” until they were invited to take -their seats by the eldest chief. Then Killbuck was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> -called upon to give his opinion as to the direction -in which he judged the Rapahos to be approaching, -which he delivered in their own language, with which -he was well acquainted. In a short time the council -broke up, and, without noise or confusion, a band of -one hundred chosen warriors left the village, immediately -after one of the scouts had galloped in and -communicated some intelligence to the chiefs. Killbuck -and La Bonté volunteered to accompany the -war-party, weak and exhausted as they were; but -this was negatived by the chiefs, who left their white -brothers to the care of the women, who tended their -wounds, now stiff and painful: and spreading their -buffalo robes in a warm and roomy lodge, left them -to the repose they so much needed.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER II.</h2> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap"> -The</span> next morning, Killbuck's leg was greatly inflamed, -and he was unable to leave the lodge; but -he made his companion bring the old mule to the -door, that he might give her a couple of ears of -Indian corn, the last remains of the slender store -brought by the Indians from the Navajo country. -The day passed, and sundown brought no tidings of -the war-party. This caused no little wailing on the -part of the squaws, but was interpreted by the -whites as a favourable augury. A little after sunrise, -on the second morning, the long line of the -returning warriors was discerned winding over the -prairie, and a scout having galloped in to bring the -news of a great victory, the whole village was soon -in a ferment of paint and drumming. A short distance -from the lodges, the warriors halted to await -the approach of the people. Old men, children, and -squaws sitting astride their horses, sallied out to escort -the victorious party in triumph to the village. -With loud shouts and songs, and drums beating the -monotonous Indian time, they advanced and encircled -the returning braves, one of whom, his face covered -with black paint, carried a pole on which dangled -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> -thirteen scalps, the trophies of the expedition. As -he lifted these on high, they were saluted with deafening -whoops and cries of exultation and savage joy. -In this manner they entered the village, almost -before the friends of those fallen in the fight had -ascertained their losses. Then the shouts of delight -were converted into yells of grief; the mothers and -wives of those braves who had been killed (and seven -had “gone under”) presently returned with their -faces, necks, and hands blackened, and danced and -howled round the scalp-pole, which had been deposited -in the centre of the village, in front of the -lodge of the great chief.</p> - -<p>Killbuck now learned that a scout having brought -intelligence that the two bands of Rapahos were -hastening to form a junction, as soon as they learned -that their approach was discovered, the Yutas had -successfully prevented it; and attacking one party, -had entirely defeated it, killing thirteen of the -Rapaho braves. The other party had fled on seeing -the issue of the fight, and a few of the Yuta warriors -were now pursuing them.</p> - -<p>To celebrate so signal a victory, great preparations -sounded their notes through the village. Paints,—vermilion -and ochres—red and yellow,—were in -great request; whilst the scrapings of charred wood, -mixed with gunpowder, were used as substitute for -black, the medicine colour.</p> - -<p>The lodges of the village, numbering some two -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> -hundred or more, were erected in parallel lines, and -covered a large space of the level prairie in shape -of a parallelogram. In the centre, however, the -space which half a dozen lodges in length would -have taken up was left unoccupied, save by one large -one, of red-painted buffalo skins, tatooed with the -mystic totems of the “medicine” peculiar to the -nation. In front of this stood the grim scalp-pole, -like a decayed tree trunk, its bloody fruit tossing in -the wind; and on another pole, at a few feet distance, -was hung the “bag” with its mysterious contents. -Before each lodge a tripod of spears supported the -arms and shields of the Yuta chivalry, and on many -of them, smoke-dried scalps rattled in the wind, -former trophies of the dusky knights who were -arming themselves within. Heraldic devices were not -wanting,—not, however, graved upon the shield, but -hanging from the spear-head, the actual “totem” -of the warrior it distinguished. The rattlesnake, the -otter, the carcagien, the mountain badger, the war-eagle, -the kon-qua-kish, the porcupine, the fox, &c., -dangled their well-stuffed skins, displaying the guardian -“medicine” of the warriors they pertained to, -and representing the mental and corporeal qualities -which were supposed to characterise the braves to -whom they belonged.</p> - -<p>From the centre lodge, two or three “medicine -men,” fantastically attired in the skins of wolves and -bears, and bearing long peeled wands of cherry in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> -their hands, occasionally emerged to tend a very -small fire which they had kindled in the centre of -the open space; and, when a thin column of smoke -arose, one of them planted the scalp-pole obliquely -across the fire. Squaws in robes of white dressed -buckskin, garnished with beads and porcupines' -quills, and their faces painted bright red and black, -then appeared. These ranged themselves round -the outside of the square, the boys and children of -all ages, mounted on bare-backed horses, galloping -round and round, and screaming with eagerness, -excitement, and curiosity.</p> - -<p>Presently the braves and warriors made their -appearance, and squatted round the fire in two -circles, those who had been engaged on the expedition -being in the first or smaller one. One medicine -man sat under the scalp-pole, having a drum between -his knees, which he tapped at intervals with his -hand, eliciting from the instrument a hollow monotonous -sound. A bevy of women, shoulder to shoulder, -then advanced from the four sides of the square, -and some, shaking a rattle-drum in time with their -steps, commenced a jumping jerking dance, now lifting -one foot from the ground, and now rising with -both, accompanying the dance with a chant, which -swelled from a low whisper to the utmost extent -of their voices—now dying away, and again bursting -into vociferous measure. Thus they advanced -to the centre and retreated to their former positions; -when six squaws, with their faces painted a dead -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> -black, made their appearance from the crowd, chanting, -in soft and sweet measure, a lament for the -braves the nation had lost in the late battle: but -soon as they drew near the scalp-pole, their melancholy -note changed to the music (to them) of gratified -revenge. In a succession of jumps, raising the -feet alternately but a little distance from the ground, -they made their way, through an interval left in the -circle of warriors, to the grim pole, and encircling -it, danced in perfect silence round it for a few -moments. Then they burst forth with an extempore -song, laudatory of the achievements of their -victorious braves. They addressed the scalps as -“sisters” (to be called a squaw is the greatest insult -that can be offered to an Indian), and, spitting at -them, upbraided them with their rashness in leaving -their lodges to seek for Yuta husbands; “that the -Yuta warriors and young men despised them, and -chastised them for their forwardness and presumption, -bringing back their scalps to their own -women.”</p> - -<p>After sufficiently proving that they had any thing -but lost the use of their tongues, but possessed, on -the contrary, as fair a length of that formidable -weapon as any of their sex, they withdrew, and left -the field in undisputed possession of the men: who, -accompanied by tap of drum, and by the noise of -many rattles, broke out into a war-song, in which -their own valour was by no means hidden in a -bushel, or modestly refused the light of day. After -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> -this came the more interesting ceremony of a warrior -“counting his coups.”</p> - -<p>A young brave, with his face painted black, -mounted on a white horse mysteriously marked -with red clay, and naked to the breech-clout, holding -in his hand a long taper lance, rode into the -circle, and paced slowly round it; then, flourishing -his spear on high, he darted to the scalp-pole, round -which the warriors were now seated in a semicircle; -and in a loud voice, and with furious gesticulations, -related his exploits, the drums tapping at the conclusion -of each. On his spear hung seven scalps, -and holding it vertically above his head, and commencing -with the top one, he told the feats in which -he had raised the trophy hair. When he had run -through these, the drums tapped loudly, and several -of the old chiefs shook their rattles, in corroboration -of the truth of his achievements. The brave, swelling -with pride, then pointed to the fresh and bloody -scalps hanging on the pole. Two of these had been -torn from the heads of Rapahos struck by his own -hand, and this feat, <i>the</i> exploit of the day, had -entitled him to the honour of counting his coups. -Then, sticking his spear into the ground by the side -of the pole, he struck his hand twice on his brawny -and naked chest, turned short round, and, swift as -the antelope, galloped into the plain: as if overcome -by the shock his modesty had received in being -obliged to recount his own high-sounding deeds.</p> - -<p>“Wagh!” exclaimed old Killbuck, as he left the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> -circle, pointing his pipe-stem towards the fast-fading -figure of the brave, “that Injun's heart's -about as big as ever it will be, I'm thinking.”</p> - -<p>With the Yutas, Killbuck and La Bonté remained -during the winter; and when the spring sun had -opened the ice-bound creeks, and melted the snow -on the mountains, and its genial warmth had -expanded the earth and permitted the roots of the -grass to “live” once more, and throw out green and -tender shoots, the two trappers bade adieu to the -hospitable Indians, who broke up their village in -order to start for the valleys of the Del Norte. As -they followed the trail from the bayou, at sundown, -just as they thought of camping, they observed -ahead of them a solitary horseman riding along, -followed by three mules. His hunting-frock of -fringed buckskin, and the rifle resting across the -horn of his saddle, at once proclaimed him white; -but as he saw the mountaineers winding through -the cañon, driving before them half a dozen horses, -<i>he</i> judged they might possibly be Indians and enemies, -the more so as their dress was not the usual -costume of the whites. The trappers, therefore, saw -the stranger raise the rifle in the hollow of his arm, -and, gathering up his horse, ride steadily to meet -them, as soon as he observed they were but two; -two to one in mountain calculation being scarcely -considered odds, if red skin to white.</p> - -<p>However, on nearing them, the stranger discovered -his mistake; and, throwing his rifle across -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> -the saddle once more, reined in his horse and waited -their approach; for the spot where he then -stood presented an excellent camping-ground, with -abundance of dry wood and convenient water.</p> - -<p>“Where from, stranger?”</p> - -<p>“The divide, and to the bayou for meat; and -you are from there, I see. Any buffalo come in -yet?”</p> - -<p>“Heap, and seal-fat at that. What's the sign -out on the plains?”</p> - -<p>“War-party of Rapahos passed Squirrel at sundown -yesterday, and nearly raised my animals. -Sign, too, of more on left fork of Boiling Spring. -No buffalo between this and Bijou. Do you feel -like camping?”</p> - -<p>“<i>Well</i>, we do. But whar's your companyeros?”</p> - -<p>“I'm alone.”</p> - -<p>“Alone! Wagh! how do you get your animals -along?”</p> - -<p>“I go ahead, and they follow the horse.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that beats all! That's a smart-looking -hos now; and runs some, I'm thinking.”</p> - -<p>“Well, it does.”</p> - -<p>“Whar's them mules from? They look like -Californy.”</p> - -<p>“Mexican country—away down south.”</p> - -<p>“H—! Whar's yourself from?”</p> - -<p>“There away, too.”</p> - -<p>“What's beaver worth in Taos?”</p> - -<p>“Dollar.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span></p> - -<p>“In Saint Louiy?”</p> - -<p>“Same.”</p> - -<p>“H—! Any call for buckskin?”</p> - -<p>“A heap! The soldiers in Santa Fé are half -froze for leather; and moccasins fetch two dollars, -easy.”</p> - -<p>“Wagh! How's trade on Arkansa, and what's -doin to the Fort?”</p> - -<p>“Shians at Big Timber, and Bent's people trading -smart. On North Fork, Jim Waters got a -hundred pack right off, and Sioux making more.”</p> - -<p>“Whar's Bill Williams?”</p> - -<p>“Gone under, they say: the Diggers took his -hair.”</p> - -<p>“How's powder goin?”</p> - -<p>“Two dollars a pint.”</p> - -<p>“Bacca?”</p> - -<p>“A plew a plug.”</p> - -<p>“Got any about you?”</p> - -<p>“Have <i>so</i>.”</p> - -<p>“Give us a chaw; and now let's camp.”</p> - -<p>Whilst unpacking their own animals, the two -trappers could not refrain from glancing, every -now and then, with no little astonishment, at the -solitary stranger they had so unexpectedly encountered. -If truth be told, his appearance not a little -perplexed them. His hunting-frock of buckskin, -shining with grease, and fringed pantaloons, over -which the well-greased butcher-knife had evidently -been often wiped after cutting his food, or butchering -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> -the carcass of deer and buffalo, were of genuine -mountain make. His face, clean shaved, exhibited -in its well-tanned and weather-beaten complexion, -the effects of such natural cosmetics as sun and -wind; and under the mountain hat of felt which -covered his head, long uncut hair hung in Indian -fashion on his shoulders. All this would have -passed muster, had it not been for the most extraordinary -equipment of a double-barrelled rifle; -which, when it had attracted the eyes of the mountaineers, -elicited no little astonishment, not to say -derision. But, perhaps, nothing excited their admiration -so much as the perfect docility of the -stranger's animals; which, almost like dogs, obeyed -his voice and call; and albeit that one, in a small -sharp head and pointed ears, expanded nostrils, -and eye twinkling and malicious, exhibited the personification -of a “lurking devil,” yet they could -not but admire the perfect ease with which even -this one, in common with the rest, permitted herself -to be handled.</p> - -<p>Dismounting, and unhitching from the horn of -his saddle the coil of skin rope, one end of which -was secured round the neck of the horse, he proceeded -to unsaddle; and whilst so engaged, the -three mules, two of which were packed, one with -the unbutchered carcass of a deer, the other with a -pack of skins, &c., followed leisurely into the space -chosen for the camp, and, cropping the grass at -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> -their ease, waited until a whistle called them to be -unpacked.</p> - -<p>The horse was a strong square-built bay; and, -although the severities of a prolonged winter, with -scanty pasture and long and trying travel, had -robbed his bones of fat and flesh, tucked up his -flank, and “ewed” his neck; still his clean and -well-set legs, oblique shoulder, and withers fine as -a deer's, in spite of his gaunt half-starved appearance, -bore ample testimony as to what he <i>had</i> been; -while his clear cheerful eye, and the hearty appetite -with which he fell to work on the coarse grass -of the bottom, proved that he had something in -him still, and was game as ever. His tail, gnawed -by the mules in days of strait, attracted the observant -mountaineers.</p> - -<p>“Hard doins when it come to that,” remarked -La Bonté.</p> - -<p>Between the horse and two of the mules a mutual -and great affection appeared to subsist, which -was no more than natural, when their master observed -to his companions that they had travelled -together upwards of two thousand miles.</p> - -<p>One of these mules was a short, thick-set, stumpy -animal, with an enormous head surmounted by proportionable -ears, and a pair of unusually large eyes, -beaming the most perfect good temper and docility -(most uncommon qualities in a mule.) Her neck -was thick, and rendered more so in appearance by -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> -reason of her mane not being roached, (or, in English, -hogged), which privilege she alone enjoyed of -the trio; and her short, strong legs, ending in small, -round, cat-like hoofs, were feathered with a profusion -of dark brown hair.</p> - -<p>As she stood stock-still, whilst the stranger removed -the awkwardly packed deer from her back, -she flapped her huge ears backward and forward, -occasionally turning her head, and laying her cold -nose against her master's cheek. When the pack -was removed, he advanced to her head, and resting -it on his shoulder, rubbed her broad and grizzled -cheeks with both his hands for several minutes, the -old mule laying her ears, like a rabbit, back upon -her neck, and with half-closed eyes enjoyed mightily -the manipulation. Then, giving her a smack -upon the haunch, and a “hep-a” well known to the -mule kind, the old favourite threw up her heels and -cantered off to the horse, who was busily cropping -the buffalo grass on the bluff above the stream.</p> - -<p>Great was the contrast between the one just described -and the next which came up to be divested -of her pack. She, a tall beautifully shaped Mexican -mule, of a light mouse colour, with a head like -a deer's, and long springy legs, trotted up obedient -to the call, but with ears bent back and curled up -nose, and tail compressed between her legs. As -her pack was being removed, she groaned and -whined like a dog, as a thong or loosened strap -touched her ticklish body, lifting her hind-quarters -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> -in a succession of jumps or preparatory kicks, and -looking wicked as a panther. When nothing but -the fore pack-saddle remained, she had worked herself -into the last stage; and as the stranger cast -loose the girth of buffalo hide, and was about to lift -the saddle and draw the crupper from the tail, she -drew her hind legs under her, more tightly compressed -her tail, and almost shrieked with rage.</p> - -<p>“Stand clear,” he roared (knowing what was -coming), and raised the saddle, when out went her -hind legs, up went the pack into the air, and, with -it dangling at her heels, away she tore, kicking the -offending saddle as she ran. Her master, however, -took this as matter of course, followed her and -brought back the saddle, which he piled on the -others to windward of the fire one of the trappers -was kindling. Fire-making is a simple process with -the mountaineers. Their bullet-pouches always contain -a flint and steel, and sundry pieces of “punk” -<a name="FNanchor_16_16" id="FNanchor_16_16"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a> -or tinder; and pulling a handful of dry grass, which -they screw into a nest, they place the lighted punk -in this, and, closing the grass over it, wave it in the -air, when it soon ignites, and readily kindles the -dry sticks forming the foundation of the fire.</p> - -<p>The tit-bits of the deer the stranger had brought -in were soon roasting over the fire; whilst, as soon -as the burning logs had deposited a sufficiency of -ashes, a hole was raked in them, and the head of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> -the deer, skin, hair, and all, placed in this primitive -oven, and carefully covered with the hot ashes.</p> - -<p>A “heap” of “fat meat” in perspective, our -mountaineers enjoyed their ante-prandial pipes, recounting -the news of the respective regions whence -they came; and so well did they like each other's -company, so sweet was the “honey-dew” tobacco -of which the strange hunter had good store, so -plentiful the game about the creek, and so abundant -the pasture for their winter-starved animals, -that before the carcass of the “two-year” buck -had been more than four-fifths consumed; and, although -rib after rib had been picked and chucked -over their shoulders to the wolves, and one fore leg -and <i>the</i> “bit” of all, the head, were still cooked -before them,—the three had come to the resolution -to join company, and hunt in their present locality -for a few days at least—the owner of the “two-shoot” -gun volunteering to fill their horns with -powder, and find tobacco for their pipes.</p> - -<p>Here, on plenty of meat, of venison, bear, and -antelope, they merrily luxuriated; returning after -their daily hunts to the brightly burning camp-fire, -where one always remained to guard the animals, -and unloading their packs of meat, (all choicest portions), -ate late into the night, and, smoking, wiled -away the time in narrating scenes in their hard-spent -lives, and fighting their battles o'er again.</p> - -<p>The younger of the trappers, he who has figured -under the name of La Bonté, had excited, by scraps -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> -and patches from his history, no little curiosity in -the stranger's mind to learn the ups and downs of -his career; and one night, when they assembled -earlier than usual at the fire, he prevailed upon the -modest trapper to “unpack” some passages in his -wild adventurous life.</p> - -<p>“Maybe,” commenced the mountaineer, “you -both remember when old Ashley went out with the -biggest kind of band to trap the Columbia, and -head-waters of Missoura and Yellow Stone. Well, -that was the time this niggur first felt like taking -to the mountains.”</p> - -<p>This brings us back to the year of our Lord -1825; and perhaps it will be as well, in order to -render La Bonté's mountain language intelligible, -to translate it at once into tolerable English, and -to tell in the third person, but from his own lips, -the scrapes which befell him in a sojourn of more -than twenty years in the Far West, and the causes -that impelled him to quit the comfort and civilisation -of his home, to seek the perilous but engaging -life of a trapper of the Rocky Mountains.</p> - -<p>La Bonté was raised in the state of Mississippi, -not far from Memphis, on the left bank of that -huge and snag-filled river. His father was a Saint -Louis Frenchman, his mother a native of Tennessee. -When a boy, our trapper was “some,” he said, -with the rifle, and always had a hankering for the -west; particularly when, on accompanying his father -to Saint Louis every spring, he saw the different -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> -bands of traders and hunters start upon their annual -expeditions to the mountains. Greatly did he envy -the independent, <i>insouciant</i> trappers, as, in all the -glory of beads and buckskin, they shouldered their -rifles at Jake Hawkin's door (the rifle-maker of St -Louis), and bade adieu to the cares and trammels -of civilised life.</p> - -<p>However, like a thoughtless beaver-kitten, he -put his foot into a trap one fine day, set by Mary -Brand, a neighbour's daughter, and esteemed -“some punkins,” or in other words toasted as -the beauty of Memphis County, by the susceptible -Mississippians. From that moment he was “gone -beaver;” “he felt queer,” he said, “all over, like -a buffalo shot in the lights; he had no relish for -mush and molasses; homminy and johnny cakes -failed to excite his appetite. Deer and turkeys -ran by him unscathed; he didn't know, he said, -whether his rifle had hind-sights or not. He felt -bad, that was a fact; but what ailed him he didn't -know.”</p> - -<p>Mary Brand—Mary Brand—Mary Brand! the -old Dutch clock ticked it. Mary Brand! his head -throbbed it when he lay down to sleep. Mary -Brand! his rifle-lock spoke it plainly when he -cocked it, to raise a shaking sight at a deer. -Mary Brand, Mary Brand! the whip-poor-will -sung it, instead of her own well-known note; the -bull-frogs croaked it in the swamp, and mosquitoes -droned it in his ear as he tossed about his bed at -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> -night, wakeful, and striving to think what ailed -him.</p> - -<p>Who could that strapping young fellow, who -passed the door just now, be going to see? Mary -Brand: Mary Brand. And who can Big Pete -Herring be dressing that silver fox-skin so carefully -for? For whom but Mary Brand? And who is it -that jokes, and laughs, and dances, with all the -“boys” but him; and why?</p> - -<p>Who but Mary Brand: and because the love-sick -booby carefully avoids her.</p> - -<p>“And Mary Brand herself—what is she like?”</p> - -<p>“She's 'some' now; that <i>is</i> a fact, and the -biggest kind of punkin at that,” would have been -the answer from any man, woman, or child in -Memphis County, and truly spoken, too; always -understanding that the pumpkin is the fruit by -which the <i>ne-plus-ultra</i> of female perfection is -expressed amongst the figuratively-speaking westerns.</p> - -<p>Being an American woman, of course she was -tall, and straight and slim as a hickory sapling, -well formed withal, with rounded bust, and neck -white and slender as the swan's. Her features -were small, but finely chiselled; and in this, it may -be remarked, the lower orders of the American -women differ from, and far surpass the same class -in England, or elsewhere, where the features, -although far prettier, are more vulgar and commonplace. -Mary Brand had the bright blue -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> -eye, thin nose, and small but sweetly-formed -mouth, the too fair complexion and dark brown -hair, which characterise the beauty of the Anglo-American, -the heavy masses (hardly curls), that -fell over her face and neck, contrasting with their -polished whiteness. Such was Mary Brand: and -when to her good looks are added a sweet disposition, -and all the best qualities of a thrifty housewife, it -must be allowed that she fully justified the eulogiums -of the good people of Memphis.</p> - -<p>Well, to cut a love-story short, in doing which not -a little moral courage is shown, young La Bonté fell -desperately in love with the pretty Mary, and she -with him; and small blame to her, for he was a -proper lad of twenty—six feet in his moccasins—the -best hunter and rifle-shot in the country, with -many other advantages too numerous to mention. -But when did the course, &c. e'er run smooth? -When the affair had become a recognised “courting” -(and Americans alone know the horrors of -such prolonged purgatory), they became, to use -La Bonté's words, “awful fond,” and consequently -about once a-week had their tiffs and makes-up.</p> - -<p>However, on one occasion, at a “husking,” and -during one of these tiffs, Mary, every inch a woman, -to gratify some indescribable feeling, brought to -her aid jealousy—that old serpent who has caused -such mischief in this world; and by a flirtation -over the corn-cobs with Big Pete, La Bonté's former -and only rival, struck so hard a blow at the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> -latter's heart, that on the moment his brain caught -fire, blood danced before his eyes, and he became -like one possessed. Pete observed and enjoyed his -struggling emotion—better for him had he minded -his corn-shelling alone;—and the more to annoy -his rival, paid the most sedulous attention to pretty -Mary.</p> - -<p>Young La Bonté stood it as long as human nature, -at boiling heat, could endure; but when Pete, in -the exultation of his apparent triumph, crowned -his success by encircling the slender waist of the -girl with his arm, and snatching a sudden kiss, he -jumped upright from his seat, and seizing a small -whisky-keg which stood in the centre of the corn-shellers, -he hurled it at his rival, and crying to -him, hoarse with passion, “to follow if he was a -man,” he left the house.</p> - -<p>At that time, and even now, in the remoter states -of the western country, rifles settled even the most -trivial differences between the hot-blooded youths; -and of such frequent occurrence and invariably -bloody termination did these encounters become, -that they scarcely produced sufficient excitement -to draw together half-a-dozen spectators.</p> - -<p>In the present case, however, so public was the -quarrel, and so well known the parties concerned, -that not only the people who had witnessed the -affair, but all the neighbourhood, thronged to the -scene of action, in a large field in front of the -house, where the preliminaries of a duel between -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> -Pete and La Bonté were being arranged by their -respective friends.</p> - -<p>Mary, when she discovered the mischief her -thoughtlessness was likely to occasion, was almost -beside herself with grief, but she knew how vain it -would be to attempt to interfere. The poor girl, -who was most ardently attached to La Bonté, was -carried, swooning, into the house, where all the -women congregated, and were locked in by old -Brand, who, himself an old pioneer, thought but -little of bloodshed, but refused to let the “women -folk” witness the affray.</p> - -<p>Preliminaries arranged, the combatants took up -their respective positions at either end of a space -marked for the purpose, at forty paces from each -other. They were both armed with heavy rifles, -and had the usual hunting-pouches, containing -ammunition, hanging over the shoulder. Standing -with the butts of their rifles on the ground, they -confronted each other, and the crowd drawing away -a few paces only on each side, left one man to give -the word. This was the single word “fire;” -and, after this signal was given, the combatants -were at liberty to fire away until one or the other -dropped.</p> - -<p>At the word, both the men quickly raised their -rifles to the shoulder, and, whilst the sharp cracks -instantaneously rang, they were seen to flinch, as -either felt the pinging sensation of a bullet entering -his flesh. Regarding each other steadily for a few -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> -moments, the blood running down La Bonté's neck -from a wound under the left jaw, whilst his opponent -was seen to place his hand once to his right -breast, as if to feel the position of his wound, they -commenced reloading their rifles. But, as Pete was -in the act of forcing down the ball with his long -hickory wiping-stick, he suddenly dropped his right -arm—the rifle slipped from his grasp—and, reeling -for a moment like a drunken man—he fell dead to -the ground.</p> - -<p>Even here, however, there was law of some kind -or another, and the consequences of the duel were, -that the constables were soon on the trail of La -Bonté to arrest him. He easily avoided them, and -taking to the woods, lived for several days in as -wild a state as the beasts he hunted and killed for -his support.</p> - -<p>Tired of this, he at last resolved to quit the country, -and betake himself to the mountains, for which -life he had ever felt an inclination.</p> - -<p>When, therefore, he thought the officers of justice -had grown slack in their search of him, and -that the coast was comparatively clear, he determined -to start on his distant expedition to the Far -West.</p> - -<p>Once more, before he carried his project into -execution, he sought and obtained a last interview -with Mary Brand.</p> - -<p>“Mary,” said he, “I'm about to break. They're -hunting me like a fall buck, and I'm bound to quit. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> -Don't think any more about me, for I shall never -come back.”</p> - -<p>Poor Mary burst into tears, and bent her head -on the table near which she sat. When she again -raised it, she saw La Bonté, his long rifle upon his -shoulder, striding with rapid steps from the house. -Year after year rolled on, and he did not return.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER III.</h2> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap"> -A</span> few days after his departure, La Bonté found -himself at St Louis, the emporium of the fur trade, -and the fast-rising metropolis of the precocious -settlements of the west. Here, a prey to the agony -of mind which jealousy, remorse, and blighted love -mix into a very puchero of misery, he got into -the company of certain “rowdies,” a class that -every western city particularly abounds in; and, -anxious to drown his sorrows in any way, and quite -unscrupulous as to the means, he plunged into all -the vicious excitements of drinking, gambling, and -fighting, which form the every-day amusements of -the rising generation of St Louis.</p> - -<p>Perhaps in no other part of the United States, -where indeed humanity is frequently to be seen in -many curious and unusual phases, is there a population -so marked in its general character, and at -the same time divided into such distinct classes, as -in the above-named city. Dating, as it does, its -foundation from yesterday—for what are thirty -years in the growth of a metropolis?—its founders -are now scarcely passed middle life, regarding with -astonishment the growing works of their hands; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> -and whilst gazing upon its busy quays, piled with -grain and other produce of the west, its fleets of -huge steamboats lying tier upon tier alongside the -wharves, its well-stored warehouses, and all the -bustling concomitants of a great commercial depôt, -they can scarcely realise the memory of a few short -years, when on the same spot nothing was to be -seen but the miserable hovels of a French village—the -only sign of commerce being the unwieldy -bateaux of the Indian traders, laden with peltries -from the distant regions of the Platte and Upper -Missouri. Where now intelligent and wealthy merchants -walk erect, in conscious substantiality of -purse and credit, and direct the commerce of a -vast and well-peopled region, there stalked but -the other day, in dress of buckskin, the Indian -trader of the west; and all the evidences of -life, mayhap, consisted of the eccentric vagaries of -the different bands of trappers and hardy mountaineers, -who accompanied, some for pleasure and -some as escort, the periodically arriving bateaux, -laden with the beaver skins and buffalo robes collected -during the season at the different trading -posts in the Far West.</p> - -<p>These, nevertheless, were the men whose hardy -enterprise opened to commerce and the plough the -vast and fertile regions of the West. Rough and -savage though they were, they were the true pioneers -of that extraordinary tide of civilisation which -has poured its resistless current through tracts large -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> -enough for kings to govern, over a country now -teeming with cultivation, where, a few short years -ago, countless herds of buffalo roamed unmolested, -where the bear and deer abounded, and the savage -Indian skulked through the woods and prairies, -lord of the unappreciated soil that now yields its -prolific treasures to the spade and plough of civilised -man. To the wild and half-savage trapper, -who may be said to exemplify the energy, enterprise, -and hardihood characteristic of the American -people, divested of all the false and vicious glare -with which a high state of civilisation, too rapidly -attained, has obscured their real and genuine character, -in which the above traits are eminently prominent—to -these men alone is due the empire of -the West—destined in a few short years to become -the most important of those confederate states composing -the mighty union of North America.</p> - -<p>Sprung, then, out of the wild and adventurous -fur trade, St Louis, still the emporium of that species -of commerce, preserves even now, in the character -of its population, many of the marked peculiarities -distinguishing its early founders, who were identified -with the primitive Indian in hardihood and instinctive -wisdom. Whilst the French portion of the population -retain the thoughtless levity and frivolous disposition -of their original source, the Americans of -St Louis, who may lay claim to be native, as it -were, are as strongly distinguished for determination -and energy of character as they are for physical -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> -strength and animal courage; and are remarkable, -at the same time, for a singular aptitude in carrying -out commercial enterprises to successful terminations, -apparently incompatible with the thirst of -adventure and excitement which forms so prominent -a feature in their character. In St Louis and with -her merchants have originated many commercial -enterprises of gigantic speculation, not confined to -the immediate locality or to the distant Indian fur -trade, but embracing all parts of the continent, and -even a portion of the Old World. And here it must -be remembered that St Louis is situated inland, at -a distance of upwards of one thousand miles from -the sea, and three thousand from the capital of the -United States.</p> - -<p>Besides her merchants and upper class, who form -a little aristocracy even here, a large portion of her -population, still connected with the Indian and fur -trade, preserve all their original characteristics, unacted -upon by the influence of advancing civilisation. -There is, moreover, a large floating population of -foreigners of all nations, who must possess no little -amount of enterprise to be tempted to this spot, -whence they spread over the remote western tracts, -still infested by the savage; so that, if any of their -blood is infused into the native population, the -characteristic energy and enterprise is increased, -and not tempered down by the foreign cross.</p> - -<p>But perhaps the most singular of the casual population -are the mountaineers, who, after several seasons -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> -spent in trapping, and with good store of dollars, -arrive from the scene of their adventures, wild as -savages, determined to enjoy themselves, for a time, -in all the gaiety and dissipation of the western city. -In one of the back streets of the town is a tavern -well known as the “Rocky-Mountain House,” and -hither the trappers resort, drinking and fighting -as long as their money lasts, which, as they are -generous and lavish as Jack Tars, is for a few days -only. Such scenes, both tragic and comic, as are -enacted in the Rocky-Mountain House, are beyond -the powers of pen to describe; and when a fandango -is in progress, to which congregate the coquettish -belles from “Vide Poche,” as the French portion of -the suburb is nicknamed,—the grotesque endeavours -of the bear-like mountaineers to sport a figure on -the light fantastic toe, and their insertions into the -dance of the mystic jumps of Terpsichorean Indians -when engaged in the “medicine” dances in honour -of bear, of buffalo, or ravished scalp,—are such -startling innovations on the choreographic art as -would make the shade of Gallini quake and gibber -in his pumps.</p> - -<p>Passing the open doors and windows of the Mountain -House, the stranger stops short as the sounds -of violin and banjo twang upon his ears, accompanied -by extraordinary noises—sounding unearthly to the -greenhorn listener, but recognised by the initiated -as an Indian song roared out of the stentorian lungs -of a mountaineer, who patting his stomach with -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> -open hands, to improve the necessary shake, choruses -the well-known Indian chant:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="verse">Hi—Hi—Hi—Hi,</div> - <div class="verse indent-1_5">Hi-i—Hi-i—Hi-i—Hi-i</div> - <div class="verse">Hi-ya—hi-ya—hi-ya—hi-ya</div> - <div class="verse indent-1_5">Hi-ya—hi-ya—hi-ya—hi-ya</div> - <div class="verse">Hi-ya—hi-ya—hi—hi,</div> - <div class="verse indent-1_5">&c. &c. &c.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>and polishes off the high notes with a whoop which -makes the old wooden houses shake again, as it rattles -and echoes down the street.</p> - -<p>Here, over fiery “monaghahela,” Jean Batiste, -the sallow half-breed voyageur from the north—and -who, deserting the service of the “North West” -(the Hudson's Bay Company), has come down the -Mississippi, from the “Falls,” to try the sweets and -liberty of “free” trapping—hobnobs with a stalwart -leather-clad “boy,” just returned from trapping on -the waters of Grand River, on the western side the -mountains, who interlards his mountain jargon with -Spanish words picked up in Taos and California. -In one corner a trapper, lean and gaunt from the -starving regions of the Yellow Stone, has just recognised -an old companyero, with whom he hunted -years before in the perilous country of the Blackfeet.</p> - -<p>“Why, John, old hos, how do you come on?”</p> - -<p>“What! Meek, old 'coon! I thought you were -under?”</p> - -<p>One from Arkansa stalks into the centre of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> -room, with a pack of cards in his hand, and a handful -of dollars in his hat. Squatting cross-legged on -a buffalo robe, he smacks down the money, and cries -out—“Ho, boys, hyar's a deck, and hyar's the -beaver (rattling the coin), who dar set his hos? -Wagh!”</p> - -<p>Tough are the yarns of wondrous hunts and Indian -perils, of hairbreadth 'scapes and curious “fixes.” -Transcendant are the qualities of sundry rifles, -which call these hunters masters; “plum” is the -“centre” each vaunted barrel shoots; sufficing for -a hundred wigs is the “hair” each hunter has -“lifted” from Indians' scalps; multitudinous the -“coups” he has “struck.” As they drink so do -they brag, first of their guns, their horses, and -their squaws, and lastly of themselves:—and when -it comes to that, “ware steel.”</p> - -<p>La Bonté, on his arrival at St Louis, found himself -one day in no less a place than this; and here -he made acquaintance with an old trapper about to -start for the mountains in a few days, to hunt on -the head waters of Platte and Green River. With -this man he resolved to start, and, having still -some hundred dollars in cash, he immediately set -about equipping himself for the expedition. To effect -this, he first of all visited the gun-store of Hawken, -whose rifles are renowned in the mountains, and -exchanged his own piece, which was of very small -bore, for a regular mountain rifle. This was of -very heavy metal, carrying about thirty-two balls -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> -to the pound, stocked to the muzzle, and mounted -with brass, its only ornament being a buffalo bull, -looking exceedingly ferocious, which was not very -artistically engraved upon the trap in the stock. -Here, too, he laid in a few pounds of powder and -lead, and all the necessaries for a long hunt.</p> - -<p>His next visit was to a smith's store, which smith -was black by trade and black by nature, for he was -a nigger, and, moreover, celebrated as being the -best maker of beaver-traps in St Louis, and of him -he purchased six new traps, paying for the same -twenty dollars—procuring, at the same time, an old -trap-sack, made of stout buffalo skin, in which to -carry them.</p> - -<p>We next find La Bonté and his companion—one -Luke, better known as Grey-Eye, one of his eyes -having been “gouged” in a mountain fray—at -Independence, a little town situated on the Missouri, -several hundred miles above St Louis, and -within a short distance of the Indian frontier.</p> - -<p>Independence may be termed the “prairie port” -of the western country. Here the caravans destined -for Santa Fé, and the interior of Mexico, -assemble to complete their necessary equipment. -Mules and oxen are purchased, teamsters hired, -and all stores and outfit laid in here for the long -journey over the wide expanse of prairie ocean. -Here, too, the Indian traders and the Rocky-Mountain -trappers rendezvous, collecting in sufficient -force to ensure their safe passage through the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> -Indian country. At the seasons of departure and -arrival of these bands, the little town presents a -lively scene of bustle and confusion. The wild and -dissipated mountaineers get rid of their last dollars -in furious orgies, treating all comers to galore of -drink, and pledging each other, in horns of potent -whisky, to successful hunts and “heaps of beaver.” -When every cent has disappeared from their -pouches, the free trapper often makes away with -rifle, traps, and animals, to gratify his “dry” (for -your mountaineer is never “thirsty”); and then, -“hos and beaver” gone, is necessitated to hire -himself to one of the leaders of big bands, and -hypothecate his services for an equipment of traps -and animals. Thus La Bonté picked up three -excellent mules for a mere song, with their accompanying -pack-saddles, <i>apishamores</i>, -<a name="FNanchor_17_17" id="FNanchor_17_17"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a> and lariats, -and the next day, with Luke, “put out” for -Platte.</p> - -<p>As they passed through the rendezvous, which -was encamped on a little stream beyond the town, -even our young Mississippian was struck with the -novelty of the scene. Upwards of forty huge -waggons, of Conostoga and Pittsburg build, and -covered with snow-white tilts, were ranged in a -semicircle, or rather a horse-shoe form, on the flat -open prairie, their long “tongues” (poles) pointing -outwards; with the necessary harness for four -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> -pairs of mules, or eight yoke of oxen, lying on -the ground beside them, spread in ready order for -“hitching up.” Round the waggons groups of -teamsters, tall stalwart young Missourians, were -engaged in busy preparation for the start, greasing -the wheels, fitting or repairing harness, smoothing -ox-bows, or overhauling their own moderate kits -or “possibles.” They were all dressed in the same -fashion: a pair of “homespun” pantaloons, tucked -into thick boots reaching nearly to the knee, and -confined round the waist by a broad leathern belt, -which supported a strong butcher-knife in a sheath. -A coarse checked shirt was their only other covering, -with a fur cap on the head.</p> - -<p>Numerous camp-fires surrounded the waggons, -and near them lounged wild-looking mountaineers, -easily distinguished from the “greenhorn” teamsters -by their dresses of buckskin, and their -weather-beaten faces. Without an exception, these -were under the influence of the rosy god; and one, -who sat, the picture of misery, at a fire by himself—staring -into the blaze with vacant countenance, -his long matted hair hanging in unkempt masses -over his face, begrimed with the dirt of a week, -and pallid with the effects of ardent drink—was -suffering from the usual consequences of having -“kept it up” beyond the usual point, paying the -penalty in a fit of “horrors”—as <i>delirium tremens</i> -is most aptly termed by sailors and the unprofessional.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span></p> - -<p>In another part, the merchants of the caravan -and the Indian traders superintended the lading of -the waggons, or mule packs. They were dressed -in civilised attire, and some were even bedizened in -St Louis or Eastern City dandyism, to the infinite -disgust of the mountain men, who look upon a -bourge-way (bourgeois) with most undisguised contempt, -despising the very simplest forms of civilisation. -The picturesque appearance of the encampment -was not a little heightened by the addition of -several Indians from the neighbouring Shawnee -settlement, who, mounted on their small active -horses, on which they reclined, rather than sat, in -negligent attitudes, quietly looked on at the novel -scene, indifferent to the “chaff” in which the -thoughtless teamsters indulged at their expense. -Numbers of mules and horses were picketed at -hand, whilst a large herd of noble oxen were being -driven towards the camp—the wo-ha of the teamsters -sounding far and near, as they collected the -scattered beasts in order to yoke up.</p> - -<p>As most of the mountain men were utterly unable -to move from camp, Luke and La Bonté, with three -or four of the most sober, started in company, -intending to wait on “Blue,” a stream which runs -into the Caw or Kanzas River, until the “balance” -of the band came up. Mounting their mules, and -leading the loose animals, they struck at once into -the park-like prairie, and were speedily out of sight -of civilisation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was the latter end of May, towards the close -of the season of heavy rains, which in early spring -render the climate of this country almost intolerable, -at the same time that they fertilise and thaw -the soil, so long bound up by the winter's frosts. -The grass was every where luxuriantly green, and -gaudy flowers dotted the surface of the prairie. -This term, however, should hardly be applied to -the beautiful undulating scenery of this park-like -country. Unlike the flat monotony of the Grand -Plains, here well wooded uplands, clothed with -forest trees of every species, and picturesque dells, -through which run clear bubbling streams belted -with gay-blossomed shrubs, every where present -themselves; whilst on the level meadow-land, topes -of trees with spreading foliage afford a shelter to -the game and cattle, and well-timbered knolls rise -at intervals from the plain.</p> - -<p>Many clear streams dashing over their pebbly -beds intersect the country, from which, in the noon-day's -heat, the red-deer jump, shaking their wet -sides, as the noise of approaching man disturbs -them; and booming grouse rise from the tall luxuriant -herbage at every step. Where the deep -escarpments of the river banks exhibit the section -of the earth, a rich alluvial soil of surpassing depth -courts the cultivation of civilised man; and in every -feature it is evident that here nature has worked -with kindliest and most bountiful hand.</p> - -<p>For hundreds of miles along the western or right -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> -bank of the Missouri does a country extend, with -which, for fertility and natural resources, no part of -Europe can stand comparison. Sufficiently large -to contain an enormous population, it has, besides, -every advantage of position, and all the natural -capabilities which should make it the happy abode -of civilised man. Through this unpeopled country -the United States pours her greedy thousands, to -seize upon the barren territories of her feeble -neighbour.</p> - -<p>Camping the first night on “Black Jack,” our -mountaineers here cut each man a spare hickory -wiping-stick for his rifle; and La Bonté, who was -the only greenhorn of the party, witnessed a savage -ebullition of rage on the part of one of his companions, -exhibiting the perfect unrestraint which these -men impose upon their passions, and the barbarous -anger which the slightest opposition to their will -excites. One of the trappers, on arriving at the -camping-place, dismounted from his horse, and, -after divesting it of the saddle, endeavoured to -lead his mule by the rope up to the spot where he -wished to deposit his pack. Mule-like, however, -the more he pulled the more stubbornly she -remained in her tracks, planting her fore-legs -firmly, and stretching out her neck with provoking -obstinacy. Truth to tell, it does require -the temper of a thousand Jobs to manage a mule; -and in no case does the wilful mulishness of the -animal stir up one's choler more than in the very -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> -trick this one played, and which is a daily occurrence. -After tugging ineffectually for several -minutes, winding the rope round his body, and -throwing himself suddenly forward with all his -strength, the trapper actually foamed with passion; -and although he might have subdued the animal at -once by fastening the rope with a half-hitch round -its nose, this, with an obstinacy equal to that of the -mule itself, he refused to attempt, preferring to -vanquish her by main strength. Failing so to do, -the mountaineer, with a volley of blasphemous -imprecations, suddenly seized his rifle, and levelling -it at the mule's head, shot her dead.</p> - -<p>Passing the Wa-ka-rasha, a well-timbered -stream, they met a band of Osages going “to -buffalo.” These Indians, in common with some -tribes of the Pawnees, shave the head, with the -exception of a ridge from the forehead to the -centre of the scalp, which is “roached” or hogged -like the mane of a mule, and stands erect, plastered -with unguents, and ornamented with feathers of -the hawk and turkey. The naked scalp is often -painted in mosaic with black and red, the face with -shining vermilion. This band were all naked to the -breech-clout, the warmth of the sun having made -them throw their dirty blankets from their shoulders. -These Indians not unfrequently levy contributions -on the strangers they accidentally meet; -but they easily distinguish the determined mountaineer -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> -from the incautious greenhorn, and think it -better to let the former alone.</p> - -<p>Crossing Vermilion, the trappers arrived on the -fifth day at “Blue,” where they encamped in the -broad timber belting the creek, and there awaited -the arrival of the remainder of the party.</p> - -<p>It was two days before they came up; but the -following day they started for the mountains, fourteen -in number, striking a trail which follows the -“Big Blue” in its course through the prairies, -which, as they advanced to the westward, gradually -smoothed away into a vast unbroken expanse -of rolling plain. Herds of antelope began to show -themselves, and some of the hunters, leaving the -trail, soon returned with plenty of their tender -meat. The luxuriant but coarse grass they had -hitherto seen now changed into the nutritious and -curly buffalo grass, and their animals soon improved -in appearance on the excellent pasture. In a few -days, without any adventure, they struck the -Platte River, its shallow waters (from which it -derives its name) spreading over a wide and sandy -bed, numerous sand bars obstructing the sluggish -current, nowhere sufficiently deep to wet the forder's -knee.</p> - -<p>By this time, but few antelope having been seen, -the party ran entirely out of meat; and, one whole -day and part of another having passed without so -much as a stray rabbit presenting itself, not a few -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> -objurgations on the buffalo grumbled from the lips -of the hunters, who expected ere this to have reached -the land of plenty. La Bonté killed a fine deer, -however, in the river bottom, after they had -encamped, not one particle of which remained after -supper that night, but which hardly took the rough -edge off their keen appetites. Although already in -the buffalo range, no traces of these animals had -yet been seen; and as the country afforded but little -game, and the party did not care to halt and lose -time in hunting for it, they moved along hungry and -sulky, the theme of conversation being the well -remembered merits of good buffalo meat,—of “fat -fleece,” “hump rib,” and “tender loin;” of delicious -“boudins,” and marrow bones too good to -think of. La Bonté had never seen the lordly animal, -and consequently but half believed the accounts -of the mountaineers, who described their countless -bands as covering the prairie far as the eye could -reach, and requiring days of travel to pass through; -but the visions of such dainty and abundant feeding -as they descanted on set his mouth watering, and -danced before his eyes as he slept supperless, night -after night, on the banks of the hungry Platte.</p> - -<p>One morning he had packed his animals before -the rest, and was riding a mile in advance of the -party, when he saw on one side the trail, looming -in the refracted glare which mirages the plains, -three large dark objects without shape or form, -which rose and fell in the exaggerated light like -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> -ships at sea. Doubting what it could be, he approached -the strange objects; and as the refraction -disappeared before him, the dark masses assumed a -more distinct form, and clearly moved with life. A -little nearer, and he made them out—they were -buffalo. Thinking to distinguish himself, the greenhorn -dismounted from his mule, and quickly hobbled -her, throwing his lasso on the ground to trail behind -when he wished to catch her. Then, rifle in hand, -he approached the huge animals, and, being a good -hunter, knew well to take advantage of the inequalities -of the ground and face the wind; by which -means he crawled at length to within forty yards of -the buffalo, which quietly cropped the grass, unconscious -of danger. Now, for the first time, he gazed -upon the noble beast he had so often heard of, and -longed to see. With coal-black beard sweeping the -ground as he fed, an enormous bull was in advance -of the others, his wild brilliant eyes peering from -an immense mass of shaggy hair, which covered his -neck and shoulder. From this point his skin was -smooth as one's hand, a sleek and shining dun, -and his ribs were well covered with shaking flesh. -Whilst leisurely cropping the short curly grass he -occasionally lifted his tail into the air, and stamped -his foot as a fly or musquito annoyed him—flapping -the intruder with his tail, or snatching at the itching -part with his ponderous head.</p> - -<p>When La Bonté had sufficiently admired the -buffalo, he lifted his rifle, and, taking steady aim, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> -and certain of his mark, pulled the trigger, expecting -to see the huge beast fall over at the report. -What was his surprise and consternation, however, -to see the animal only flinch when the ball struck -him, and then gallop off, followed by the others, -apparently unhurt. As is generally the case with -greenhorns, he had fired too high, ignorant that the -only certain spot to strike a buffalo is but a few -inches above the brisket, and that a higher shot is -rarely fatal. When he rose from the ground, he -saw all the party halting in full view of his discomfiture; -and when he joined them, loud were the -laughs, and deep the regrets of the hungry at his -first attempt.</p> - -<p>However, they now knew that they were in the -country of meat; and a few miles farther, another -band of stragglers presenting themselves, three of -the hunters went in pursuit, La Bonté taking a mule -to pack in the meat. He soon saw them crawling -towards the band, and shortly two puffs of smoke, -and the sharp cracks of their rifles, showed that they -had got within shot; and when he rode up, two fine -buffaloes were stretched upon the ground. Now, -for the first time, he was initiated in the mysteries -of “butchering.” He watched the hunters as they -turned the carcass on the belly, stretching out the -legs to support it on each side. A transverse cut -was then made at the nape of the neck, and, gathering -the long hair of the boss in one hand, the skin -was separated from the shoulder. It was then laid -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> -open from this point to the tail, along the spine, and -then, freed from the sides and pulled down to the -brisket, but still attached to it, was stretched upon -the ground to receive the dissected portions. Then -the shoulder was severed, the fleece removed from -along the backbone, and the hump-ribs cut off with -a tomahawk. All this was placed upon the skin; -and after the “boudins” had been withdrawn from -the stomach, and the tongue—a great dainty—taken -from the head, the meat was packed upon the mule, -and the whole party hurried to camp rejoicing.</p> - -<p>There was merry-making in the camp that night, -and the way they indulged their appetites—or, in -their own language, “throw'd” the meat “cold”—would -have made the heart of a dyspeptic leap for -joy or burst with envy. Far into the “still watches -of the tranquil night” the fat-clad “depouille” saw -its fleshy mass grow small by degrees and beautifully -less, before the trenchant blades of the hungry -mountaineers; appetising yards of well-browned -“boudin” slipped glibly down their throats; rib -after rib of tender hump was picked and flung to -the wolves; and when human nature, with helpless -gratitude, and confident that nothing of superexcellent -comestibility remained, was lazily wiping the -greasy knife that had done such good service,—a -skilful hunter was seen to chuckle to himself as he -raked the deep ashes of the fire, and drew therefrom -a pair of tongues so admirably baked, so soft, -so sweet, and of such exquisite flavour, that a veil is -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> -considerately drawn over the effects their discussion -produced in the mind of our greenhorn La Bonté, -and the raptures they excited in the bosom of that, -as yet, most ignorant mountaineer. Still, as he ate -he wondered, and wondering admired, that nature, -in giving him such profound gastronomic powers, -and such transcendant capabilities of digestion, had -yet bountifully provided an edible so peculiarly -adapted to his ostrich-like appetite, that after consuming -nearly his own weight in rich and fat buffalo -meat, he felt as easy and as little incommoded as if -he had lightly supped on strawberries and cream.</p> - -<p>Sweet was the digestive pipe after such a feast; -soft was the sleep and deep, which sealed the eyes -of the contented trappers that night. It felt like -the old thing, they said, to be once more amongst -the “meat;” and, as they were drawing near the -dangerous portion of the trail, they felt at home; -although they now could never be confident, when -they lay down at night upon their buffalo robes, of -awaking again in this life, knowing, as they did, full -well, that savage men lurked near, thirsting for their -blood.</p> - -<p>However, no enemies showed themselves as yet, -and they proceeded quietly up the river, vast herds -of buffaloes darkening the plains around them, affording -them more than abundance of the choicest meat; -but, to their credit be it spoken, no more was killed -than was absolutely required,—unlike the cruel -slaughter made by most of the white travellers across -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> -the plains, who wantonly destroy these noble animals, -not even for the excitement of sport, but in cold-blooded -and insane butchery. La Bonté had practice -enough to perfect him in the art, and, before -the buffalo range was passed, he was ranked as a -first-rate hunter. One evening he had left the camp -for meat, and was approaching a band of cows for -that purpose, crawling towards them along the bed -of a dry hollow in the prairie, when he observed -them suddenly jump towards him, and immediately -afterwards a score of mounted Indians appeared, -whom, by their dress, he at once knew to be Pawnees -and enemies. Thinking they might not discover -him, he crouched down in the ravine; but a noise -behind caused him to turn his head, and he saw -some five or six advancing up the bed of the dry -creek, whilst several more were riding on the bluffs. -The cunning savages had cut off his retreat to his -mule, which he saw in the possession of one of them. -His presence of mind, however, did not desert him; -and seeing at once that to remain where he was -would be like being caught in a trap (as the Indians -could advance to the edge of the bluff and shoot -him from above), he made for the open prairie, -determined at least to sell his scalp dearly, and -make “a good fight.” With a yell the Indians -charged, but halted when they saw the sturdy trapper -deliberately kneel, and, resting his rifle on the -wiping-stick, take a steady aim as they advanced. -Full well the Pawnees know, to their cost, that a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> -mountaineer seldom pulls his trigger without sending -a bullet to the mark; and, certain that one at -least must fall, they hesitated to make the onslaught. -Steadily the white retreated with his face to the foe, -bringing the rifle to his shoulder the instant that one -advanced within shot, the Indians galloping round, -firing the few guns they had amongst them at long -distances, but without effect. One young “brave,” -more daring than the rest, rode out of the crowd, -and dashed at the hunter, throwing himself, as he -passed within a few yards, from the saddle, and -hanging over the opposite side of his horse, thus -presenting no other mark than his left foot. As he -crossed La Bonté, he discharged his bow from under -his horse's neck, and with such good aim, that the -arrow, whizzing through the air, struck the stock -of the hunter's rifle, which was at his shoulder, and, -glancing off, pierced his arm, inflicting, luckily, but -a slight wound. Again the Indian turned in his -course, the others encouraging him with loud war-whoops, -and, once more passing at still less distance, -he drew his arrow to the head. This time, however, -the eagle eye of the white detected the action, -and suddenly rising from his knee as the Indian -approached (hanging by his foot alone over the -opposite side of the horse), he jumped towards the -animal with outstretched arms and a loud yell, -causing it to start suddenly, and swerve from its -course. The Indian lost his foot-hold, and, after a -fruitless struggle to regain his position, fell to the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> -ground; but instantly rose upon his feet and gallantly -confronted the mountaineer, striking his hand -upon his brawny chest and shouting a loud whoop -of defiance. In another instant the rifle of La Bonté -had poured forth its contents; and the brave savage, -springing into the air, fell dead to the ground, just -as the other trappers, who had heard the firing, -galloped up to the spot. At sight of them the -Pawnees, with yells of disappointed vengeance, hastily -retreated.</p> - -<p>That night La Bonté first lifted hair!</p> - -<p>A few days later the mountaineers reached the -point where the Platte divides into two great forks: -the northern one, stretching to the north-west, -skirts the eastern base of the Black Hills, and -sweeping round to the south rises in the vicinity of -the mountain valley called the New Park, receiving -the Laramie, Medicine Bow, and Sweet-Water -creeks. The other, or “South Fork,” strikes -towards the mountains in a south-westerly direction, -hugging the base of the main chain of the -Rocky Mountains; and, fed by several small creeks, -rises in the uplands of the Bayou Salade, near -which is also the source of the Arkansa. To the -forks of the Platte the valley of that river extends -from three to five miles on each side, enclosed by -steep sandy bluffs, from the summits of which the -prairies stretch away in broad undulating expanse -to the north and south. The “bottom,” as it is -termed, is but thinly covered with timber, the cotton-woods -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> -being scattered only here and there; but -some of the islands in the broad bed of the stream -are well wooded, leading to the inference that the -trees on the banks have been felled by Indians who -formerly frequented the neighbourhood of this river -as a chosen hunting-ground. As, during the long -winters, the pasture in the vicinity is scarce and -withered, the Indians feed their horses on the bark -of the sweet cotton-wood, upon which they subsist, -and even fatten. Thus, wherever a village has -encamped, the trunks of these trees strew the -ground, their upper limbs and smaller branches -peeled of their bark, and looking as white and -smooth as if scraped with a knife.</p> - -<p>On the forks, however, the timber is heavier and -of greater variety, some of the creeks being well -wooded with ash and cherry, which break the monotony -of the everlasting cotton-wood.</p> - -<p>Dense masses of buffalo still continued to darken -the plains, and numerous bands of wolves hovered -round the outskirts of the vast herds, singling out -the sick and wounded animals, and preying upon -such calves as the rifles and arrows of the hunters -had bereaved of their mothers. The white wolf is -the invariable attendant upon the buffalo; and when -one of these persevering animals is seen, it is certain -sign that buffalo are not far distant. Besides -the buffalo wolf, there are four distinct varieties -common to the plains, and all more or less attendant -upon the buffalo. These are, the black, the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> -gray, the brown, and last and least the <i>coyote</i>, or -<i>cayeute</i> of the mountaineers, the “<i>wach-unka-mănet</i>,” -or “medicine wolf” of the Indians, who -hold the latter animal in reverential awe. This -little wolf, whose fur is of great thickness and -beauty, is of diminutive size, but wonderfully sagacious, -making up by cunning what it wants in physical -strength. In bands of from three to thirty -they not unfrequently station themselves along the -“runs” of the deer and the antelope, extending -their line for many miles—and the quarry being -started, each wolf follows in pursuit until tired, -when it relinquishes the chase to another relay, -following slowly after until the animal is fairly run -down, when all hurry to the spot and speedily consume -the carcass. The cayeute, however, is often -made a tool of by his larger brethren, unless, -indeed, he acts from motives of spontaneous charity. -When a hunter has slaughtered game, and is in the -act of butchering it, these little wolves sit patiently -at a short distance from the scene of operations, -while at a more respectful one the larger wolves -(the white or gray) lope hungrily around, licking -their chops in hungry expectation. Not unfrequently -the hunter throws a piece of meat towards -the smaller one, who seizes it immediately, and runs -off with the morsel in his mouth. Before he gets -many yards with his prize, the large wolf pounces -with a growl upon him, and the cayeute, dropping -the meat, returns to his former position, and will -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> -continue his charitable act as long as the hunter -pleases to supply him.</p> - -<p>Wolves are so common on the plains and in the -mountains, that the hunter never cares to throw -away a charge of ammunition upon them, although -the ravenous animals are a constant source of annoyance -to him, creeping to the camp-fire at night, and -gnawing his saddles and <i>apishamores</i>, eating the -skin ropes which secure the horses and mules to -their pickets, and even their very hobbles, and not -unfrequently killing or entirely disabling the animals -themselves.</p> - -<p>Round the camp, during the night, the cayeute -keeps unremitting watch, and the traveller not -unfrequently starts from his bed with affright, as -the mournful and unearthly chiding of the wolf -breaks suddenly upon his ear: the long-drawn -howl being taken up by others of the band, until it -dies away in the distance, or some straggler passing -within hearing answers to the note, and howls -as he lopes away.</p> - -<p>Our party crossed the south fork about ten miles -from its juncture with the main stream, and then, -passing the prairie, struck the north fork a day's -travel from the other. At the mouth of an ash-timbered -creek they came upon Indian “sign,” -and, as now they were in the vicinity of the treacherous -Sioux, they moved along with additional -caution, Frapp and Gonneville, two experienced -mountaineers, always heading the advance.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p> - -<p>About noon they had crossed over to the left -bank of the fork, intending to camp on a large -creek where some fresh beaver “sign” had attracted -the attention of some of the trappers; and as, -on further examination, it appeared that two or -three lodges of that animal were not far distant, it -was determined to remain here a day or two, and -set their traps.</p> - -<p>Gonneville, old Luke, and La Bonté, had started -up the creek, and were carefully examining the -banks for “sign,” when the former, who was in -front, suddenly paused, and looking intently up the -stream, held up his hand to his companions to signal -them to stop.</p> - -<p>Luke and La Bonté both followed the direction -of the trapper's intent and fixed gaze. The former -uttered in a suppressed tone the expressive exclamation, -Wagh!—the latter saw nothing but a wood-duck -swimming swiftly down the stream, followed -by her downy progeny.</p> - -<p>Gonneville turned his head, and extending his -arm twice with a forward motion up the creek, -whispered—“Les sauvages.”</p> - -<p>“Injuns, sure, and Sioux at that,” answered -Luke.</p> - -<p>Still La Bonté looked, but nothing met his view -but the duck with her brood, now rapidly approaching; -and as he gazed, the bird suddenly took wing, -and, flapping on the water, flew a short distance -down the stream and once more settled on it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Injuns?” he asked; “where are they?”</p> - -<p>“Whar?” repeated old Luke, striking the flint -of his rifle, and opening the pan to examine the -priming. “What brings a duck a-streakin it down -stream, if humans aint behint her? and who's thar -in these diggins but Injuns, and the worst kind? -and we'd better push to camp, I'm thinking, if we -mean to save our hair.”</p> - -<p>“Sign” sufficient, indeed, it was to all the trappers, -who, on being apprised of it, instantly drove -in their animals, and picketed them; and hardly -had they done so when a band of Indians made -their appearance on the banks of the creek, from -whence they galloped to the bluff which overlooked -the camp at the distance of about six hundred -yards; and crowning this, in number some forty -or more, commenced brandishing their spears and -guns, and whooping loud yells of defiance. The -trappers had formed a little breast-work of their -packs, forming a semicircle, the chord of which was -made by the animals standing in a line, side by -side, closely picketed and hobbled. Behind this -defence stood the mountaineers, rifle in hand, and -silent and determined. The Indians presently descended -the bluff on foot, leaving their animals in -charge of a few of the party, and, scattering, -advanced under cover of the sage bushes which -dotted the bottom, to about two hundred yards of -the whites. Then a chief advanced before the rest, -and made the sign for a talk with the Long-knives, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> -which led to a consultation amongst the latter, as -to the policy of acceding to it. They were in -doubts as to the nation these Indians belonged to, -some bands of the Sioux being friendly, and others -bitterly hostile to the whites.</p> - -<p>Gonneville, who spoke the Sioux language, and -was well acquainted with the nation, affirmed they -belonged to a band called the Yanka-taus, well -known to be the most evil-disposed of that treacherous -nation; another of the party maintained they -were Brulés, and that the chief advancing towards -them was the well-known Tah-sha-tunga or Bull -Tail, a most friendly chief of that tribe. The majority, -however, trusted to Gonneville, and he volunteered -to go out to meet the Indian, and hear what -he had to say. Divesting himself of all arms save -his butcher-knife, he advanced towards the savage, -who awaited his approach, enveloped in the folds of -his blanket. At a glance he knew him to be a -Yanka-tau, from the peculiar make of his moccasins, -and the way in which his face was daubed with -paint.</p> - -<p>“Howgh!” exclaimed both as they met; and, -after a silence of a few moments, the Indian spoke, -asking—“Why the Long-knives hid behind their -packs, when his band approached? Were they -afraid, or were they preparing a dog-feast to entertain -their friends?” The whites were passing through -his country, burning his wood, drinking his water, -and killing his game; but he knew they had now -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> -come to pay for the mischief they had done, and -that the mules and horses they had brought with -them were intended as a present to their red friends.</p> - -<p>“He was Mah-to-ga-shane,” he said, “the Brave -Bear: his tongue was short, but his arm long; and -he loved rather to speak with his bow and his lance -than with the weapon of a squaw. He had said it: -the Long-knives had horses with them and mules; -and these were for him, he knew, and for his -'braves.' Let the White-face go back to his people -and return with the animals, or he, the 'Brave -Bear,' would have to come and take them; and his -young men would get mad and would feel blood in -their eyes; and then he would have no power over -them; and the whites would have to 'go under.'”</p> - -<p>The trapper answered shortly.—“The Long-knives,” -he said, “had brought the horses for -themselves—their hearts were big, but not towards -the Yanka-taus: and if they had to give up their -animals, it would be to <i>men</i> and not <i>squaws</i>. They -were not 'wah-keitcha,' -<a name="FNanchor_18_18" id="FNanchor_18_18"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_18_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a> (French engagés), but -Long-knives; and, however short were the tongues -of the Yanka-taus, theirs were still shorter, and -their rifles longer. The Yanka-taus were dogs -and squaws, and the Long-knives spat upon them.”</p> - -<p>Saying this, the trapper turned his back and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> -rejoined his companions; whilst the Indian slowly -proceeded to his people, who, on learning the contemptuous -way in which their threats had been -treated, testified their anger with loud yells; and, -seeking whatever cover was afforded, commenced a -scattering volley upon the camp of the mountaineers. -The latter reserved their fire, treating -with cool indifference the balls which began to -rattle about them; but as the Indians, emboldened -by this apparent inaction, rushed for a closer position, -and exposed their bodies within a long range, -half-a-dozen rifles rang from the assailed, and two -Indians fell dead, one or two more being wounded. -As yet, not one of the whites had been touched, -but several of the animals had received wounds -from the enemy's fire of balls and arrows. Indeed, -the Indians remained at too great a distance to -render the volleys from their crazy fusees any thing -like effectual, and had to raise their pieces considerably -to make their bullets reach as far as the camp. -After three of their band had been killed outright, -and many more wounded, their fire began to slacken, -and they drew off to a greater distance, evidently -resolved to beat a retreat. Retiring to the bluff, -they discharged their pieces in a last volley, mounted -their horses and galloped off, carrying their -wounded with them. This last volley, however, -although intended as a mere bravado, unfortunately -proved fatal to one of the whites. Gonneville, at -the moment, was standing on a pack, to get an uninterrupted -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> -sight for a last shot, when one of the -random bullets struck him in the breast. La Bonté -caught him in his arms as he was about to fall, and -laying the wounded trapper gently on the ground, -stripped him of his buckskin hunting-frock, to examine -the wound. A glance was sufficient to convince -his companions that the blow was mortal. The ball -had passed through the lungs; and in a few moments -the throat of the wounded man swelled and -turned to a livid blue colour, as the choking blood -ascended. Only a few drops of purple blood trickled -from the wound,—a fatal sign,—and the eyes of the -mountaineer were already glazing with death's icy -touch. His hand still grasped the barrel of his rifle, -which had done good service in the fray. Anon he -essayed to speak, but, choked with blood, only a -few inarticulate words reached the ears of his companions, -as they bent over him.</p> - -<p>“Rubbed—out—at—last,” they heard him say, -the words gurgling in his blood-filled throat; and -opening his eyes once more, and turning them -upwards for a last look at the bright sun, the trapper -turned gently on his side and breathed his last -sigh.</p> - -<p>With no other tools than their scalp-knives, the -hunters dug a grave on the banks of the creek; -and whilst some were engaged in this work, others -sought the bodies of the Indians they had slain in -the attack, and presently returned with three reeking -scalps, the trophies of the fight. The body of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> -the mountaineer was wrapped in a buffalo robe, the -scalps being placed on his breast, and the dead man -was then laid in the shallow grave, and quickly -covered—without a word of prayer, or sigh of grief; -for, however much his companions may have felt, -not a word escaped them. The bitten lip and -frowning brow told of anger rather than of sorrow, -as they vowed—what they thought would better -please the spirit of the dead man than vain regrets—bloody -and lasting revenge.</p> - -<p>Trampling down the earth which filled the grave, -they raised upon it a pile of heavy stones; and -packing their mules once more, and taking a last -look at their comrade's lonely resting-place, they -turned their backs upon the stream, which has ever -since been known as “Gonneville's Creek.”</p> - -<p>If the reader casts his eye over any of the recent -maps of the western country, which detail the features -of the regions embracing the Rocky Mountains, -and the vast prairies at their bases, he will -not fail to observe that many of the creeks or -smaller streams which feed the larger rivers,—as -the Missouri, Platte, and Arkansa,—are called by -familiar proper names, both English and French. -These are invariably christened after some unfortunate -trapper, killed there in Indian fight; or -treacherously slaughtered by the lurking savages, -while engaged in trapping beaver on the stream. -Thus alone is the memory of these hardy men -perpetuated, at least of those whose fate is ascertained: -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> -for many, in every season, never return -from their hunting expeditions, but meet a sudden -death from Indians, or a more lingering fate from -accident or disease in some lonely gorge of the -mountains where no footfall save their own, or the -heavy tread of grizzly bear, disturbs the unbroken -silence of the awful solitude. Then, as many winters -pass without some old familiar faces making -their appearance at the merry rendezvous, their -long protracted absence may perhaps elicit a remark, -as to where such and such a mountain worthy -can have betaken himself, to which the casual rejoinder -of “Gone under, maybe,” too often gives a -short but certain answer.</p> - -<p>In all the philosophy of hardened hearts, our -hunters turned from the spot where the unmourned -trapper met his death. La Bonté, however, not -yet entirely steeled by mountain life to a perfect -indifference to human feeling, drew his hard hand -across his eye, as the unbidden tear rose from his -rough but kindly heart. He could not forget so -soon the comrade he had lost, the companion in the -hunt or over the cheerful camp-fire, the narrator of -many a tale of dangers past, of sufferings from hunger, -cold, thirst, and untended wounds, of Indian -perils, and other vicissitudes. One tear dropped -from the young hunter's eye, and rolled down his -cheek—the last for many a long year.</p> - -<p>In the forks of the northern branch of the Platte, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> -formed by the junction of the Laramie, they found -a big village of the Sioux encamped near the station -of one of the fur companies. Here the party broke -up; many, finding the alcohol of the traders an impediment -to their further progress, remained some -time in the vicinity, while La Bonté, Luke, and a -trapper named Marcelline, started in a few days to -the mountains, to trap on Sweet Water and Medicine -Bow. They had leisure, however, to observe -all the rascalities connected with the Indian trade, -although at this season (August) hardly commenced. -However, a band of Indians having come in with -several packs of last year's robes, and being anxious -to start speedily on their return, a trader from one -of the forts had erected his lodge in the village.</p> - -<p>Here he set to work immediately, to induce the -Indians to trade. First, a chief appoints three -“soldiers” to guard the trader's lodge from intrusion; -and these sentries amongst the thieving fraternity -can be invariably trusted. Then the Indians -are invited to have a drink—a taste of the -fire-water being given to all to incite them to trade. -As the crowd presses upon the entrance to the -lodge, and those in rear become impatient, some -large-mouthed savage who has received a portion -of the spirit, makes his way, with his mouth full of -the liquor and cheeks distended, through the throng, -and is instantly surrounded by his particular friends. -Drawing the face of each, by turns, near his own, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> -he squirts a small quantity into his open mouth, -until the supply is exhausted, when he returns for -more, and repeats the generous distribution.</p> - -<p>When paying for the robes, the traders, in -measuring out the liquor in a tin half-pint cup, -thrust their thumbs or the four fingers of the hand -into the measure, in order that it may contain the -less, or not unfrequently fill the bottom with melted -buffalo fat, with the same object. So greedy are -the Indians, that they never discover the cheat, -and, once under the influence of the liquor, cannot -distinguish between the first cup of comparatively -strong spirit, and the following ones diluted five -hundred per cent, and poisonously drugged to -boot.</p> - -<p>Scenes of drunkenness, riot, and bloodshed last -until the trade is over. In the winter it occupies -several weeks, during which period the Indians -present the appearance, under the demoralising -influence of the liquor, of demons rather than of -men.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IV.</h2> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap"> -La Bonté</span> and his companions proceeded up the -river, the Black Hills on their left hand, from -which several small creeks or feeders swell the -waters of the North Fork. Along these they -hunted unsuccessfully for beaver “sign,” and it -was evident the spring hunt had almost exterminated -the animal in this vicinity. Following Deer -Creek to the ridge of the Black Hills, they crossed -the mountain on to the waters of the Medicine -Bow, and here they discovered a few lodges, and -La Bonté set his first trap. He and old Luke -finding “cuttings” near the camp, followed the -“sign” along the bank until the practised eye of -the latter discovered a “slide,” where the beaver -had ascended the bank to chop the trunk of a -cotton wood, and convey the bark to its lodge. -Taking a trap from “sack,” the old hunter, after -setting the trigger, placed it carefully under the -water, where the “slide” entered the stream, securing -the chain to the stem of a sappling on the -bank; while a stick, also attached to the trap by a -thong, floated down the stream, to mark the position -of the trap, should the animal carry it away. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> -A little farther on, and near another “run,” three -traps were set; and over these Luke placed a little -stick, which he first dipped into a mysterious-looking -phial containing his “medicine.” -<a name="FNanchor_19_19" id="FNanchor_19_19"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_19_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a></p> - -<p>The next morning they visited the traps, and had -the satisfaction of finding three fine beaver secured -in the first three they visited, and the fourth, which -had been carried away, they discovered by the float-stick, -a little distance down the stream, with a large -drowned beaver between its teeth.</p> - -<p>The animals being carefully skinned, they returned -to camp with the choicest portions of the -meat, and the tails, on which they most luxuriously -supped; and La Bonté was fain to confess that all -his ideas of the superexcellence of buffalo were -thrown in the shade by the delicious beaver tail, -the rich meat of which he was compelled to allow -was “great eating,” unsurpassed by “tender loin” -or “boudin,” or other meat of whatever kind he -had eaten of before.</p> - -<p>The country where La Bonté and his companions -were trapping, is very curiously situated in the -extensive bend of the Platte which encloses the -Black Hill range on the north, and which bounds -the large expanse of broken tract known as the -Laramie Plains, their southern limit being the base -of the Medicine Bow Mountains. From the north-western -corner of the bend, an inconsiderable range -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> -extends to the westward, gradually decreasing in -height until it reaches an elevated plain, which -forms a break in the stupendous chain of the Rocky -Mountains, and affords the easy passage now known -as the Great, or South Pass. So gradual is the -ascent of this portion of the mountain, that the -traveller can scarcely believe he is crossing the -dividing ridge between the waters which flow into -the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and that in a few -minutes he can fling two sticks into two neighbouring -streams, one to be carried thousands of miles, -traversed by the eastern waters in their course to -the Gulf of Mexico, the other to be borne a lesser -distance to the Gulf of California.</p> - -<p>The country is frequented by the Crows and -Snakes, who are at perpetual war with the Shians -and Sioux, following them often far down the Platte, -where many bloody battles have taken place. The -Crows are esteemed friendly to the whites; but -when on war expeditions, and “hair” their object, -it is always dangerous to fall in with Indian war-parties, -and particularly in the remote regions of -the mountains, where they do not anticipate retaliation.</p> - -<p>Trapping with tolerable success in this vicinity, -the hunters crossed over, as soon as the premonitory -storms of approaching winter warned them to -leave the mountains, to the waters of Green River, -one of the affluents of the Colorado, intending to -winter at a rendezvous to be held in “Brown's -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> -Hole”—an enclosed valley so called—which, abounding -in game, and sheltered on every side by lofty -mountains, is a favourite wintering-ground of the -mountaineers. Here they found several trapping -bands already arrived; and a trader from the -Uintah country, with store of powder, lead, and -tobacco, prepared to ease them of their hardly-earned -peltries.</p> - -<p>Singly, and in bands numbering from two to ten, -the trappers dropped into the rendezvous; some -with many pack-loads of beaver, others with greater -or less quantity, and more than one on foot, having -lost his animals and peltry by Indian thieving. -Here were soon congregated many mountaineers, -whose names are famous in the history of the Far -West. Fitzpatrick and Hatcher, and old Bill Williams, -well known leaders of trapping parties, soon -arrived with their bands. Sublette came in with -his men from Yellow Stone, and many of Wyeth's -New Englanders were there. Chabonard with -his half-breeds, Wah-keitchas all, brought his peltries -from the lower country; and half-a-dozen -Shawanee and Delaware Indians, with a Mexican -from Taos, one Marcelline, a fine strapping fellow, -the best trapper and hunter in the mountains, and -ever first in the fight. Here, too, arrived the -“Bourgeois” traders of the “North West” -<a name="FNanchor_20_20" id="FNanchor_20_20"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_20_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a> -Company, with their superior equipments, ready -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> -to meet their trappers, and purchase the beaver at -an equitable value; and soon the trade opened, -and the encampment assumed a busy appearance.</p> - -<p>A curious assemblage did the rendezvous present, -and representatives of many a land met there. -A son of <i>La belle France</i> here lit his pipe from one -proffered by a native of New Mexico. An Englishman -and a Sandwich Islander cut a quid from the -same plug of tobacco. A Swede and an “old -Virginian” puffed together. A Shawanee blew a -peaceful cloud with a scion of the “Six Nations.” -One from the Land of Cakes—a canny chiel—sought -to “get round” (in trade) a right “smart” -Yankee, but couldn't “shine.”</p> - -<p>The beaver went briskly, six dollars being the -price paid per lb. in goods—for money is seldom -given in the mountain market, where “beaver” is -cash, for which the articles supplied by the traders -are bartered. In a very short time peltries of -every description had changed hands, either by -trade, or by gambling with cards and betting. -With the mountain men bets decide every question -that is raised, even the most trivial; and if the -Editor of <i>Bell's Life</i> were to pay one of these rendezvous -a winter visit, he would find the broad -sheet of his paper hardly capacious enough to -answer all the questions which would be referred -to his decision.</p> - -<p>Before the winter was over, La Bonté had lost -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> -all traces of civilised humanity, and might justly -claim to be considered as “hard a case” as any of -the mountaineers then present. Long before the -spring opened, he had lost all the produce of his -hunt and both his animals, which, however, by a -stroke of luck, he recovered, and wisely “held on -to” for the future. Right glad when spring appeared, -he started from Brown's Hole, with four -companions, to hunt the Uintah or Snake country, -and the affluents of the larger streams which rise in -that region and fall into the Gulf of California.</p> - -<p>In the valley of the Bear River they found -beaver abundant, and trapped their way westward -until they came upon the famed locality of the -Beer and Soda Springs—natural fountains of mineral -water, renowned amongst the trappers as being -“medicine” of the first order.</p> - -<p>Arriving one evening, about sundown, at the -Bear Spring, they found a solitary trapper sitting -over the rocky basin, intently regarding, with no -little awe, the curious phenomenon of the bubbling -gas. Behind him were piled his saddles and a pack -of skins, and at a little distance a hobbled Indian -pony fed amongst the cedars which formed a grove -round the spring. As the three hunters dismounted -from their animals, the lone trapper scarcely noticed -their arrival, his eyes being still intently fixed upon -the water. Looking round at last, he was instantly -recognised by one of La Bonté's companions, and -saluted as “Old Rube.” Dressed from head to foot -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> -in buckskin, his face, neck, and hands appeared to -be of the same leathery texture, so nearly did they -assimilate in colour to the materials of his dress. -He was at least six feet two or three in his moccasins, -straight-limbed and wiry, with long arms ending -in hands of tremendous grasp, and a quantity -of straight black hair hanging on his shoulders. -His features, which were undeniably good, wore an -expression of comical gravity, never relaxing into -a smile, which a broad good-humoured mouth could -have grinned from ear to ear.</p> - -<p>“What, boys,” he said, “will you be simple -enough to camp here, alongside these springs? -Nothing good ever came of sleeping here, I tell -you, and the worst kind of devils are in those -dancing waters.”</p> - -<p>“Why, old hos,” cried La Bonté, “what brings -you hyar then, and camp at that?”</p> - -<p>“This niggur,” answered Rube solemnly, “has -been down'd upon a sight too often to be skeared by -what can come out from them waters; and thar arn't -a devil as hisses thar, as can 'shine' with this child, I -tell you. I've tried him onest, an' fout him to clawin' -away to Eustis,<a name="FNanchor_21_21" id="FNanchor_21_21"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_21_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a> -and if I draws my knife again on -such varmint, I'll raise his hair, as sure as shootin'.”</p> - -<p>Spite of the reputed dangers of the locality, the -trappers camped on the spot, and many a draught -of the delicious sparkling water they quaffed in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> -honour of the “medicine” of the fount. Rube, -however, sat sulky and silent, his huge form bending -over his legs, which were crossed, Indian fashion, -under him, and his long bony fingers spread over -the fire, which had been made handy to the spring. -At last they elicited from him that he had sought -this spot for the purpose of “<i>making medicine</i>,” -having been persecuted by extraordinary ill luck, -even at this early period of his hunt—the Indians -having stolen two out of his three animals, and three -of his half-dozen traps. He had, therefore, sought -the springs for the purpose of invoking the fountain -spirits, which, a perfect Indian in his simple -heart, he implicitly believed to inhabit their mysterious -waters. When the others had, as he thought, -fallen asleep, La Bonté observed the ill-starred -trapper take from his pouch a curiously carved red -stone pipe, which he carefully charged with tobacco -and kinnik-kinnik. Then approaching the spring, -he walked three times round it, and gravely sat -himself down. Striking fire with his flint and steel, -he lit his pipe, and, bending the stem three several -times towards the water, he inhaled a vast quantity -of smoke, and bending back his neck and looking -upwards, puffed it into the air. He then blew -another puff towards the four points of the compass, -and emptying the pipe into his hand, cast the consecrated -contents into the spring, saying a few -Indian “medicine” words of cabalistic import. -Having performed the ceremony to his satisfaction, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> -he returned to the fire, smoked a pipe on his own -hook, and turned into his buffalo robe, conscious of -having done a most important duty.</p> - -<p>In the course of their trapping expedition, and -accompanied by Rube, who knew the country well, -they passed near the Great Salt Lake, a vast inland -sea, whose salitrose waters cover an extent of -upwards of one hundred and forty miles in length, -by eighty in breadth. Fed by several streams, of -which the Big Bear River is the most considerable, -this lake presents the curious phenomenon of a vast -body of water without any known outlet. According -to the trappers, an island, from which rises a -chain of lofty mountains, nearly divides the north-western -portion of the lake, whilst a smaller one, -within twelve miles of the northern shore, rises six -hundred feet from the level of the water. Rube -declared to his companions that the larger island -was known by the Indians to be inhabited by a race -of giants, with whom no communication had ever -been held by mortal man; and but for the casual -wafting to the shores of the lake of logs of gigantic -trees, cut by axes of extraordinary size, the world -would never have known that such a people existed. -They were, moreover, white as themselves, and -lived upon corn and fruits, and rode on elephants, -&c.</p> - -<p>Whilst following a small creek at the south-west -extremity of the lake, they came upon a band of -miserable Indians, who, from the fact of their subsisting -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> -chiefly on roots, are called the Diggers. At -first sight of the whites they immediately fled from -their wretched huts, and made towards the mountain; -but one of the trappers, galloping up on his -horse, cut off their retreat, and drove them like -sheep before him back to their village. A few of -these wretched creatures came into camp at sundown, -and were regaled with such meat as the -larder afforded. They appeared to have no other -food in their village but bags of dried ants and -their larvæ, and a few roots of the yampah. Their -huts were constructed of a few bushes of grease-wood, -piled up as a sort of breakwind, in which -they huddled in their filthy skins. During the -night, they crawled up to the camp and stole two -of the horses, and the next morning not a sign of -them was visible. Now La Bonté witnessed a case -of mountain law, and the practical effects of the -“lex talionis” of the Far West.</p> - -<p>The trail of the runaway Diggers bore to the -north-west, or along the skirt of a barren waterless -desert, which stretches far away from the southern -shores of the Salt Lake to the borders of Upper -California. La Bonté, with three others, determined -to follow the thieves, recover their animals, -and then rejoin the other two (Luke and Rube) on -a creek two days' journey from their present camp. -Starting at sunrise, they rode on at a rapid pace all -day, closely following the trail, which led directly -to the north-west, through a wretched sandy country, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> -without game or water. From the appearance -of the track, the Indians must still have been several -hours ahead of them, when the fatigue of their -horses, suffering from want of grass and water, -compelled them to camp near the head of a small -water-course, where they luckily found a hole containing -a little water, and whence a broad Indian -trail passed, apparently frequently used. Long -before daylight they were again in the saddle, and, -after proceeding a few miles, saw the lights of several -fires a short distance ahead of them. Halting -here, one of the party advanced on foot to reconnoitre, -and presently returned with the intelligence -that the party they were in pursuit of had joined a -village numbering thirty or forty huts.</p> - -<p>Loosening their girths, they permitted their tired -animals to feed on the scanty herbage which presented -itself, whilst they refreshed themselves with -a pipe of tobacco—for they had no meat of any -description with them, and the country afforded no -game. As the first streak of dawn appeared in the -east, they mounted their horses, after first examining -their rifles, and moved cautiously towards the -Indian village. As it was scarcely light enough for -their operations, they waited behind a sandhill in -the vicinity, until objects became more distinct, and -then, emerging from their cover with loud war-whoops, -they charged abreast into the midst of the -village.</p> - -<p>As the frightened Indians were scarcely risen -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> -from their beds, no opposition was given to the -daring mountaineers, who, rushing upon the flying -crowd, discharged their rifles at close quarters, and -then, springing from their horses, attacked them -knife in hand, and only ceased the work of butchery -when nine Indians lay dead upon the ground. -All this time the women, half dead with fright, -were huddled together on the ground, howling -piteously; and the mountaineers advancing to them, -whirled their lassos round their heads, and throwing -the open nooses into the midst, hauled out -three of them, and securing their arms in the rope, -bound them to a tree, and then proceeded to scalp -the dead bodies. Whilst they were engaged in this -work, an old Indian, withered and grisly, and hardly -bigger than an ape, suddenly emerged from a rock, -holding in his left hand a bow and a handful of -arrows, whilst one was already drawn to the head. -Running towards them, and almost before the hunters -were aware of his presence, he discharged an -arrow at a few yards' distance, which buried itself -in the ground not a foot from La Bonté's head as -he bent over the body of the Indian he was scalping; -and hardly had the whiz ceased, when whirr -flew another, striking him in his right shoulder. -Before the Indian could fit a third arrow to his bow, -La Bonté sprang upon him, seized him by the middle, -and spinning his pigmy form round his head, -as easily as he would have twirled a tomahawk, he -threw him with tremendous force on the ground at -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> -the feet of one of his companions, who, stooping -down, coolly thrust his knife into the Indian's breast, -and quickly tore off his scalp.</p> - -<p>The slaughter over, without casting an eye to the -captive squaws, the trappers proceeded to search -the village for food, of which they stood much in -need. Nothing, however, was found but a few bags -of dried ants, which, after eating voraciously of, -but with wry mouths, they threw aside, saying the -food was worse than “poor bull.” They found, -however, the animals they had been robbed of, and -two more besides,—wretched half-starved creatures; -and on these mounting their captives, they hurried -away on their journey back to their companions, -the distance being computed at three days' travel -from their present position. However, they thought, -by taking a more direct course, they might find -better pasture for their animals, and water, besides -saving at least half a day by the short cut. To -their cost, they proved the old saying, that “a short -cut is always a long road,” as will be presently -shown.</p> - -<p>It has been said that from the south-western -extremity of the Great Salt Lake a vast desert -extends for hundreds of miles, unbroken by the -slightest vegetation, destitute of game and water, -and presenting a cheerless expanse of sandy plain, -or rugged mountain, thinly covered with dwarf pine -or cedar, the only evidence of vegetable life. Into -this desert, ignorant of the country, the trappers -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> -struck, intending to make their short cut; and, -travelling on all day, were compelled to camp at -night, without water or pasture for their exhausted -animals, and themselves ravenous with hunger and -parched with thirst. The next day three of their -animals “gave out,” and they were fain to leave -them behind; but imagining that they must soon -strike a creek, they pushed on until noon, but still -no water presented itself, nor a sign of game of any -description. The animals were nearly exhausted, -and a horse which could scarcely keep up with the -slow pace of the others was killed, and its blood -greedily drunk; a portion of the flesh being eaten -raw, and a supply carried with them for future -emergencies.</p> - -<p>The next morning two of the horses lay dead at -their pickets, and one only remained, and this in -such a miserable state that it could not possibly -have travelled six miles further. It was, therefore, -killed, and its blood drunk, of which, however, the -captive squaws refused to partake. The men began -to feel the effects of their consuming thirst, which -the hot horse's blood only served to increase; their -lips became parched and swollen, their eyes blood-shot, -and a giddy sickness seized them at intervals. -About mid-day they came in sight of a mountain on -their right hand, which appeared to be more thickly -clothed with vegetation; and arguing from this that -water would be found there, they left their course -and made towards it, although some eight or ten -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> -miles distant. On arriving at the base, the most -minute search failed to discover the slightest traces -of water, and the vegetation merely consisted of -dwarf piñon and cedar. With their sufferings increased -by the exertions they had used in reaching -the mountain, they once more sought the trail, but -every step told on their exhausted frames. The -sun was very powerful, the sand over which they -floundered was deep and heavy, and, to complete -their sufferings a high wind blew it in their faces, -filling their mouths and noses with its searching particles.</p> - -<p>Still they struggled onwards manfully, and not a -murmur was heard until their hunger had entered -the <i>second stage</i> upon the road to starvation. They -had now been three days without food or water; -under which privation nature can hardly sustain -herself for a much longer period. On the fourth -morning, the men looked wolfish, their captives following -behind in sullen and perfect indifference, -occasionally stooping down to catch a beetle if one -presented itself, and greedily devouring it. A man -named Forey, a Canadian half-breed, was the first -to complain. “If this lasted another sundown,” he -said, “some of them would 'be rubbed out;' that -meat had to be 'raised' anyhow; and for his part, -he knew where to look for a feed, if no game was -seen before they put out of camp on the morrow; -and meat was meat, anyhow they fixed it.”</p> - -<p>No answer was made to this, though his companions -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> -well understood him: their natures as yet -revolted against the last expedient. As for the -three squaws, all of them young girls, they followed -behind their captors without a word of complaint, -and with the stoical indifference to pain and suffering, -which alike characterises the haughty Delaware -of the north and the miserable stunted -Digger of the deserts of the Far West. On the -morning of the fifth day, the party were seated -round a small fire of piñon, hardly able to rise and -commence their journey, the squaws squatting over -another at a little distance, when Forey commenced -again to suggest that, if nothing offered, they must -either take the alternative of starving to death, for -they could not hope to last another day, or have -recourse to the revolting extremity of sacrificing -one of the party to save the lives of all. To this, -however, there was a murmur of dissent, and it was -finally resolved that all should sally out and hunt; -for a deer-track had been discovered near the camp, -which, although it was not a fresh one, proved that -there must be game in the vicinity. Weak and -exhausted as they were, they took their rifles and -started for the neighbouring uplands, each taking a -different direction.</p> - -<p>It was nearly sunset when La Bonté returned to -the camp, where he already espied one of his companions -engaged in cooking something over the fire. -Hurrying to the spot, overjoyed with the anticipations -of a feast, he observed that the squaws were -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> -gone; but, at the same time, thought it was not -improbable they had escaped during their absence. -Approaching the fire, he observed Forey broiling -some meat on the embers, whilst at a little distance -lay what he fancied was the carcass of a deer.</p> - -<p>“Hurrah, boy!” he exclaimed, as he drew near -the fire. “You've 'made' a 'raise,' I see.”</p> - -<p>“<i>Well</i>, I have,” rejoined the other, turning his -meat with the point of his butcher knife. “There's -the meat, hos—help yourself.”</p> - -<p>La Bonté drew the knife from his scabbard, and -approached the spot his companion was pointing to; -but what was his horror to see the yet quivering -body of one of the Indian squaws, with a large portion -of the flesh butchered from it, part of which -Forey was already greedily devouring. The knife -dropped from his hand, and his heart rose to his -throat.</p> - -<p>The next day he and his companion struck the -creek where Rube and the other trapper had agreed -to await them, and found them in camp with plenty -of meat, and about to start again on their hunt, -having given up the others for lost. From the day -they parted, nothing was ever heard of La Bonté's -other two companions, who doubtless fell a prey to -utter exhaustion, and were unable to return to the -camp. And thus ended the Digger expedition.</p> - -<p>It may appear almost incredible that men having -civilised blood in their veins could perpetrate such -wanton and cold-blooded acts of aggression on the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> -wretched Indians, as that detailed above; but it is -fact that the mountaineers never lose an opportunity -of slaughtering these miserable Diggers, and attacking -their villages, often for the purpose of capturing -women, whom they carry off, and not unfrequently -sell to other tribes, or to each other. In these -attacks neither sex nor age is spared; and your -mountaineer has as little compunction in taking the -life of an Indian woman, as he would have in sending -his rifle-ball through the brain of a Crow or -Blackfoot warrior.</p> - -<p>La Bonté now found himself without animals, -and fairly “afoot;” consequently nothing remained -for him but to seek some of the trapping bands, -and hire himself for the hunt. Luckily for him, -he soon fell in with Roubideau, on his way to -Uintah, and was supplied by him with a couple of -animals; and thus equipped, he started again with -a large band of trappers, who were going to hunt -on the waters of Grand River and the Gila. Here -they fell in with another nation of Indians, from -which branch out the innumerable tribes inhabiting -Northern Mexico and part of California. They -were in general friendly, but lost no opportunity of -stealing horses or any articles left lying about the -camp. On one occasion, the trappers being camped -on a northern affluent of the Gila, a volley of arrows -was discharged amongst them, severely wounding -one or two of the party, as they sat round the -camp fires. The attack, however, was not renewed, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> -and the next day the camp was moved further -down the stream, where beaver was tolerably -abundant. Before sundown a number of Indians -made their appearance, and making signs of peace, -were admitted into the camp.</p> - -<p>The trappers were all sitting at their suppers -over the fires, the Indians looking gravely on, -when it was remarked that now would be a good -opportunity to retaliate upon them for the trouble -their incessant attacks had entailed upon the camp. -The suggestion was highly approved of, and -instantly acted upon. Springing to their feet, the -trappers seized their rifles, and commenced the -slaughter. The Indians, panic-struck, fled without -resistance, and numbers fell before the death-dealing -rifles of the mountaineers. A chief, who had -been sitting on a rock near the fire where the -leader of the trappers sat, had been singled out by -the latter as the first mark for his rifle.</p> - -<p>Placing the muzzle to his heart, he pulled the -trigger, but the Indian, with extraordinary tenacity -of life, rose and grappled with his assailant. -The white was a tall powerful man, but, notwithstanding -the deadly wound the Indian had received, -he had his equal in strength to contend against. -The naked form of the Indian twisted and writhed -in his grasp, as he sought to avoid the trapper's -uplifted knife. Many of the latter's companions -advanced to administer the <i>coup de grâce</i> to the -savage, but the trapper cried to them to keep off: -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> -“If he couldn't whip the Injun,” he said, “he'd -go under.”</p> - -<p>At length he succeeded in throwing him, and, -plunging his knife no less than seven times into his -body, he tore off his scalp, and went in pursuit of -the flying savages. In the course of an hour or -two, all the party returned, and sitting by the -fires, resumed their suppers, which had been interrupted -in the manner just described. Walker, the -captain of the band, sat down by the fire where he -had been engaged in the struggle with the Indian -chief, whose body was lying within a few paces of -it. He was in the act of fighting the battle over -again to one of his companions, and was saying -that the Indian had as much life in him as a buffalo -bull, when, to the horror of all present, the savage, -who had received wounds sufficient for twenty -deaths, suddenly rose to a sitting posture, the fire -shedding a glowing light upon the horrid spectacle. -The face was a mass of clotted blood, which flowed -from the lacerated scalp, whilst gouts of blood -streamed from eight gaping wounds in the naked -breast.</p> - -<p>Slowly this frightful figure rose to a sitting posture, -and, bending slowly forward to the fire, the -mouth was seen to open wide, and a hollow gurgling—owg-h-h—broke -from it.</p> - -<p>“H—!” exclaimed the trapper—and jumping -up, he placed a pistol to the ghastly head, the eyes -of which sternly fixed themselves on his, and pulling -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> -the trigger, blew the poor wretch's skull to -atoms.</p> - -<p>The Gila passes through a barren, sandy country, -with but little game, and sparsely inhabited by -several different tribes of the great nation of the -Apache. Unlike the rivers of this western region, -this stream is, in most parts of its course, particularly -towards its upper waters, entirely bare of -timber, and the bottom, through which it runs, -affords but little of the coarsest grass. Whilst on -this stream, the trapping party lost several animals -for want of pasture, and many more from the predatory -attacks of the cunning Indians. These losses, -however, they invariably made good whenever they -encountered a native village—taking care, moreover, -to repay themselves with interest whenever -occasion offered.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the sterile nature of the country, -the trappers, during their passage up the Gila, -saw with astonishment that the arid and barren -valley had once been peopled by a race of men far -superior to the present nomade tribes who roam -over it. With no little awe they gazed upon the -ruined walls of large cities, and the remains of -houses, with their ponderous beams and joists, still -testifying to the skill and industry with which they -were constructed: huge ditches and irrigating -canals, now filled with rank vegetation, furrowed -the plains in the vicinity, marking the spot where -once green waving maize and smiling gardens -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> -covered what now is a bare and sandy desert. -Pieces of broken pottery, of domestic utensils, -stained with bright colours, every where strewed -the ground; and spear and arrow-heads of stone, -and quaintly carved idols, and women's ornaments -of agate and obsidian, were picked up often by the -wondering trappers, examined with child-like curiosity, -and thrown carelessly aside.<a name="FNanchor_22_22" id="FNanchor_22_22"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_22_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a></p> - -<p>A Taos Indian, who was amongst the band, was -evidently impressed with a melancholy awe, as he -regarded these ancient monuments of his fallen -people. At midnight he rose from his blanket and -left the camp, which was in the vicinity of the -ruined city, stealthily picking his way through the -line of slumbering forms which lay around; and -the watchful sentinel observed him approach the -ruins with a slow and reverential gait. Entering -the mouldering walls, he gazed silently around, -where in ages past his ancestors trod proudly, a -civilised race, the tradition of which, well known to -his people, served but to make their present degraded -position more galling and apparent. Cowering -under the shadow of a crumbling wall, the Indian -drew his blanket over his head, and conjured to his -mind's eye the former power and grandeur of his -race—that warlike people who, forsaking their own -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> -country for causes of which no tradition, however -dim, now exists, sought in the fruitful and teeming -valleys of the south a soil and climate which their -own lands did not afford; and, displacing the wild -and barbarous hordes inhabiting the land, raised -there a mighty empire, great in riches and civilisation.</p> - -<p>The Indian bowed his head, and mourned the -fallen greatness of his tribe. Rising, he slowly -drew his tattered blanket round his body, and prepared -to leave the spot, when the shadow of a -moving figure, creeping past a gap in the ruined -wall, through which the moonbeams played, suddenly -arrested his attention. Rigid as a statue, -he stood transfixed to the spot, thinking a former -inhabitant of the city was visiting, in a ghostly -form, the scenes his body once knew so well. The -bow in his right hand shook with fear as he saw -the shadow approach, but was as tightly and -steadily grasped when, on the figure emerging -from the shade of the wall, he distinguished the -form of a naked Apache, armed with bow and -arrow, crawling stealthily through the gloomy -ruins.</p> - -<p>Standing undiscovered within the shadow of the -wall, the Taos raised his bow, and drew an arrow -to the head, until the other, who was bending low -to keep under cover of the wall, and thus approach -the sentinel standing at a short distance, seeing -suddenly the well-defined shadow on the ground, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> -rose upright on his legs, and, knowing escape was -impossible, threw his arms down his sides, and, -drawing himself erect, exclaimed, in a suppressed -tone, “Wa-g-h!”</p> - -<p>“Wagh!” exclaimed the Taos likewise, but -quickly dropped his arrow point, and eased the -bow.</p> - -<p>“What does my brother want,” he asked, “that -he lopes like a wolf round the fires of the white -hunters?”</p> - -<p>“Is my brother's skin not red?” returned the -Apache, “and yet he asks a question that needs no -answer. Why does the 'medicine wolf' follow the -buffalo and deer? For blood—and for blood the -Indian follows the treacherous white from camp to -camp, to strike blow for blow, until the deaths of -those so basely killed are fully avenged.”</p> - -<p>“My brother speaks with a big heart, and his -words are true; and though the Taos and Pimo -(Apache) black their faces towards each other -(are at war), here, on the graves of their common -fathers, there is peace between them. Let my -brother go.”</p> - -<p>The Apache moved quickly away, and the Taos -once more sought the camp-fires of his white companions.</p> - -<p>Following the course of the Gila to the eastward, -they crossed a range of the Sierra Madre, which is -a continuation of the Rocky Mountains, and struck -the waters of the Rio del Norte, below the settlements -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> -of New Mexico. On this stream they fared -well; besides trapping a great quantity of beaver, -game of all kinds abounded, and the bluffs near the -well-timbered banks of the river were covered with -rich gramma grass, on which their half-starved animals -speedily improved in condition.</p> - -<p>They remained for some weeks encamped on the -right bank of the stream, during which period they -lost one of their number, shot with an arrow whilst -lying asleep within a few feet of the camp-fire.</p> - -<p>The Navajos continually prowl along that portion -of the river which runs through the settlements of -New Mexico, preying upon the cowardly inhabitants, -and running off with their cattle whenever they -are exposed in sufficient numbers to tempt them. -Whilst ascending the river, the trappers met a party -of these Indians returning to their mountain homes -with a large band of mules and horses which they -had taken from one of the Mexican towns, besides -several women and children, whom they had captured, -as slaves. The main body of the trappers -halting, ten of the band followed and charged upon -the Indians, who numbered at least sixty, killed -seven of them, and retook the prisoners and the -whole cavallada of horses and mules. Great were -the rejoicings when they entered Socorro, the town -whence the women and children had been taken, -and as loud the remonstrances, when, handing them -over to their families, the trappers rode on, driving -fifty of the best of the rescued animals before them, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> -which they retained as payment for their services. -Messengers were sent on to Albuquerque with intelligence -of the proceeding; and as troops were stationed -there, the commandant was applied to, to chastise -the insolent whites.</p> - -<p>That warrior, on learning that the trappers numbered -less than fifteen, became alarmingly brave, -and ordering out the whole of his disposable force, -some two hundred dragoons, sallied out to intercept -the audacious mountaineers. About noon one day, -just as the latter had emerged from a little town -between Socorro and Albuquerque, they descried -the imposing force of the dragoons winding along a -plain ahead. As the trappers advanced, the officer -in command halted his men, and sent out a trumpeter -to order the former to await his coming. Treating -the herald to a roar of laughter, on they went, -and, as they approached the soldiers, broke into a -trot, ten of the number forming line in front of the -packed and loose animals, and, rifle in hand, charging -with loud whoops. This was enough for the -New Mexicans. Before the enemy were within -shooting distance, the gallant fellows turned tail, -and splashed into the river, dragging themselves up -the opposite bank like half-drowned rats, and saluted -with loud peels of laughter by the victorious mountaineers, -who, firing a volley into the air, in token -of supreme contempt, quietly continued their route -up the stream.</p> - -<p>Before reaching the capital of the province, they -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> -struck again to the westward, and following a -small creek to its junction with the Green River, -ascended that stream, trapping <i>en route</i> to the -Uintah or Snake Fork, and arrived at Roubideau's -rendezvous early in the fall, where they quickly -disposed of their peltries, and were once more on -“the loose.”</p> - -<p>Here La Bonté married a Snake squaw, with -whom he crossed the mountains and proceeded to -the Platte through the Bayou Salade, where he -purchased of the Yutas a commodious lodge, with -the necessary poles, &c.; and being now “rich” in -mules and horses, and in all things necessary for -<i>otium cum dignitate</i>, he took unto himself another -wife, as by mountain law allowed; and thus equipped, -with both his better halves attired in all the -glory of fofarraw, he went his way rejoicing.</p> - -<p>In a snug little valley lying under the shadow of -the mountains, watered by Vermilion Creek, and -in which abundance of buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope -fed and fattened on the rich grass, La Bonté -raised his lodge, employing himself in hunting, and -fully occupying his wives' time in dressing the skins -of the many animals he killed. Here he enjoyed -himself amazingly until the commencement of winter, -when he determined to cross to the North Fork -and trade his skins, of which he had now as many -packs as his animals could carry. It happened that -he one day left his camp, to spend a couple of days -hunting buffalo in the mountains, whither the bulls -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> -were now resorting, intending to “put out” for -Platte on his return. His hunt, however, led him -farther into the mountains than he anticipated, and -it was only on the third day that sundown saw him -enter the little valley where his camp was situated.</p> - -<p>Crossing the creek, he was not a little disturbed -at seeing fresh Indian sign on the opposite side, -which led in the direction of his lodge; and his -worst fears were realised when, on coming within -sight of the little plateau where the conical top of -his white lodge had always before met his view, he -saw nothing but a blackened mass strewing the -ground, and the burnt ends of the poles which had -once supported it.</p> - -<p>Squaws, animals, and peltry, all were gone—an -Arapaho moccasin lying on the ground told him -where. He neither fumed nor fretted, but, throwing -the meat off his pack animal, and the saddle from -his horse, he collected the blackened ends of the -lodge poles and made a fire—led his beasts to water -and hobbled them, threw a piece of buffalo meat -upon the coals, squatted down before the fire, and -lit his pipe. La Bonté was a true philosopher. Notwithstanding -that his house, his squaws, his peltries, -were gone “at one fell swoop,” the loss scarcely disturbed -his equanimity; and before the tobacco in -his pipe was half smoked out, he had ceased to think -of his misfortune. Certes, as he turned his apolla -of tender loin, he sighed as he thought of the delicate -manipulations with which his Shoshone squaw, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> -Sah-qua-manish, was wont to beat to tenderness the -toughest bull meat—and missed the tending care of -Yute Chil-co-thē, or the “reed that bends,” in patching -the holes worn in his neatly fitting moccasins, -the work of her nimble fingers. However, he ate -and smoked, and smoked and ate, and slept none -the worse for his mishap; thought, before he closed -his eyes, a little of his lost wives, and more perhaps -of the “Bending Reed” than of Sah-qua-manish, -or “she who runs with the stream,” drew his -blanket tightly round him, felt his rifle handy to -his grasp, and was speedily asleep.</p> - -<p>Whilst the tired mountaineer breathes heavily in -his dream, careless and unconscious that a living -soul is near, his mule on a sudden pricks her ears -and stares into the gloom, whence a figure soon -emerges, and with noiseless steps draws near the -sleeping hunter. Taking one look at the slumbering -form, the same figure approaches the fire and -adds a log to the pile; which done, it quietly seats -itself at the feet of the sleeper, and remains motionless -as a statue. Towards morning the hunter awoke, -and, rubbing his eyes, was astonished to feel the -glowing warmth of the fire striking on his naked -feet, which, in Indian fashion, were stretched towards -it; as by this time, he knew, the fire he left burning -must long since have expired. Lazily raising -himself on his elbow, he saw a figure sitting near it -with the back turned to him, which, although his -exclamatory wagh was loud enough in all conscience, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> -remained perfectly motionless, until the trapper, -rising, placed his hand upon the shoulder: then, -turning up its face, the features displayed to his -wondering eye were those of Chil-co-thē], his Yuta -wife. Yes, indeed, the “reed that bends” had -escaped from her Arapaho captors, and made her -way back to her white husband, fasting and alone.</p> - -<p>The Indian women who follow the fortunes of the -white hunters are remarkable for their affection and -fidelity to their husbands, the which virtues, it must -be remarked, are all on their own side; for, with -very few exceptions, the mountaineers seldom -scruple to abandon their Indian wives, whenever -the fancy takes them to change their harems; and -on such occasions the squaws, thus cast aside, wild -with jealousy and despair, have been not unfrequently -known to take signal vengeance both on -their faithless husbands and on the successful beauties -who have supplanted them in their affections. -There are some honourable exceptions, however, to -such cruelty, and many of the mountaineers stick -to their red-skinned wives for better and for worse, -often suffering them to gain the upper hand in the -domestic economy of the lodges, and being ruled by -their better halves in all things pertaining to family -affairs; and it may be remarked, that, when once -the lady dons the unmentionables, she becomes the -veriest termagant that ever henpecked an unfortunate -husband.</p> - -<p>Your refined trappers, however, who, after many -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> -years of bachelor life, incline to take to themselves a -better half, often undertake an expedition into the -settlements of New Mexico, where not unfrequently -they adopt a very “Young Lochinvar” system in -procuring the required rib; and have been known -to carry off, <i>vi et armis</i>, from the midst of a fandango -in Fernandez, or El Rancho of Taos, some -dark-skinned beauty—with or without her own consent -is a matter of unconcern—and bear the ravished -fair one across the mountains, where she soon becomes -inured to the free and roving life fate has -assigned her.</p> - -<p>American women are valued at a low figure in -the mountains. They are too fine and “fofarraw.” -Neither can they make moccasins, or dress skins; -nor are they so schooled to perfect obedience to -their lords and masters as to stand a “lodge-pole-ing,” -which the western lords of the creation not -unfrequently deem it their bounden duty to inflict -upon their squaws for some dereliction of domestic -duty.</p> - -<p>To return, however, to La Bonté. That worthy -thought himself a lucky man to have lost but one -of his wives, and she the worst of the two. “Here's -the beauty,” he philosophised, “of having two -'wiping-sticks' to your rifle; if one breaks whilst -ramming down a ball, there's still hickory left to -supply its place.” Although, with animals and -peltry, he had lost several hundred dollars' worth -of “possibles,” he never groaned or grumbled. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> -“There's redskin will pay for this,” he once muttered, -and was done.</p> - -<p>Packing all that was left on the mule, and mounting -Chil-co-thē on his buffalo horse, he shouldered -his rifle and struck the Indian trail for Platte. On -Horse Creek they came upon a party of French -<a name="FNanchor_23_23" id="FNanchor_23_23"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_23_23" class="fnanchor">[23]</a> -trappers and hunters, who were encamped with -their lodges and Indian squaws, and formed quite -a village. Several old companions were amongst -them; and, to celebrate the arrival of a “camarade,” -a splendid dog-feast was prepared in honour -of the event. To effect this, the squaws sallied out -of their lodges to seize upon sundry of the younger -and plumper of the pack, to fill the kettles for the -approaching feast. With a presentiment of the fate -in store for them, the curs slunk away with tails -between their legs, and declined the pressing invitations -of the anxious squaws. These shouldered -their tomahawks and gave chase; but the cunning -pups outstripped them, and would have fairly beaten -the kettles, if some of the mountaineers had not -stepped out with their rifles and quickly laid half-a-dozen -ready to the knife. A cayeute, attracted -by the scent of blood, drew near, unwitting of the -canine feast in progress, and was likewise soon -made <i>dog</i> of, and thrust into the boiling kettle -with the rest.</p> - -<p>The feast that night was long protracted; and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> -so savoury was the stew, and so agreeable to the -palates of the hungry hunters, that at the moment -the last morsel was drawn from the pot, when all -were regretting that a few more dogs had not been -slaughtered, a wolfish-looking cur, who incautiously -poked his long nose and head under the lodge skin, -was pounced upon by the nearest hunter, who in a -moment drew his knife across the animal's throat, -and threw it to a squaw to skin and prepare for the -pot. The wolf had long since been vigorously discussed, -and voted by all hands to be “good as dog.”</p> - -<p>“Meat's meat,” is a common saying in the mountains, -and from the buffalo down to the rattlesnake, -including every quadruped that runs, every fowl -that flies, and every reptile that creeps, nothing -comes amiss to the mountaineer. Throwing aside -all the qualms and conscientious scruples of a fastidious -stomach, it must be confessed that <i>dog-meat</i> -takes a high rank in the wonderful variety of -cuisine afforded to the gourmand and the gourmet -by the prolific “mountains.” Now, when the bill -of fare offers such tempting viands as buffalo beef, -venison, mountain mutton, turkey, grouse, wildfowl, -hares, rabbits, beaver and their tails, &c. &c., the -station assigned to “dog” as No. 2 in the list can -be well appreciated—No. 1, in delicacy of flavour, -richness of meat, and other good qualities, being -the flesh of <i>panthers</i>, which surpasses every other, -and all put together.</p> - -<p>“Painter meat can't 'shine' with this,” says a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> -hunter, to express the delicious flavour of an extraordinary -cut of “tender loin,” or delicate fleece.</p> - -<p>La Bonté started with his squaw for the North -Fork early in November, and arrived at the Laramie -at the moment that the big village of the Sioux -came up for their winter trade. Two other villages -were encamped lower down the Platte, including -the Brulés and the Yanka-taus, who were now on -more friendly terms with the whites. The first -band numbered several hundred lodges, and presented -quite an imposing appearance, the village -being laid out in parallel lines, the lodge of each -chief being marked with his particular totem. The -traders had a particular portion of the village allotted -to them, and a line was marked out which was -strictly kept by the soldiers appointed for the protection -of the whites. As there were many rival -traders, and numerous <i>coureurs des bois</i>, or peddling -ones, the market promised to be brisk, the more so -as a large quantity of ardent spirits was in their -possession, which would be dealt with no unsparing -hand to put down the opposition of so many competing -traders.</p> - -<p>In opening a trade a quantity of liquor is first -given “on the prairie,”<a name="FNanchor_24_24" id="FNanchor_24_24"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_24_24" class="fnanchor">[24]</a> as the Indians express it -in words, or by signs in rubbing the palm of one -hand quickly across the other, holding both flat. -Having once tasted the pernicious liquid, there is -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> -no fear but they will quickly come to terms; and -not unfrequently the spirit is drugged, to render -the unfortunate Indians still more helpless. Sometimes, -maddened and infuriated by drink, they -commit the most horrid atrocities on each other, -murdering and mutilating in a barbarous manner, -and often attempting the lives of the traders themselves. -On one occasion a band of Sioux, whilst -under the influence of liquor, attacked and took -possession of a trading fort of the American Fur -Company, stripping it of every thing it contained, -and roasting the trader himself over his own fire.</p> - -<p>The principle on which the nefarious trade is -conducted is this, that the Indians, possessing a -certain quantity of buffalo robes, have to be cheated -out of them, and the sooner the better. Although -it is explicitly prohibited by the laws of the United -States to convey spirits across the Indian frontier, -and its introduction amongst the Indian tribes subjects -the offender to a heavy penalty; yet the -infraction of this law is of daily occurrence, perpetrated -almost in the very presence of the government -officers, who are stationed along the frontier -for the purpose of enforcing the laws for the protection -of the Indians.</p> - -<p>The misery entailed upon these unhappy people -by the illicit traffic must be seen to be fully appreciated. -Before the effects of the poisonous “fire-water,” -they disappear from the earth like “snow -before the sun.” Although aware of the destruction -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> -it entails upon them, the poor wretches have -not moral courage to shun the fatal allurement it -holds out to them, of wild excitement and a temporary -oblivion of their many sufferings and privations. -With such palpable effects, it appears only -likely that the illegal trade is connived at by those -whose policy it has ever been, gradually but surely, -to exterminate the Indians, and by any means to -extinguish their title to the few lands they now -own on the outskirts of civilisation. Certain -it is that large quantities of liquor find their way -annually into the Indian country, and as certain -are the fatal results of the pernicious system, and -that the American government takes no steps to -prevent it. There are some tribes who have as -yet withstood the great temptation, and have resolutely -refused to permit liquor to be brought into -their villages. The marked difference between the -improved condition of these, and the moral and -physical abasement of those which give way to the -fatal passion for drinking, sufficiently proves the -pernicious effects of the liquor trade on the unfortunate -and abused aborigines; and it is matter of -regret that no philanthropist has sprung up in the -United States to do battle for the rights of the Red -men, and call attention to the wrongs they endure -at the hands of their supplanters in the lands of -their fathers.</p> - -<p>Robbed of their homes and hunting-grounds, and -driven by the encroachments of the whites to distant -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> -regions, which hardly support existence, the -Indians, day by day, gradually decrease before -the accumulating evils, of body and soul, which -their civilised persecutors entail upon them. With -every man's hand against them, they drag on to -their final destiny; and the day is not far distant -when the American Indian will exist only in the -traditions of his pale-faced conquerors.</p> - -<p>The Indians trading at this time on the Platte -were mostly of the Sioux nation, including the -tribes of Burnt-woods, Yanka-taus, Pian-Kashas, -Assinaboins, Oglallahs, Broken Arrows, all of which -belong to the great Sioux nation, or La-cotahs, as -they call themselves, and which means cut-throats -There were also some Cheyennes allied to the -Sioux, as well as a small band of Republican -Pawnees.</p> - -<p>Horse-racing, gambling, and ball-play, served to -pass away the time until the trade commenced, and -many packs of dressed robes changed hands amongst -themselves. When playing at the usual game of -“<i>hand</i>,” the stakes, comprising all the valuables -the players possess, are piled in two heaps close at -hand, the winner at the conclusion of the game -sweeping the goods towards him, and often returning -a small portion “on the prairie,” with which -the loser may again commence operations with another -player.</p> - -<p>The game of “hand” is played by two persons. -One, who commences, places a plum or cherry-stone -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span>. -in the hollow formed by joining the concaved palms -of the hands together, then shaking the stone for a -few moments, the hands are suddenly separated, -and the other player must guess which hand now -contains the stone.</p> - -<p>Large bets are often wagered on the result of -this favourite game, which is also often played by -the squaws, the men standing round encouraging -them to bet, and laughing loudly at their grotesque -excitement.</p> - -<p>A Burnt-wood Sioux, Tah-tunganisha, one of the -bravest chiefs of his tribe, was out, when a young -man, on a solitary war expedition against the -Crows. One evening he drew near a certain -“medicine” spring, where, to his astonishment, he -encountered a Crow warrior in the act of quenching -his thirst. He was on the point of drawing his -bow upon him, when he remembered the sacred -nature of the spot, and making the sign of peace, -he fearlessly drew near his foe, and proceeded likewise -to slake his thirst. A pipe of kinnik-kinnik -being produced, it was proposed to pass away the -early part of the night in a game of “hand.” -They accordingly sat down beside the spring, and -commenced the game.</p> - -<p>Fortune favoured the Crow. He won arrow after -arrow from the Burnt-wood brave; then his bow, -his club, his knife, his robe, all followed, and the -Sioux sat naked on the plain. Still he proposed -another stake against the other's winnings—his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> -scalp. He played, and lost; and bending forward -his head, the Crow warrior drew his knife and -quickly removed the bleeding prize. Without a -murmur the luckless Sioux rose to depart, but -first exacted a promise from his antagonist that he -would meet him once more at the same spot, and -engage in another trial of skill.</p> - -<p>On the day appointed, the Burnt-wood sought -the spot, with a new equipment, and again the -Crow made his appearance, and they sat down to -play. This time fortune changed sides; the Sioux -won back his former losses, and in his turn the -Crow was stripped to his skin.</p> - -<p>Scalp against scalp was now the stake, and this -time the Crow submitted his head to the victorious -Burnt-wood's knife; and both the warriors stood -scalpless on the plain.</p> - -<p>And now the Crow had but one single stake of -value to offer, and the offer of it he did not hesitate -to make. He staked his life against the other's -winnings. They played; and fortune still being -adverse, he lost. He offered his breast to his -adversary. The Burnt-wood plunged his knife -into his heart to the very hilt; and, laden with -his spoils, returned to his village, and to this day -wears suspended from his ears his own and enemy's -scalp.</p> - -<p>The village presented the usual scene of confusion -as long as the trade lasted. Fighting, brawling, -yelling, dancing, and all the concomitants of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> -intoxication, continued to the last drop of the -liquor-keg, when the reaction after such excitement -was almost worse than the evil itself. During -this time, all the work devolved upon the squaws, -who, in tending the horses, and in packing wood -and water from a long distance, had their time -sufficiently occupied. As there was little or no -grass in the vicinity, the animals were supported -entirely on the bark of the cotton-wood; and to -procure this, the women were daily engaged in -felling huge trees, or climbing them fearlessly, -chopping off the upper limbs—springing like squirrels -from branch to branch, which, in their confined -costume, appeared matter of considerable -difficulty.</p> - -<p>The most laughter-provoking scenes, however, -were, when a number of squaws sallied out to the -grove, with their long-nosed, wolfish-looking dogs -harnessed to their <i>travées</i> or trabogans, on which -loads of cotton-wood were piled. The dogs, knowing -full well the duty required of them, refuse to -approach the coaxing squaws, and, at the same -time, are fearful of provoking their anger by -escaping and running off. They, therefore, squat -on their haunches, with tongues hanging out of -their long mouths, the picture of indecision, removing -a short distance as the irate squaw -approaches. When once harnessed to the travée, -however, which is simply a couple of lodge-poles -lashed on either side of the dog, with a couple of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> -cross-bars near the ends to support the freight, -they follow quietly enough, urged by bevies of -children, who invariably accompany the women. -Once arrived at the scene of their labours, the -reluctance of the curs to draw near the piles of -cotton-wood is most comical. They will lie down -stubbornly at a little distance, whining their uneasiness, -or sometimes scamper off bodily, with -their long poles trailing after them, pursued by -the yelling and half frantic squaws.</p> - -<p>When the travées are laden, the squaws, bent -double under loads of wood sufficient to break a -porter's back, and calling to the dogs, which are -urged on by the buffalo-fed urchins in rear, lead -the line of march. The curs, taking advantage of -the helpless state of their mistresses, turn a deaf -ear to their coaxings, lying down every few yards -to rest, growling and fighting with each other, in -which encounters every cur joins the <i>mêlée</i>, charging -pell-mell into the yelping throng, upsetting -the squalling children, and making confusion worse -confounded. Then, armed with lodge-poles, the -squaws, throwing down their loads, rush to the -rescue, dealing stalwart blows on the pugnacious -curs, and finally restoring something like order to -the march.</p> - -<p>“Tszoo—tszoo!” they cry, “wah, kashne, ceit-cha—get -on, you devilish beasts—tszoo—tszoo!” -and belabouring them without mercy, they start -them into a gallop, which, once commenced, is -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> -generally continued till they reach their destination.</p> - -<p>The Indian dogs are, however, invariably well -treated by the squaws, since they assist materially -the every-day labours of these patient over-worked -creatures, in hauling firewood to the lodge, and, -on the line of march, carrying many of the household -goods and chattels, which otherwise the squaw -herself would have to carry on her back. Every -lodge possesses from half-a-dozen to a score—some -for draught and others for eating—for dog meat -forms part and parcel of an Indian feast. The -former are stout, wiry animals, half wolf half -sheep-dog, and are regularly trained to draught; -the latter are of a smaller kind, more inclined to -fat, and embrace every variety of the genus cur. -Many of the southern tribes possess a breed of -dogs entirely divested of hair, which evidently have -come from South America, and are highly esteemed -for the kettle. Their meat, in appearance and -flavour, resembles young pork, but far surpasses it -in richness and delicacy.</p> - -<p>The Sioux are very expert in making their lodges -comfortable, taking more pains in their construction -than most Indians. They are all of conical form: -a framework of straight slender poles, resembling -hop-poles, and from twenty to twenty-five feet long, -is first erected, round which is stretched a sheeting -of buffalo robes, softly dressed, and smoked to render -them water-tight. The apex, through which -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> -the ends of the poles protrude, is left open to allow -the smoke to escape. A small opening, sufficient to -permit the entrance of a man, is made on one side, -over which is hung a door of buffalo hide. A lodge -of the common size contains about twelve or fourteen -skins, and contains comfortably a family of -twelve in number. The fire is made in the centre -immediately under the aperture in the roof, and a -flap of the upper skins is closed or extended at pleasure, -serving as a cowl or chimney-top to regulate -the draught and permit the smoke to escape freely. -Round the fire, with their feet towards it, the -inmates sleep on skins and buffalo rugs, which are -rolled up during the day, and stowed at the back -of the lodge.</p> - -<p>In travelling, the lodge-poles are secured half on -each side a horse, and the skins placed on transversal -bars near the ends, which trail along the ground,—two -or three squaws or children mounted on the -same horse, or the smallest of the latter borne in -the dog travées. A set of lodge-poles will last from -three to seven years, unless the village is constantly -on the move, when they are soon worn out in trailing -over the gravelly prairie. They are usually of -ash, which grows on many of the mountain creeks, -and regular expeditions are undertaken when a -supply is required, either for their own lodges, or -for trading with those tribes who inhabit the prairies -at a great distance from the locality where the poles -are procured.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p> - -<p>There are also certain creeks where the Indians resort -to lay in a store of kinnik-kinnik (the inner bark -of the red willow), which they use as a substitute for -tobacco, and which has an aromatic and very pungent -flavour. It is prepared for smoking by being -scraped in thin curly flakes from the slender saplings, -and crisped before the fire, after which it is -rubbed between the hands into a form resembling -leaf-tobacco, and stored in skin bags for use. It has -a highly narcotic effect on those not habituated to its -use, and produces a heaviness sometimes approaching -stupefaction, altogether different from the soothing -effects of tobacco.</p> - -<p>Every year, owing to the disappearance of the -buffalo from their former haunts, the Indians are -compelled to encroach upon each other's hunting-grounds, -which is a fruitful cause of war between -the different tribes. It is a curious fact, that the -buffalo retire before the whites, whilst the presence -of Indians in their pastures appears in no degree to -disturb them. Wherever a few white hunters are -congregated in a trading port, or elsewhere, so sure -it is that, if they remain in the same locality, the -buffalo will desert the vicinity, and seek pasture -elsewhere. In this, the Indians affirm, the wah-keitcha, -or “bad medicine,” of the pale-faces is very -apparent; and they ground upon it their well-founded -complaints of the encroachments made upon -their hunting-grounds by the white hunters.</p> - -<p>In the winter, many of the tribes are reduced to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> -the very verge of starvation—the buffalo having -passed from their country into that of their enemies, -when no other alternative is offered them, but to -remain where they are and starve, or to follow the -game into a hostile region, a move entailing war -and all its horrors.</p> - -<p>Reckless, moreover, of the future, in order to -prepare robes for the traders, and to procure the -pernicious fire-water, they wantonly slaughter, every -year, vast numbers of buffalo cows (the skins of -which sex only are dressed), and thus add to the -evils in store for them. When questioned on this -subject, and reproached with such want of foresight, -they answer, that however quickly the buffalo disappears, -the Red man “goes under” more quickly -still; and that the Great Spirit has ordained -that both shall be “rubbed out” from the face of -nature at one and the same time,—“that arrows -and bullets are not more fatal to the buffalo than -the small-pox and fire-water to them, and that -before many winters' snows have disappeared, the -buffalo and the Red man will only be remembered -by their bones, which will strew the plains.”—“They -look forward, however, to a future state, -when, after a long journey, they will reach the -happy hunting-grounds, where buffalo will once -more blacken the prairies; where the pale-faces -dare not come to disturb them; where no winter -snows cover the ground, and the buffalo are always -plentiful and fat.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span></p> - -<p>As soon as the streams opened, La Bonté, now -reduced to two animals and four traps, sallied forth -again, this time seeking the dangerous country of -the Blackfeet, on the head waters of the Yellow -Stone and Upper Missouri. He was accompanied -by three others, a man named Wheeler, and one -Cross-Eagle, a Swede, who had been many years in -the western country. Reaching the forks of a small -creek, on both of which appeared plenty of beaver -sign, La Bonté followed the left-hand one alone, -whilst the others trapped the right in company, the -former leaving his squaw in the company of a Sioux -woman, who followed the fortunes of Cross-Eagle, -the party agreeing to rendezvous at the junction of -the two forks as soon as they had trapped to their -heads and again descended them. The larger party -were the first to reach the rendezvous, and camped -on the banks of the main stream to await the arrival -of La Bonté.</p> - -<p>The morning after their return, they had just -risen from their blankets, and were lazily stretching -themselves before the fire, when a volley of firearms -rattled from the bank of the creek, and two -of their number fell dead to the ground, whilst at -the same moment the deafening yells of Indians -broke upon the ears of the frightened squaws. -Cross-Eagle seized his rifle, and, though severely -wounded, rushed to the cover of a hollow tree which -stood near, and crawling into it, defended himself -the whole day with the greatest obstinacy, killing -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> -five Indians outright, and wounding several more. -Unable to drive the gallant trapper from his retreat, -the savages took advantage of a favourable wind -which suddenly sprang up, and fired the long dry -grass surrounding the tree. The rotten log catching -fire, at length compelled the hunter to leave his -retreat. Clubbing his rifle, he charged amongst the -Indians, and fell at last, pierced through and through -with wounds, but not until two more of his assailants -had fallen by his hand.</p> - -<p>The two squaws were carried off, and one was -sold shortly afterwards to some white men at the -trading ports on the Platte; but La Bonté never -recovered the “Bending Reed,” nor even heard of -her existence from that day. So once more was -the mountaineer bereft of his better half; and when -he returned to the rendezvous, a troop of wolves -were feasting on the bodies of his late companions, -and of the Indians killed in the affray, of which he -only heard the particulars a long time after from a -trapper, who had been present when one of the -squaws was offered at the trading post for sale, and -had heard her recount the miserable fate of her -husband and his companions on the forks of the -creek, which, from the fact of La Bonté being the -leader of the party, has since borne his name.</p> - -<p>Undaunted by this misfortune, the trapper continued -his solitary hunt, passing through the midst -of the Crow and Blackfeet country; encountering -many perils, often hunted by the Indians, but always -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> -escaping. He had soon loaded both his animals with -beaver, and then thought of bending his steps to -some of the trading rendezvous on the other side of -the mountains, where employés of the Great North-west -Fur Company meet the trappers with the produce -of their hunts, on Lewis's fork of the Columbia, -or one of its numerous affluents. His intention was -to pass the winter at some of the company's trading -posts in Oregon, into which country he had never -yet penetrated.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER V.</h2> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap"> -We</span> have said that La Bonté was a philosopher: -he took the streaks of ill luck which checkered -his mountain life with perfect carelessness, if -not with stoical indifference. Nothing ruffled his -danger-steeled equanimity of temper; no sudden -emotion disturbed his mind. We have seen how -wives were torn from him without eliciting a groan -or grumble, (but such <i>contretemps</i>, it may be said, -can scarcely find a place in the category of ills); -how the loss of mules and mustangs, harried by -horse-stealing Indians, left him in the <i>ne-plus-ultra</i> -of mountain misery—“afoot;” how packs and -peltries, the hard-earned “beaver” of his perilous -hunts, were “raised” at one fell swoop by free-booting -bands of savages. Hunger and thirst, we -know, were commonplace sensations to the mountaineer. -His storm-hardened flesh scarce felt the -pinging wounds of arrow-point or bullet; and when -in the midst of Indian fight, it is not probable that -any tender qualms of feeling would allay the itching -of his fingers for his enemy's scalp-lock, nor -would any remains of civilised fastidiousness prevent -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> -his burying his knife again and again in the -life-blood of an Indian savage.</p> - -<p>Still, in one dark corner of his heart, there shone -at intervals a faint spark of what was once a fiercely-burning -fire. Neither time, that corroder of -all things, nor change, that ready abettor of oblivion, -nor scenes of peril and excitement, which act -as dampers to more quiet memories, could smother -this little smouldering spark, which now and again—when -rarely-coming calm succeeded some stirring -passage in the hunter's life, and left him, for a brief -time, devoid of care, and victim to his thoughts—would -flicker suddenly, and light up all the nooks -and corners of his rugged breast, and discover to -his mind's eye that one deep-rooted memory clung -there still, though long neglected; proving that, -spite of time and change, of life and fortune,</p> - -<p class="ac smaller"> -“On revient toujours à ses premiers amours.” -</p> - -<p>Often and often as La Bonté sat cross-legged -before his solitary camp-fire, and, pipe in mouth, -watched the blue smoke curling upwards in the -clear cold sky, a well-remembered form appeared -to gaze upon him from the vapoury wreaths. Then -would old recollections crowd before him, and old -emotions, long a stranger to his breast, shape themselves, -as it were, into long-forgotten but now familiar -pulsations. Again he felt the soft subduing -influence which once, in days gone by, a certain -passion exercised over his mind and body; and -often a trembling seized him, the same he used to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> -experience at the sudden sight of one Mary Brand, -whose dim and dreamy apparition so often watched -his lonely bed, or, unconsciously conjured up, -cheered him in the dreary watches of the long and -stormy winter nights.</p> - -<p>At first he only knew that one face haunted his -dreams by night, and the few moments by day -when he thought of any thing, and this face smiled -lovingly upon him, and cheered him mightily. -Name he had quite forgotten, or recalled it vaguely, -and, setting small store by it, had thought of it no -more.</p> - -<p>For many years after he had deserted his home, -La Bonté had cherished the idea of again returning -to his country. During this period he had never -forgotten his old flame, and many a choice fur he -had carefully laid by, intended as a present for -Mary Brand; and many a <i>gâge d'amour</i> of cunning -shape and device, worked in stained quills of -porcupine and bright-coloured beads—the handiwork -of nimble-fingered squaws—he had packed in -his possible sack for the same destination, hoping a -time would come when he might lay them at her -feet.</p> - -<p>Year after year wore on, however, and still found -him, with traps and rifle, following his perilous avocation; -and each succeeding one saw him more and -more wedded to the wild mountain-life. He was -conscious how unfitted he had become again to -enter the galling harness of conventionality and -civilisation. He thought, too, how changed in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> -manners and appearance he now must be, and -could not believe that he would again find favour -in the eyes of his quondam love, who, he judged, -had long since forgotten him; and inexperienced -as he was in such matters, yet he knew enough of -womankind to feel assured that time and absence -had long since done the work, if even the natural -fickleness of woman's nature had lain dormant. -Thus it was that he came to forget Mary Brand, -but still remembered the all-absorbing feeling she -had once created in his breast, the shadow of which -still remained, and often took form and feature in -the smoke-wreaths of his solitary camp-fire.</p> - -<p>If truth be told, La Bonté had his failings as a -mountaineer, and—sin unpardonable in hunter law—still -possessed, in holes and corners of his breast -seldom explored by his inward eye, much of the -leaven of kindly human nature, which now and -again involuntarily peeped out, as greatly to the -contempt of his comrade trappers as it was blushingly -repressed by the mountaineer himself. Thus, -in his various matrimonial episodes, he treated his -dusky <i>sposas</i> with all the consideration the sex -could possibly demand from hand of man. No -squaw of his ever humped shoulder to receive a -castigatory and marital “lodge-poling” for offence -domestic; but often has his helpmate blushed to see -her pale-face lord and master devote himself to the -feminine labour of packing huge piles of fire-wood -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> -on his back, felling trees, butchering unwieldy buffalo—all -which are included in the Indian category -of female duties. Thus he was esteemed an excellent -<i>parti</i> by all the marriageable young squaws of -Blackfoot, Crow, and Shoshone, of Yutah, Shian, -and Arapaho; but after his last connubial catastrophe, -he steeled his heart against all the charms -and coquetry of Indian belles, and persevered in -unblessed widowhood for many a long day.</p> - -<p>From the point where we left him on his way to -the waters of the Columbia, we must jump with -him over a space of nearly two years, during which -time he had a most uninterrupted run of good luck; -trapping with great success on the head streams of -the Columbia and Yellow Stone—the most dangerous -of trapping ground—and finding good market -for his peltries at the “North-west” posts—beaver -fetching as high a price as five and six dollars a -“plew”—the “golden age” of trappers, now, alas, -never to return, and existing only in the fond -memory of the mountaineers. This glorious time, -however, was too good to last. In mountain language, -“such heap of fat meat was not going to -'shine' much longer.”</p> - -<p>La Bonté was at this time one of a band of eight -trappers, whose hunting ground was about the -head waters of the Yellow Stone, which we have -before said is in the country of the Blackfeet. -With him were Killbuck, Meek, Marcellin, and -three others; and the leader of the party was Bill -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> -Williams, that old “hard case” who had spent -forty years and more in the mountains, until he -had become as tough as the parflêche soles of his -moccasins. They were all good men and true, -expert hunters, and well-trained mountaineers. -After having trapped all the streams they were -acquainted with, it was determined to strike into -the mountains, at a point where old Williams -affirmed, from the “run” of the hills, there must -be plenty of water, although not one of the party -had before explored the country, or knew any -thing of its nature, or of the likelihood of its affording -game for themselves or pasture for their animals. -However, they packed their peltry, and put -out for the land in view—a lofty peak, dimly seen -above the more regular summit of the chain, being -their landmark.</p> - -<p>For the first day or two their route lay between -two ridges of mountains, and by following the little -valley which skirted a creek, they kept on level -ground, and saved their animals considerable labour -and fatigue. Williams always rode ahead, his body -bent over his saddle-horn, across which rested a -long heavy rifle, his keen gray eyes peering from -under the slouched brim of a flexible felt-hat, black -and shining with grease. His buckskin hunting-shirt, -bedaubed until it had the appearance of -polished leather, hung in folds over his bony -carcass; his nether extremities being clothed in -pantaloons of the same material (with scattered -fringes down the outside of the leg—which ornaments, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> -however, had been pretty well thinned to -supply “whangs” for mending moccasins or pack-saddles), -which, shrunk with wet, clung tightly to -his long, spare, sinewy legs. His feet were thrust -into a pair of Mexican stirrups made of wood, and -as big as coal-scuttles; and iron spurs of incredible -proportions, with tinkling drops attached to the -rowels, were fastened to his heel—a bead-worked -strap, four inches broad, securing them over the instep. -In the shoulder-belt which sustained his -powder-horn and bullet-pouch, were fastened the -various instruments essential to one pursuing his -mode of life. An awl, with deer-horn handle, and -the point defended by a case of cherry-wood carved -by his own hand, hung at the back of the belt, side -by side with a worm for cleaning the rifle; and -under this was a squat and quaint-looking bullet-mould, -the handles guarded by strips of buckskin -to save his fingers from burning when running balls, -having for its companion a little bottle made from -the point of an antelope's horn, scraped transparent, -which contained the “medicine” used in baiting the -traps. The old coon's face was sharp and thin, a -long nose and chin hob-nobbing each other; and his -head was always bent forward giving him the appearance -of being hump-backed. He <i>appeared</i> to -look neither to the right nor left, but, in fact, his -little twinkling eye was everywhere. He looked at -no one he was addressing, always seeming to be -thinking of something else than the subject of his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> -discourse, speaking in a whining, thin, cracked voice, -and in a tone that left the hearer in doubt whether -he was laughing or crying. On the present occasion -he had joined this band, and naturally assumed -the leadership (for Bill ever refused to go in harness), -in opposition to his usual practice, which was -to hunt alone. His character was well known. Acquainted -with every inch of the Far West, and with -all the Indian tribes who inhabited it, he never failed -to outwit his Red enemies, and generally made his -appearance at the rendezvous, from his solitary expeditions, -with galore of beaver, when numerous -bands of trappers dropped in on foot, having been -despoiled of their packs and animals by the very -Indians through the midst of whom old Williams -had contrived to pass unseen and unmolested. On -occasions when he had been in company with others, -and attacked by Indians, Bill invariably fought manfully, -and with all the coolness that perfect indifference -to death or danger could give, but always “on -his own hook.” His rifle cracked away merrily, -and never spoke in vain; and in a charge—if ever -it came to that—his keen-edged butcher-knife tickled -the fleece of many a Blackfoot. But at the same -time, if he saw that discretion was the better part of -valour, and affairs wore so cloudy an aspect as to -render retreat advisable, he would first express his -opinion in curt terms, and decisively, and, charging -up his rifle, would take himself off and “câche” -<a name="FNanchor_25_25" id="FNanchor_25_25"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_25_25" class="fnanchor">[25]</a> so -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> -effectually that to search for him was utterly useless. -Thus, when with a large party of trappers, when -any thing occurred which gave him a hint that -trouble was coming, or more Indians were about -than he considered good for his animals, Bill was -wont to exclaim—</p> - -<p>“Do 'ee hyar now, boys, thar's sign about? this -hos feels like caching;” and, without more words, -and stoically deaf to all remonstrances, he would -forthwith proceed to pack his animals, talking the -while to an old, crop-eared, raw-boned Nez-percé -pony, his own particular saddle-horse, who in dogged -temper and iron hardiness, was a worthy companion -of his self-willed master. This beast, as Bill -seized his apishamore to lay upon its galled back, -would express displeasure by humping its back and -shaking its withers with a wincing motion, that -always excited the ire of the old trapper; and no -sooner had he laid the apishamore smoothly on the -chafed skin, than a wriggle of the animal shook it -off.</p> - -<p>“Do 'ee hyar now, you darned crittur?” he would -whine out, “can't 'ee keep quiet your old fleece now? -Isn't this old coon putting out to save 'ee from the -darned Injuns now, do 'ee hyar?” And then, continuing -his work and taking no notice of his comrades, -who stood by bantering the eccentric old trapper, -he would soliloquise—“Do 'ee hyar, now? This -niggur sees sign ahead—he does; he'll be afoot -afore long, if he don't keep his eye skinned,—<i>he</i> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> -will. <i>Injuns</i> is all about, they ar': Blackfoot at that. -Can't come round this child—they can't, wagh!” And -at last, his pack animals securely tied to the tail of -his horse, he would mount, and throwing the rifle -across the horn of his saddle, and without noticing -his companions, would drive the jingling spurs into -his horse's gaunt sides, and muttering, “Can't come -round this child—they can't!” would ride away; -and nothing more would be seen or heard of him -perhaps for months, when they would not unfrequently, -themselves bereft of animals in the scrape -he had foreseen, find him located in some solitary -valley, in his lonely camp, with his animals securely -picketed around, and his peltries safe.</p> - -<p>However, if he took it into his head to keep company -with a party, all felt perfectly secure under -his charge. His iron frame defied fatigue, and, at -night, his love for himself and his own animals was -sufficient guarantee that the camp would be well -guarded. As he rode ahead, his spurs jingling, and -thumping the sides of his old horse at every step, -he managed, with admirable dexterity, to take advantage -of the best line of country to follow—avoiding -the gullies and cañons and broken ground, -which would otherwise have impeded his advance. -This tact appeared instinctive, for he looked neither -right nor left, whilst continuing a course as straight -as possible at the foot of the mountains. In selecting -a camping site, he displayed equal skill: wood, -water, and grass began to fill his thoughts towards -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> -sundown, and when these three requisites for a -camping ground presented themselves, old Bill -sprang from his saddle, unpacked his animals in a -twinkling, and hobbled them, struck fire and ignited -a few chips (leaving the rest to pack in the wood), -lit his pipe, and enjoyed himself. On one occasion, -when passing through the valley, they had come -upon a band of fine buffalo cows, and, shortly after -camping, two of the party rode in with a good supply -of fat fleece. One of the party was a “greenhorn” -on his first hunt, fresh from a fort on Platte, and -as yet uninitiated in the mysteries of mountain -cooking. Bill, lazily smoking his pipe, called to -him, as he happened to be nearest, to butcher off a -piece of meat and put it in his pot. Markhead seized -the fleece, and commenced innocently carving off a -huge ration, when a gasping roar from the old -trapper caused him to drop his knife.</p> - -<p>“Ti-ya,” growled Bill, “do 'ee hyar, now, you -darned greenhorn, do 'ee spile fat cow like that whar -you was raised? Them doins wont shine in this -crowd, boy, do 'ee hyar, darned you? What! butcher -meat across the grain! why, whar'll the blood -be goin' to, you precious Spaniard? Down the grain, -I say,” he continued in a severe tone of rebuke, -“and let your flaps be long, or out the juice'll run -slick—do 'ee hyar, now?” But this heretical error -nearly cost the old trapper his appetite, and all night -long he grumbled his horror at seeing “fat cow -spiled in that fashion.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span></p> -<p>When two or three days' journey brought them -to the end of the valley, and they commenced the -passage of the mountain, their march was obstructed -by all kinds of obstacles; although they had chosen -what appeared to be a gap in the chain, and what -was in fact the only practicable passage in that vicinity. -They followed the cañon of a branch of the -Yellow Stone, where it entered the mountain; but -from this point it became a torrent, and it was only -by dint of incredible exertions that they reached -the summit of the ridge. Game was exceedingly -scarce in the vicinity, and they suffered extremely -from hunger, having, on more than one occasion, -recourse to the parflêche soles of their moccasins to -allay its pangs. Old Bill, however, never grumbled; -he chewed away at his shoes with relish even, and as -long as he had a pipeful of tobacco in his pouch, -was a happy man. Starvation was as yet far off, -for all their animals were in existence; but as they -were in a country where it was difficult to procure -a remount, each trapper hesitated to sacrifice one of -his horses to his appetite.</p> - -<p>From the summit of the ridge, Bill recognised the -country on the opposite side to that whence they -had just ascended as familiar to him, and pronounced -it to be full of beaver, as well as abounding in the -less desirable commodity of Indians. This was the -valley lying about the lakes now called Eustis and -Biddle, in which are many thermal and mineral -springs, well known to the trappers by the names -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> -of the Soda, Beer, and Brimstone Springs, and -regarded by them with no little awe and curiosity, -as being the breathing-places of his Satanic majesty—considered, -moreover, to be the “biggest kind” -of “medicine” to be found in the mountains. If -truth be told, old Bill hardly relished the idea of -entering this country, which he pronounced to be -of “bad medicine” notoriety, but nevertheless -agreed to guide them to the best trapping ground.</p> - -<p>One day they reached a creek full of beaver sign, -and determined to halt here and establish their -headquarters, while they trapped in the neighbourhood. -We must here observe, that at this period—which -was one of considerable rivalry amongst the -various trading companies in the Indian territory—the -Indians, having become possessed of arms and -ammunition in great quantities, had grown unusually -daring and persevering in their attacks on -the white hunters who passed through their country, -and consequently the trappers were compelled -to roam about in larger bands for mutual protection, -which, although it made them less liable to open -attack, yet rendered it more difficult for them to -pursue their calling without being discovered; for, -where one or two men might pass unseen, the broad -trail of a large party, with its animals, was not -likely to escape the sharp eyes of the cunning -savages.</p> - -<p>They had scarcely encamped when the old leader, -who had sallied out a short distance from camp to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> -reconnoitre the neighbourhood, returned with an -Indian moccasin in his hand, and informed his companions -that its late owner and others were about.</p> - -<p>“Do 'ee hyar now, boys, thar's <i>Injuns</i> knocking -round, and Blackfoot at that; but thar's plenty -of beaver too, and this child means trapping any -how.”</p> - -<p>His companions were anxious to leave such dangerous -vicinity; but the old fellow, contrary to his -usual caution, determined to remain where he was—saying -that there were Indians all over the country -for that matter; and as they had determined to -hunt here, he had made up his mind too—which -was conclusive, and all agreed to stop where they -were, in spite of the Indians. La Bonté killed a -couple of mountain sheep close to camp, and they -feasted rarely on the fat mutton that night, and -were unmolested by marauding Blackfeet.</p> - -<p>The next morning, leaving two of their number -in camp, they started in parties of two, to hunt for -beaver sign and set their traps. Markhead paired -with one Batiste, Killbuck and La Bonté formed -another couple, Meek and Marcellin another; two -Canadians trapped together, and Bill Williams and -another remained to guard the camp: but this last, -leaving Bill mending his moccasins, started off to -kill a mountain sheep, a band of which animals was -visible.</p> - -<p>Markhead and his companion, the first couple on -the list, followed a creek, which entered that on -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> -which they had encamped, about ten miles distant. -Beaver sign was abundant, and they had set eight -traps, when Markhead came suddenly upon fresh -Indian sign, where squaws had passed through the -shrubbery on the banks of the stream to procure -water, as he knew from observing a large stone -placed by them in the stream, on which to stand to -enable them to dip their kettles in the deepest -water. Beckoning to his companion to follow, and -cocking his rifle, he carefully pushed aside the -bushes, and noiselessly proceeded up the bank, -when, creeping on hands and knees, he gained the -top, and, looking from his hiding-place, descried -three Indian huts standing on a little plateau near -the creek. Smoke curled from the roofs of branches, -but the skin doors were carefully closed, so that he -was unable to distinguish the number of the inmates. -At a little distance, however, he observed two or -three squaws gathering wood, with the usual attendance -of curs, whose acuteness in detecting the scent -of strangers was much to be dreaded.</p> - -<p>Markhead was a rash and daring young fellow, -caring no more for Indians than he did for prairie -dogs, and acting ever on the spur of the moment, -and as his inclination dictated, regardless of consequences. -He at once determined to enter the lodges, -and attack the enemy, should any be there; and -the other trapper was fain to join him in the enterprise. -The lodges proved empty, but the fires were -still burning, and meat cooking upon them, to which -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> -the hungry hunters did ample justice, besides helping -themselves to whatever goods and chattels, -in the shape of leather and moccasins, took their -fancy.</p> - -<p>Gathering their spoil into a bundle, they sought -their horses, which they had left tied under cover -of the timber on the banks of the creek; and, -mounting, took the back trail, to pick up their traps -and remove from so dangerous a neighbourhood. -They were approaching the spot where the first -trap was set, a thick growth of ash and quaking-ash -concealing the stream, when Markhead, who was -riding ahead, observed the bushes agitated, as if -some animal was making its way through them. -He instantly stopped his horse, and his companion -rode to his side, to inquire the cause of this abrupt -halt. They were within a few yards of the belt of -shrubs which skirted the stream; and before Markhead -had time to reply, a dozen swarthy heads and -shoulders suddenly protruded from the leafy -screen, and as many rifle-barrels and arrows were -pointing at their breasts. Before the trappers -had time to turn their horses and fly, a cloud -of smoke burst from the thicket almost in their -faces. Batiste, pierced with several balls, fell dead, -and Markhead felt himself severely wounded. However, -he struck the spurs into his horse; and as -some half-score Blackfeet jumped with loud cries -from their cover, he discharged his rifle amongst -them, and galloped off, a volley of balls and arrows -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> -whistling after him. He drew no bit until he reined -up at the camp-fire, where he found Bill quietly -dressing a deer-skin. That worthy looked up from -his work; and seeing Markhead's face streaming -with blood, and the very unequivocal evidence of an -Indian rencontre in the shape of an arrow sticking -in his back, he asked,—“Do 'ee feel bad now, boy? -Whar away you see them darned Blackfoot?”</p> - -<p>“Well, pull this arrow out of my back, and may -be I'll feel like telling,” answered Markhead.</p> - -<p>“Do 'ee hyar now! hold on till I've grained this -cussed skin, will 'ee! Did 'ee ever see sich a darned -pelt, now? it won't take the smoke any how I fix -it.” And Markhead was fain to wait the leisure of -the imperturbable old trapper, before he was eased -of his annoying companion.</p> - -<p>Old Bill expressed no surprise or grief when -informed of the fate of poor Batiste. He said it -was “just like greenhorns, runnin' into them cussed -Blackfoot;” and observed that the defunct trapper, -being only a Vide-pôche, was “no account anyhow.” -Presently Killbuck and La Bonté galloped into -camp, with another alarm of Indians. They had -also been attacked suddenly by a band of Blackfeet, -but, being in a more open country, had got clear -off, after killing two of their assailants, whose scalps -hung at the horns of their saddles. They had been -in a different direction to that in which Markhead and -his companion had proceeded, and, from the signs -they had observed, expressed their belief that the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> -country was alive with Indians. Neither of these -men had been wounded. Presently the two Canadians -made their appearance on the bluff, galloping -with might and main to camp, and shouting “Indians, -Indians,” as they came. All being assembled, -and a council held, it was determined to abandon -the camp and neighbourhood immediately. Old Bill -was already packing his animals, and as he pounded -the saddle down on the withers of his old Rosinante, -he muttered,—“Do 'ee hyar, now! this coon 'ull -câche, <i>he</i> will.” So mounting his horse, and leading -his pack mule by a lariat, he bent over his -saddle-horn, dug his ponderous rowels into the lank -sides of his beast, and, without a word, struck up -the bluff and disappeared.</p> - -<p>The others, hastily gathering up their packs, and -most of them having lost their traps, quickly followed -his example, and “put out.” On cresting -the high ground which rose from the creek, they -observed thin columns of smoke mounting into the -air from many different points, the meaning of -which they were at no loss to guess. However -they were careful not to show themselves on elevated -ground, keeping as much as possible under -the banks of the creek, when such a course was -practicable; but, the bluffs sometimes rising precipitously -from the water, they were more than once -compelled to ascend the banks, and continue their -course along the uplands, whence they might easily -be discovered by the Indians. It was nearly sundown -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> -when they left their camp, but they proceeded -during the greater part of the night at as -rapid a rate as possible; their progress, however, -being greatly retarded as they advanced into the -mountain, their route lying up stream. Towards -morning they halted for a brief space, but started -again as soon as daylight permitted them to see -their way over the broken ground.</p> - -<p>The creek now forced its way through a narrow -cañon, the banks being thickly clothed with a shrubbery -of cottonwood and quaking-ash. The mountain -rose on each side, but not abruptly, being here -and there broken into plateaus and shelving prairies. -In a very thick bottom, sprinkled with coarse grass, -they halted about noon, and removed the saddles -and packs from their wearied animals, picketing -them in the best spots of grass.</p> - -<p>La Bonté and Killbuck, after securing their animals, -left the camp to hunt, for they had no provisions -of any kind; and a short distance beyond it, -the former came suddenly upon a recent moccasin -track in the timber. After examining it for a -moment, he raised his head with a broad grin, and, -turning to his companion, pointed into the cover, -where, in the thickest part, they discerned the -well-known figure of old Bill's horse, browsing upon -the cherry bushes. Pushing through the thicket -in search of the brute's master, La Bonté suddenly -stopped short as the muzzle of a rifle-barrel gaped -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> -before his eyes at the distance of a few inches, -whilst the thin voice of Bill muttered—</p> - -<p>“Do 'ee hyar now, I was nigh giving 'ee h——: -I <i>was</i> now. If I didn't think 'ee was Blackfoot, -I'm dogged now.” And not a little indignant was -the old fellow that his câche had been so easily, -though accidentally, discovered. However, he presently -made his appearance in camp, leading his -animals, and once more joined his late companions, -not deigning to give any explanation as to why or -wherefore he had deserted them the day before, -merely muttering, “do 'ee hyar now, thar's trouble -comin'.”</p> - -<p>The two hunters returned after sundown with a -black-tailed deer; and after eating the better part -of the meat, and setting a guard, the party were -glad to roll in their blankets and enjoy the rest -they so much needed. They were undisturbed -during the night; but at dawn of day the sleepers -were roused by a hundred fierce yells, from the -mountains enclosing the creek on which they had -encamped. The yells were instantly followed by a -ringing volley, the bullets thudding into the trees, -and cutting the branches near them, but without -causing any mischief. Old Bill rose from his -blanket and shook himself, and exclaimed “Wagh!” -as at that moment a ball plumped into the fire over -which he was standing, and knocked the ashes -about in a cloud. All the mountaineers seized their -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> -rifles and sprang to cover; but as yet it was not -sufficiently light to show them their enemy, the -bright flashes from the guns alone indicating their -position. As morning dawned, however, they saw -that both sides of the cañon were occupied by the -Indians; and, from the firing, judged there must -be at least a hundred warriors engaged in the -attack. Not a shot had yet been fired by the -trappers, but as the light increased, they eagerly -watched for an Indian to expose himself, and offer -a mark to their trusty rifles. La Bonté, Killbuck, -and old Bill, lay a few yards distant from each -other, flat on their faces, near the edge of the -thicket, their rifles raised before them, and the -barrels resting in the forks of convenient bushes. -From their place of concealment to the position of -the Indians—who, however, were scattered here and -there, wherever a rock afforded them cover—was a -distance of about a hundred and fifty yards, or -within fair rifle-shot. The trappers were obliged -to divide their force, since both sides of the creek -were occupied; but, such was the nature of the -ground, and the excellent cover afforded by the -rocks and boulders, and clumps of dwarf pine and -hemlock, that not a hand's-breadth of an Indian's -body had yet been seen. Nearly opposite La Bonté, -a shelving glade in the mountain side ended in an -abrupt precipice, and at the very edge, and almost -toppling over it, were several boulders, just of sufficient -size to afford cover to a man's body. As -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> -this bluff overlooked the trappers' position, it was -occupied by the Indians, and every rock covered -an assailant. At one point, just over where La -Bonté and Killbuck were lying, two boulders lay -together, with just sufficient interval to admit a -rifle-barrel between them, and from this breas-twork -an Indian kept up a most annoying fire. All his -shots fell in dangerous propinquity to one or other -of the trappers, and already Killbuck had been -grazed by one better directed than the others. La -Bonté watched for some time in vain for a chance -to answer this persevering marksman, and at length -an opportunity offered, by which he was not long -in profiting.</p> - -<p>The Indian, as the light increased, was better -able to discern his mark, and fired, and yelled every -time he did so, with redoubled vigour. In his -eagerness, and probably whilst in the act of taking -aim, he leaned too heavily against the rock which -covered him, and, detaching it from its position, -down it rolled into the cañon, exposing his body by -its fall. At the same instant, a wreath of smoke -puffed from the bushes which concealed the trappers, -and the crack of La Bonté's rifle spoke the first -word of reply to the Indian challenge. A few -feet behind the rock, fell the dead body of the -Indian, rolling down the steep sides of the cañon, -and only stopped by a bush at the very bottom, -within a few yards of the spot where Markhead lay -concealed in some high grass.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> - -<p>That daring fellow instantly jumped from his -cover, and drawing his knife, rushed to the body, -and in another moment held aloft the Indian's scalp, -giving, at the same time, a triumphant whoop. A -score of rifles were levelled and discharged at the -intrepid mountaineer; but in the act many Indians -incautiously exposed themselves, every rifle in the -timber cracked simultaneously, and for each report -an Indian bit the dust.</p> - -<p>Now, however, they changed their tactics. Finding -they were unable to drive the trappers from -their position, they retired from the mountain, -and the firing suddenly ceased. In their retreat -they were forced to expose themselves, and again -the whites dealt destruction amongst them. As the -Indians retired, yelling loudly, the hunters thought -they had given up the contest; but presently a -cloud of smoke rising from the bottom immediately -below them, at once discovered the nature of their -plans. A brisk wind was blowing up the cañon; -and, favoured by it, they fired the brush on the -banks of the stream, knowing that before this the -hunters must speedily retreat.</p> - -<p>Against such a result, but for the gale of wind -which drove the fire roaring before it, they could -have provided—for your mountaineer never fails -to find resources on a pinch. They would have -fired the brush to leeward of their position, and -also carefully ignited that to windward, or between -them and the advancing flame, extinguishing it -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> -immediately when a sufficient space had thus -been cleared, over which the flame could not -leap, and thus cutting themselves off from it both -above and below their position. In the present -instance they could not profit by such a course, as -the wind was so strong that, if once the bottom -caught fire, they would not be able to extinguish -it; besides which, in the attempt, they would so -expose themselves that they would be picked off by -the Indians without difficulty. As it was, the fire -came roaring before the wind with the speed of a -race-horse, and, spreading from the bottom, licked -the mountain sides, the dry grass burning like tinder. -Huge volumes of stifling smoke rolled before -it, and, in a very few minutes, the trappers were -hastily mounting their animals, driving the packed -ones before them. The dense clouds of smoke concealed -every thing from their view, and, to avoid this, -they broke from the creek and galloped up the sides -of the cañon on to the more level plateau. As they -attained this, a band of mounted Indians charged -them. One, waving a red blanket, dashed through -the cavallada, and was instantly followed by all the -loose animals of the trappers, the rest of the Indians -pursuing with loud shouts. So sudden was the -charge, that the whites had not power to prevent -the stampede. Old Bill, as usual, led his pack -mules by the lariat; but the animals, mad with -terror at the shouts of the Indians, broke from him, -nearly pulling him out of his seat at the same time.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span></p> - -<p>To cover the retreat of the others with their prey, -a band of mounted Indians now appeared, threatening -an attack in front, whilst their first assailants, -rushing from the bottom, at least a hundred strong, -assaulted in rear. “Do 'ee hyar, boys!” shouted -old Bill, “break, or you'll go under. This child's -goin' to câche!” and saying the word, off he went. -<i>Sauve-qui-peut</i> was the order of the day, and not a -moment too soon, for overwhelming numbers were -charging upon them, and the mountain resounded -with savage yells. La Bonté and Killbuck stuck -together: they saw old Bill, bending over his saddle, -dive right into the cloud of smoke, and apparently -make for the creek bottom—their other -companions scattering each on his own hook, and -saw no more of them for many a month; and thus -was one of the most daring and successful bands -broken up that ever trapped in the mountains of -the Far West.</p> - -<p>It is painful to follow the steps of the poor fellows -who, thus despoiled of the hardly-earned produce -of their hunt, saw all their wealth torn from them -at one swoop. The two Canadians were killed upon -the night succeeding that of the attack. Worn with -fatigue, hungry and cold, they had built a fire in -what they thought was a secure retreat, and, rolled -in their blankets, were soon buried in a sleep from -which they never awoke. An Indian boy tracked -them, and watched their camp. Burning with the -idea of signalising himself thus early, he awaited his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> -opportunity, and noiselessly approaching their resting-place, -shot them both with arrows, and returned -in triumph to his people with their horses and -scalps.</p> - -<p>La Bonté and Killbuck sought a passage in the -mountain by which to cross over to the head waters -of the Columbia, and there fall in with some of the -traders or trappers of the North-west. They -became involved in the mountains, in a part where -was no game of any description, and no pasture for -their miserable animals. One of these they killed -for food; the other, a bag of bones, died from sheer -starvation. They had very little ammunition, their -moccasins were worn out, and they were unable to -procure skins to supply themselves with fresh ones. -Winter was fast approaching; the snow already -covered the mountains; and storms of sleet and hail -poured incessantly through the valleys, benumbing -their exhausted limbs, hardly protected by scanty -and ragged covering. To add to their miseries, -poor Killbuck was taken ill. He had been wounded -in the groin by a bullet some time before, and the -ball still remained. The wound, aggravated by -walking and the excessive cold, assumed an ugly -appearance, and soon rendered him incapable of -sustained exertion, all motion even being attended -with intolerable pain. La Bonté had made a shanty -for his suffering companion, and spread a soft bed -of pine branches for him, by the side of a small -creek at the point where it came out of the mountain -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> -and followed its course through a little prairie. -They had been three days without other food than -a piece of parflêche, which had formed the back of -La Bonté's bullet-pouch, and which, after soaking -in the creek, they eagerly devoured. Killbuck was -unable to move, and sinking fast from exhaustion. -His companion had hunted from morning till night, -as well as his failing strength would allow him, but -had not seen the traces of any kind of game, with -the exception of some old buffalo tracks, made apparently -months before by a band of bulls crossing -the mountain.</p> - -<p>The morning of the fourth day La Bonté, as -usual, rose at daybreak from his blanket, and was -proceeding to collect wood for the fire during his -absence while hunting, when Killbuck called to him, -and in an almost inarticulate voice desired him to -seat himself by his side.</p> - -<p>“Boy,” he said, “this old hos feels like goin' -under, and that afore long. You're stout yet, and -if thar was meat handy, you'd come round slick. -Now, boy, I'll be under, as I said, afore many hours, -and if you don't raise meat you'll be in the same -fix. I never eat dead meat<a name="FNanchor_26_26" id="FNanchor_26_26"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_26_26" class="fnanchor">[26]</a> myself, and wouldn't -ask no one to do it neither; but meat fair killed is -meat any way; so, boy, put your knife in this old -niggur's lights, and help yourself. It's 'poor bull,' -I know, but maybe it'll do to keep life in; and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> -along the fleece thar's meat yet, and maybe my old -hump ribs has picking on 'em.”</p> - -<p>“You're a good old hos,” answered La Bonté, -“but this child ain't turned niggur yet.”</p> - -<p>Killbuck then begged his companion to leave him -to his fate, and strive himself to reach game; but -this alternative La Bonté likewise generously refused, -and faintly endeavouring to cheer the sick -man, left him once again to look for game. He was -so weak that he felt difficulty in supporting himself, -and knowing how futile would be his attempts to -hunt, he sallied from the camp convinced that a few -hours more would see the last of him.</p> - -<p>He had scarcely raised his eyes, when, hardly -crediting his senses, he saw within a few hundred -yards of him an old bull, worn with age, lying on -the prairie. Two wolves were seated on their -haunches before him, their tongues lolling from their -mouths, whilst the buffalo was impotently rolling -his ponderous head from side to side, his blood-shot -eyes glaring fiercely at his tormentors, and flakes -of foam, mixed with blood, dropping from his mouth -over his long shaggy beard. La Bonté was transfixed; -he scarcely dared to breathe, lest the animal -should be alarmed and escape. Weak as it was, he -could hardly have followed it, and, knowing that his -own and companion's life hung upon the success of -his shot, he scarcely had strength to raise his rifle. -By dint of extraordinary exertions and precautions, -which were totally unnecessary, for the poor old -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> -bull had not a move in him, the hunter approached -within shot. Lying upon the ground, he took a -long steady aim, and fired. The buffalo raised its -matted head, tossed it wildly for an instant, and, -stretching out its limbs convulsively, turned over on -its side and was dead.</p> - -<p>Killbuck heard the shot, and crawling from under -the little shanty which covered his bed, saw, to his -astonishment, La Bonté in the act of butchering a -buffalo within two hundred yards of camp. “Hurraw -for you!” he faintly exclaimed; and exhausted by -the exertion he had used, and perhaps by the -excitement of an anticipated feast, fell back and -fainted.</p> - -<p>However, the killing was the easiest matter, for -when the huge carcass lay dead upon the ground, -our hunter had hardly strength to drive the blade -of his knife through the tough hide of the old patriarch. -Then having cut off as much of the meat -as he could carry, eating the while sundry portions -of the liver, which he dipped in the gall-bladder by -way of relish, La Bonté cast a wistful look upon the -half-starved wolves, who now loped round and round, -licking their chops, only waiting until his back was -turned to fall to with appetite equal to his own, and -capabilities of swallowing and digesting far superior. -La Bonté looked at the buffalo and then at the -wolves, levelled his rifle and shot one dead, at which -the survivor scampered off without delay.</p> - -<p>Arrived at camp, packing in a tolerable load of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> -the best part of the animal—for hunger lent him -strength—he found poor Killbuck lying on his back, -deaf to time, and to all appearance gone under. -Having no salvolatile or vinaigrette at hand, La -Bonté flapped a lump of raw fleece into his patient's -face, and this instantly revived him. Then taking -the sick man's shoulder, he raised him tenderly into -a sitting posture, and invited, in kindly accents, -“the old hos to feed,” thrusting at the same time a -tolerable slice of liver into his hand, which the -patient looked at wistfully and vaguely for a few -short moments, and then greedily devoured. It -was nightfall by the time that La Bonté, assisted by -many intervals of hard eating, packed in the last of -the meat, which formed a goodly pile around the -fire.</p> - -<p>“Poor bull” it was in all conscience: the labour -of chewing a mouthful of the “tender loin” was -equal to a hard day's hunt; but to them, poor -starved fellows, it appeared the richest of meat. -They still preserved a small tin pot, and in this, by -stress of eternal boiling, La Bonté contrived to -make some strong soup, which soon restored his sick -companion to marching order. For himself, as soon -as a good meal had filled him, he was strong as ever, -and employed himself in drying the remainder of -the meat for future use. Even the wolf, bony as he -was, was converted into meat, and rationed them -several days. Winter, however, had set in with -such severity, and Killbuck was still so weak, that -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> -La Bonté determined to remain in his present position -until spring, as he now found that buffalo frequently -visited the valley, as it was more bare of -snow than the lowlands, and afforded them better -pasture; and one morning he had the satisfaction -of seeing a band of seventeen bulls within long rifle-shot -of the camp, out of which four of the fattest -were soon laid low by his rifle.</p> - -<p>They still had hard times before them, for towards -spring the buffalo again disappeared; the greater -part of their meat had been spoiled, owing to there -not being sufficient sun to dry it thoroughly; and -when they resumed their journey they had nothing -to carry with them, and had a desert before them -without game of any kind. We pass over what they -suffered. Hunger and thirst were their portion, -and Indians assaulted them at times, and many -miraculous and hair-breadth escapes they had from -these enemies.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VI.</h2> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap"> -The</span> trail to Oregon, followed by traders and emigrants, -crosses the Rocky Mountains at a point -known as the South Pass, where a break in the -chain occurs of such moderate and gradual elevation, -as to permit the passage of waggons with -tolerable facility. The Sweet Water Valley runs -nearly to the point where the dividing ridge of the -Pacific and Atlantic waters throws off its streams to -their respective oceans. At one end of this valley, -and situated on the right bank of the Sweet Water, -a huge isolated mass of granitic rock rises to the -height of three hundred feet, abruptly from the -plain. On the smooth and scarped surface presented -by one of its sides, are rudely carved the -names and initials of traders, trappers, travellers, -and emigrants, who have here recorded the memorial -of their sojourn in the remote wilderness of the -Far West. The face of the rock is covered with -names familiar to the mountaineers as those of the -most renowned of their hardy brotherhood; while -others again occur, better known to the science and -literature of the Old World than to the unlearned -trappers of the Rocky Mountains. The huge mass -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> -is a well-known landmark to the Indians and mountaineers; -and travellers and emigrants hail it as the -half-way beacon between the frontiers of the United -States and the still distant goal of their long and -perilous journey.</p> - -<p>It was a hot sultry day in July. Not a breath -of air relieved the intense and oppressive heat of -the atmosphere, unusual here, where pleasant summer -breezes, and sometimes stronger gales, blow -over the elevated plains with the regularity of -trade-winds. The sun, at its meridian height, struck -the dry sandy plain and parched the drooping buffalo-grass -on its surface, and its rays, refracted and -reverberating from the heated ground, distorted -every object seen through its lurid medium. Straggling -antelope, leisurely crossing the adjoining -prairie, appeared to be gracefully moving in mid-air; -whilst a scattered band of buffalo bulls loomed -huge and indistinct in the vapoury distance. In -the timbered valley of the river, deer and elk were -standing motionless in the water, under the shade -of the overhanging cottonwoods, seeking a respite -from the persevering attacks of swarms of horse-flies -and musquitos; and now and then a heavy -splash was heard, as they tossed their antlered heads -into the stream, to free them from the venomous -insects that buzzed incessantly about them. In -the sandy prairie, beetles of an enormous size were -rolling in every direction huge balls of earth, pushing -them with their hind legs with comical perseverance; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> -cameleons darted about, assimilating the -hue of their grotesque bodies with the colour of the -sand: groups of prairie-dog houses were seen, each -with its inmate barking lustily on the roof; whilst -under cover of nearly every bush of sage or cactus -a rattlesnake lay glittering in lazy coil. Tantalising -the parched sight, the neighbouring peaks of -the lofty Wind River Mountains glittered in a -mantle of sparkling snow, whilst Sweet Water -Mountain, capped in cloud, looked gray and cool, -in striking contrast to the burned up plains which -lay basking at its foot.</p> - -<p>Resting their backs against the rock (on which, -we have said, are <i>now</i> carved the names of many -travellers), and defended from the powerful rays of -the sun by its precipitous sides, two white men -quietly slept. They were gaunt and lantern-jawed, -and clothed in tattered buckskin. Each held a rifle -across his knees, but—strange sight in this country—one -had its pan thrown open, which was rust-eaten -and contained no priming; the other's hammer -was without a flint. Their faces were as if covered -with mahogany-coloured parchment; their eyes -were sunken; and as their jaws fell listlessly on -their breasts, their cheeks were hollow, with the -bones nearly protruding from the skin. One was -in the prime of manhood, with handsome features; -the other, considerably past middle age, was -stark and stern. Months of dire privation had -brought them to this pass. The elder of the two -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> -was Killbuck, of mountain fame; the other was hight -La Bonté.</p> - -<p>The former opened his eyes, and saw the buffalo -feeding on the plain. “Ho, boy,” he said, touching -his companion, “thar's meat a-runnin.”</p> - -<p>La Bonté looked in the direction the other -pointed, stood up, and hitching round his pouch -and powder-horn, drew the stopper from the latter -with his teeth, and placing the mouth in the palm -of his left hand, turned the horn up and shook it.</p> - -<p>“Not a grain,” he said—“not a grain, old -hos.”</p> - -<p>“Wagh!” exclaimed the other, “we'll have to -eat afore long,” and rising, walked into the prairie. -He had hardly stepped two paces, when, passing -close to a sage bush, a rattlesnake whizzed a note of -warning with its tail. Killbuck grinned, and taking -the wiping-stick from his rifle-barrel, tapped the -snake on the head, and, taking it by the tail, threw -it to La Bonté, saying, “hyar's meat, any how.” -The old fellow followed up his success by slaying -half-a-dozen more, and brought them in skewered -through the head on his wiping-stick. A fire -was soon kindled, and the snakes roasting before -it; when La Bonté, who sat looking at the -buffalo which fed close to the rock, suddenly saw -them raise their heads, snuff the air, and scamper -towards him. A few minutes afterwards a huge -shapeless body loomed in the refracted air, approaching -the spot where the buffalo had been grazing -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> -The hunters looked at it and then at each other, -and ejaculated “Wagh!” Presently a long white -mass showed more distinctly, followed by another, -and before each was a string of animals.</p> - -<p>“Waggons, by hos and beaver! Hurrah for -Conostoga!” exclaimed the trappers in a breath, as -they now observed two white-tilted waggons, drawn -by several pairs of mules, approaching the very -spot where they sat. Several mounted men were -riding about the waggons, and two on horseback, in -advance of all, were approaching the rock, when -they observed the smoke curling from the hunters' -fire. They halted at sight of this, and one of the -two, drawing a long instrument from a case, which -Killbuck voted a rifle, directed it towards them for -a moment, and then, lowering it, again moved forward.</p> - -<p>As they drew near, the two poor trappers, -although half-dead with joy, still retained their -seats with Indian gravity and immobility of feature, -turning now and then the crackling snakes which -lay on the embers of the fire. The two strangers -approached. One, a man of some fifty years of age, -of middle height and stoutly built, was clad in a -white shooting-jacket, of cut unknown in mountain -tailoring, and a pair of trousers of the well-known -material called “shepherd's plaid;” a broad-brimmed -Panama shaded his face, which was ruddy with -health and exercise; a belt round the waist supported -a handsome bowie-knife, and a double-barrelled -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> -fowling-piece was <i>slung</i> across his shoulder.</p> - -<p>His companion was likewise dressed in a light -shooting-jacket, of many pockets and dandy cut, -rode on an English saddle and in <i>boots</i>, and was -armed with a superb double rifle, glossy from the -case, and bearing few marks of use or service. He -was a tall, fine-looking fellow of thirty, with light -hair and complexion; a scrupulous beard and -mustache; a wide-awake hat, with a short pipe -stuck in the band, not very black with smoke; an -elaborate powder-horn over his shoulder, with a -Cairngorm in the butt as large as a plate; a blue -handkerchief tied round his throat in a sailor's knot, -and the collar of his shirt turned carefully over it. -He had, moreover, a tolerable idea of his very correct -appearance, and wore Woodstock gloves.</p> - -<p>The trappers looked at them from head to foot, -and the more they looked, the less could they make -them out.</p> - -<p>“H—!” exclaimed La Bonté emphatically.</p> - -<p>“This beats grainin' bull-hide slick,” broke from -Killbuck as the strangers reined up at the fire, the -younger dismounting, and staring with wonder at -the weather-beaten trappers.</p> - -<p>“Well, my men, how are you?” he rattled out. -“Any game here? By Jove!” he suddenly exclaimed, -seizing his rifle, as at that moment a large -buzzard, the most unclean of birds, flew into the -topmost branch of a cottonwood, and sat, a tempting -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> -shot. “By Jove, there's a chance!” cried the -mighty hunter; and, bending low, started off to -approach the unwary bird in the most approved -fashion of northern deer-stalkers. The buzzard -sat quietly, and now and then stretched its neck to -gaze upon the advancing sportsman, who on such -occasions threw himself flat on the ground, and -remained motionless, in dread of alarming the bird. -It was worth while to look at the countenance of -old Killbuck, as he watched the antics of the -“bourgeois” hunter. He thought at first that the -dandy rifleman had really discovered game in the -bottom, and was nothing loth that there was a -chance of his seeing meat; but when he understood -the object of such manœuvres, and saw the quarry -the hunter was so carefully approaching, his mouth -grinned from ear to ear, and, turning to La Bonté, -he said, “Wagh! <i>he's</i> some—<i>he</i> is!”</p> - -<p>Nothing doubting, however, the stranger approached -the tree on which the bird was sitting, -and, getting well under it, raised his rifle and fired. -Down tumbled the bird; and the successful hunter, -with a loud shout, rushed frantically towards it, -and bore it in triumph to the camp, earning the -most sovereign contempt from the two trappers by -the achievement.</p> - -<p>The other stranger was a quieter character. He, -too, smiled as he witnessed the exultation of his -younger companion, (whose horse, by the way, was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> -scampering about the plain), and spoke kindly to -the mountaineers, whose appearance was clear evidence -of the sufferings they had endured. The -snakes by this time were cooked, and the trappers -gave their new acquaintances the never-failing invitation -to “sit and eat.” When the latter, however, -understood what the viands were, their looks expressed -the horror and disgust they felt.</p> - -<p>“Good God!” exclaimed the elder, “you surely -cannot eat such disgusting food?”</p> - -<p>“This niggur doesn't savy what disgustin is,” -gruffly answered Killbuck; “but them as carries -empty paunch three days an' more, is glad to get -'snake-meat,' I'm thinkin.”</p> - -<p>“What! you've no ammunition, then?”</p> - -<p>“<i>Well</i>, we haven't.”</p> - -<p>“Wait till the waggons come up, and throw -away that abominable stuff, and you shall have -something better, I promise,” said the elder of the -strangers.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” continued the younger, “some hot preserved -soup, hotch-potch, and a glass of porter, -will do you good.”</p> - -<p>The trappers looked at the speaker, who was -talking Greek (to them). They thought the bourgeois -were making fun, and did not half like it, so -answered simply, “Wagh! h—'s full of hosh-posh -and porter.”</p> - -<p>Two large waggons presently came up, escorted -by some eight or ten stout Missourians. Sublette -was amongst the number, well known as a mountain -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> -trader, and under whose guidance the present party, -which formed a pleasure expedition at the expense -of a Scotch sportsman, was leisurely making its -way across the mountains to the Columbia. As -several mountaineers were in company, Killbuck -and La Bonté recognised more than one friend, and -the former and Sublette were old compañeros. As -soon as the animals were unhitched, and camp -formed on the banks of the creek, a black cook set -about preparing a meal. Our two trapping friends -looked on with astonishment as the sable functionary -drew from the waggon the different articles he -required to furnish forth a feed. Hams, tongues, -tins of preserved meats, bottles of pickles, of porter, -brandy, coffee, sugar, flour, were tumbled promiscuously -on the prairie; whilst pots and pans, knives, -forks, spoons, plates, &c. &c., displayed their unfamiliar -faces to the mountaineers. “Hosh-posh and -porter” did not now appear such Utopian articles -as they had first imagined; but no one but those -who have fared for years on simple meat and -water, can understand the relish with which they -accepted the invitation of the Capen (as they called -the Scotchman) to “take a horn of liquor.” Killbuck -and La Bonté sat in the same position as when -we first surprised them asleep under the shadow of -Independence Rock, regarding the profuse display -of comestibles with scarce-believing eyes, and childishly -helpless from the novelty of the scene. Each -took the proffered half-pint cup, filled to the brim -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> -with excellent brandy—(no tee-totallers they!)—looked -once at the amber-coloured surface, and with -the usual mountain pledge of “here's luck!” tossed -off the grateful liquour at a breath. This prepared -them in some measure for what was yet in store for -them. The Scotchman bestirred the cook in his -work, and soon sundry steaming pots were lifted -from the fire, and the skillets emptied of their bread—the -contents of the former poured in large flat -pans, while panikins were filled with smoking coffee. -The two trappers needed no second invitation, -but, seizing each a panful of steaming stew, drew -the butcher-knives from their belts, and fell to -lustily—the hospitable Scotchman plying them with -more and more, and administering corrective noggins -of brandy the while; until at last they were -fain to cry enough, wiped their knives on the grass, -and placed them in their sheaths—a sign that -human nature could no more. How can pen -describe the luxury of the smoke that followed, to -lips which had not kissed pipe for many months, -and how the fragrant honey-dew from Old Virginia -was relishingly puffed.</p> - -<p>But the Scotchman's bounty did not stop here. -He soon elicited from the lips of the hunters the -narrative of their losses and privations, and learned -that they now, without ammunition and scarcely -clothed, were on their way to Platte Fort, to hire -themselves to the Indian traders in order to earn -another outfit, wherewith once more to betake themselves -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> -to their perilous employment of trapping. -What was their astonishment to see their entertainer -presently lay out upon the ground two piles -of goods, each consisting of a four-point Mackinaw, -two tin canisters of powder, with corresponding lead -and flints, a pair of moccasins, a shirt, and sufficient -buckskin to make a pair of pantaloons; and how -much the more was the wonder increased when two -excellent Indian horses were presently lassoed from -the cavallada, and with mountain saddle, bridle, and -lariats complete, together with the two piles of -goods described, presented to them “on the prairie” -or “gift-free,” by the kind-hearted stranger, who -would not even listen to thanks for the most timely -and invaluable present.</p> - -<p>Once more equipped, our two hunters, filled with -good brandy and fat buffalo meat, again wended -on their way; their late entertainers continuing -their pleasure trip across the gap of the South -Pass, intending to visit the Great Salt Lake, or -Timponogos, of the West. The former were -bound for the North Fork of the Platte, with -the intention of joining one of the numerous trapping -parties which rendezvous at the American Fur -Company's post on that branch of the river. On a -fork of Sweet Water, however, not two days after -the meeting with the Scotchman's waggons, they -encountered a band of a dozen mountaineers, mounted -on fine horses, and well armed and equipped, -travelling along without the usual accompaniment -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> -of a mulada of pack-animals, two or three mules -alone being packed with meat and spare ammunition. -The band was proceeding at a smart rate, the horses -moving with the gait peculiar to American animals, -known as “<i>pacing</i>” or “<i>racking</i>,” in Indian file—each -of the mountaineers with a long heavy rifle -resting across the horn of his saddle. Amongst -them our two friends recognised Markhead, who -had been of the party dispersed months before by -the Blackfeet on one of the head streams of the -Yellow Stone, which event had been the origin of -the dire sufferings of Killbuck and La Bonté. -Markhead, after running the gauntlet of numerous -Indians, through the midst of whose country he -passed with his usual temerity and utter disregard -to danger, suffering hunger, thirst, and cold—those -every-day experiences of mountain life—riddled -with balls, but with three scalps hanging from his -belt, made his way to a rendezvous on Bear River, -whence he struck out for the Platte in early spring, -in time to join the band he now accompanied, who -were on a horse-stealing expedition to the Missions -of Upper California. Little persuasion did either -Killbuck or La Bonté require to join the sturdy -freebooters. In five minutes they had gone “files-about,” -and at sundown were camping on the well-timbered -bottom of “Little Sandy,” feasting once -more on delicate hump-rib and tender loin.</p> - -<p>For California, ho!</p> - -<p>Fourteen good rifles in the hands of fourteen -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> -mountain men, stout and true, on fourteen strong -horses, of true Indian blood and training—fourteen -cool heads, with fourteen pairs of keen eyes in them, -each head crafty as an Indian's, directing a right -arm strong as steel, and a heart as brave as grizzly -bear's. Before them a thousand miles of dreary -desert or wilderness, overrun by hostile savages, -thirsting for the white man's blood; famine and -drought, the arrows of wily hordes of Indians—and, -these dangers past, the invasion of the civilised -settlements of whites, the least numerous of which -contained ten times their number of armed and bitter -enemies,—the sudden swoop upon their countless -herds of mules and horses, the fierce attack and -bloody slaughter;—such were the consequences of -the expedition these bold mountaineers were now -engaged in. Fourteen lives of any fourteen enemies -who would be rash enough to stay them, were, any -day you will, carried in the rifle barrels of these -stout fellows; who, in all the proud consciousness -of their physical qualities, neither thought, nor -cared to think, of future perils; and rode merrily -on their way, rejoicing in the dangers they must -necessarily meet. Never a more daring band crossed -the mountains; a more than ordinary want of -caution characterised their march, and dangers were -recklessly and needlessly invited, which even the -older and more cold-blooded mountaineers seemed -not to care to avoid. They had, each and all, many -a debt to pay the marauding Indians. Grudges for -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> -many privations, for wounds and loss of comrades, -rankled in their breasts; and not one but had suffered -more or less in property and person at the -hands of the savages, within a few short months. -Threats of vengeance on every Redskin they met -were loud and deep; and the wild war-songs round -their nightly camp-fires, and grotesque scalp-dances, -borrowed from the Indians, proved to the initiated -that they were, one and all, “half-froze for hair.” -Soon after Killbuck and La Bonté joined them, they -one day suddenly surprised a band of twenty Sioux, -scattered on a small prairie and butchering some -buffalo they had just killed. Before they could -escape, the whites were upon them with loud shouts, -and in three minutes the scalps of eleven were -dangling from their saddle-horns.</p> - -<p>Struggling up mountains, slipping down precipices, -dashing over prairies which resounded with -their Indian songs, charging the Indians wherever -they met them, and without regard to their numbers; -frightening with their lusty war-whoops the -miserable Diggers, who were not unfrequently surprised -while gathering roots in the mountain plains, -and who, scrambling up the rocks and concealing -themselves, like sage rabbits, in holes and corners, -peered, chattering with fear, as the wild and noisy -troop rode by:—scarce drawing rein, they passed -rapidly the heads of Green and Grand Rivers, -through a country abounding in game and in excellent -pasture; encountering in the upland valleys, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> -through which meandered the well-timbered creeks -on which they made their daily camps, many a -band of Yutas, through whom they dashed at random, -caring not whether they were friends or foes. -Passing many other heads of streams, they struck -at last the edge of the desert, lying along the south-eastern -base of the Great Salt Lake, and which extends -in almost unbroken sterility to the foot of the -range of the Sierra Nevada—a mountain chain, -capped with perpetual snow, that bounds the -northern extremity of a singular tract of country, -walled by mountains and utterly desert, whose salt -lagoons and lakes, although fed by many streams, -find no outlet to the ocean, but are absorbed in the -spongy soil or thirsty sand, which characterise the -different portions of this deserted tract. In the -“Grand Basin,” it is reported, neither human nor -animal life can be supported. No oases cheer the -wanderer in the unbroken solitude of the vast -wilderness. More than once the lone trapper has -penetrated, with hardy enterprise, into the salt -plains of the basin; but no signs of beaver or fur-bearing -animal rewarded the attempt. The ground -is scantily covered with coarse unwholesome grass -that mules and horses refuse to eat; and the water -of the springs, impregnated with the impurities of -the soil through which it percolates, affords but -nauseating draughts to the thirsty traveller.</p> - -<p>In passing from the more fertile uplands to the -lower plains, as they descended the streams, the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> -timber on their banks became scarcer, and the -groves more scattered. The rich buffalo or <i>grama</i> -grass was exchanged for a coarser species, on which -the hard-worked animals soon grew poor and weak. -The thickets of plum and cherry, of boxalder and -quaking ash, which had hitherto fringed the creeks, -and where the deer and bear loved to resort—the -former to browse on the leaves and tender shoots, -the latter to devour the fruit—now entirely disappeared, -and the only shrub seen was the eternal -sage-bush, which flourishes every where in the -western regions in uncongenial soils where other -vegetation refuses to grow. The visible change in -the scenery had also a sensible effect on the spirits -of the mountaineers. They travelled on in silence -through the deserted plains; the hi-hi-hiya of their -Indian chants was no longer heard enlivening the -line of march. More than once a Digger of the Piyutah -tribe took himself and hair, in safety, from -their path, and almost unnoticed; but as they -advanced they became more cautious in their movements, -and testified, by the vigilant watch they -kept, that they anticipated hostile attacks even in -these arid wastes. They had passed without molestation -through the country infested by the bolder -Indians. The mountain Yutas, not relishing the -appearance of the hunters, had left them unmolested; -but they were now entering a country inhabited -by the most degraded and abject of the western -tribes; who, nevertheless, ever suffering from the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> -extremities of hunger, have their brutish wits -sharpened by the necessity of procuring food, and -rarely fail to levy a contribution of rations, of horse -or mule flesh, on the passenger in their inhospitable -country. The brutish cunning and animal instinct -of these wretches is such, that although arrant -cowards, their attacks are more feared than those -of bolder Indians. These people-called the Yamparicas -or Root-Diggers—are, nevertheless, the -degenerate descendants of those tribes which once -overran that portion of the continent of North -America now comprehended within the boundaries -of Mexico, and who have left such startling evidences -in their track of a comparatively superior state of -civilisation. They now form an outcast tribe of the -great nation of the Apache, which extends under -various names from the Great Salt Lake along the -table-lands on each side the Sierra Madre to the -tropic of Cancer, where they merge into what are -called the Mexican Indians. The whole of this -nation is characterised by most abject cowardice; -and they even refuse to meet the helpless Mexicans -in open fight—unlike the Yuta or Camanche, who -carry bold and open warfare into the territories of -their civilised enemy, and never shrink from hand -to hand encounter. The Apaches and the degenerate -Diggers pursue a cowardly warfare, hiding in -ambush, and shooting the passer-by with arrows; -or, dashing upon him at night when steeped in sleep, -they bury their arrow to the feather in his heaving -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> -breast. As the Mexicans say, “<i>Sin ventaja, no -salen</i>;” they never attack without odds. But they -are not the less dangerous enemies on this account; -and by the small bands of trappers who visit their -country, they are the more dreaded by reason of -this cowardly and wolfish system of warfare.</p> - -<p>To provide against surprise, therefore, as the -hunters rode along, flankers were extended <i>en -guerilla</i> on each side, mounting the high points to -reconnoitre the country, and keeping a sharp look-out -for Indian sign. At night the animals were -securely hobbled, and a horse-guard posted round -them—a service of great danger, as the stealthy -cat-like Diggers are often known to steal up -silently, under cover of the darkness, towards the -sentinel, shoot him with their arrows, and approaching -the animals, cut the hobbles and drive them -away unseen.</p> - -<p>One night they encamped on a creek where was -but little of the coarsest pasture, and that little -scattered here and there; so that they were compelled -to allow their animals to roam farther than -usual from camp in search of food. Four of the -hunters, however, accompanied them to guard -against surprise; whilst but half of those in camp -lay down to sleep, the others, with rifles in their -hands, remaining prepared for any emergency. -This day they had killed one of their two pack-mules -for food, game not having been met with for -several days; but the animal was so poor, that it -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> -scarcely afforded more than one tolerable meal to -the whole party.</p> - -<p>A short time before the dawn of day an alarm -was given; the animals were heard to snort violently; -a loud shout was heard, followed by the -sharp crack of a rifle, and the tramp of galloping -horses plainly showed that a stampede had been -effected. The whites instantly sprang to their -arms, and rushed in the direction of the sounds. -The body of the cavallada, however, had luckily -turned, and, being headed by the mountaineers, -were surrounded and secured, with the loss of only -three, which had probably been mounted by the -Indians.</p> - -<p>Day breaking soon after, one of their band was -discovered to be missing; and it was then found -that a man who had been standing horse-guard at -the time of the attack, had not come into camp with -his companions. At that moment a thin spiral -column of smoke was seen to rise from the banks -of the creek, telling but too surely the fate of the -missing mountaineer. It was the signal of the -Indians to their people that a “<i>coup</i>” had been -struck, and that an enemy's scalp remained in their -triumphant hands.</p> - -<p>“H——!” exclaimed the trappers in a breath; -and soon imprecations and threats of revenge, loud -and deep, were showered upon the heads of the -treacherous Indians. Some of the party rushed to -the spot where the guard had stood, and there lay -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> -the body of their comrade, pierced with lance and -arrow, the scalp gone, and the body otherwise -mutilated in a barbarous manner. Five were -quickly in the saddle, mounted upon the strongest -horses, and flying along the track of the Indians, -who had made off towards the mountains with their -prize and booty. We will not follow them in their -work of bloody vengeance, save by saying that they -followed the savages to their village, into which -they charged headlong, recovered their stolen -horses, and returned to camp at sundown with -thirteen scalps dangling from their rifles, in payment -for the loss of their unfortunate companion. -<a name="FNanchor_27_27" id="FNanchor_27_27"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_27_27" class="fnanchor">[27]</a></p> - -<p>In their further advance, hunger and thirst were -their daily companions; they were compelled to -kill several of their animals for food, but were fortunate -enough to replace them by a stroke of good -luck in meeting a party of Indians returning from -an excursion against one of the Californian settlements -with a tolerably large band of horses. Our -hunters met this band one fine morning, and dashed -into the midst at once; half a dozen Indians bit the -dust, and twenty horses were turned over from red -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> -to white masters in as many seconds, which remounted -those whose animals had been eaten, and -enabled the others to exchange their worn-out -steeds for fresh ones. This fortunate event was -considered a <i>coup</i>, and the event was celebrated by -the slaughter of a fat young horse, which furnished -an excellent supper that night—a memorable -event in these starveling regions.</p> - -<p>They were now devouring their horses and mules -at the rate of one every alternate day; for, so poor -were the animals, that one scarcely furnished an -ample meal for the thirteen hungry hunters. They -were once more reduced to the animals they rode -on; and after a fast of twenty-four hours' duration, -were debating on the propriety of drawing lots as -to whose Rosinante should fill the kettle, when some -Indians suddenly appeared making signs of peace -upon the bluff, and indicating a disposition to enter -the camp for the purpose of trading. Being invited -to approach, they offered to trade a few -dressed elk-skins; but being asked for meat, they -said that their village was a long way off, and -they had nothing with them but a small portion of -some game they had lately killed. When requested -to produce this, they hesitated, but the trappers -looking hungry and angry at the same moment, an -old Indian drew from under his blanket several -flaps of portable dried meat, which he declared was -bear's. It was but a small ration amongst so many; -but, being divided, was quickly laid upon the fire -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> -to broil. The meat was stringy, and of whitish -colour, altogether unlike any flesh the trappers had -before eaten. Killbuck was the first to discover -this. He had been quietly masticating the last -mouthful of his portion, the stringiness of which -required more than usual dental exertion, when the -novelty of the flavour struck him as something -singular. Suddenly his jaws ceased their work, -he thought a moment, took the morsel from his -mouth, looked at it intently, and dashed it into the -fire.</p> - -<p>“Man-meat, by G—!” he cried out; and at the -words every jaw stopped work: the trappers -looked at the meat and each other.</p> - -<p>“I'm dog-gone if it ain't!” cried old Walker, -looking at his piece, “and white meat at that, -wagh!” (and report said it was not the first time -he had tasted such viands;) and the conviction -seizing each mind, every mouthful was quickly spat -into the fire, and the ire of the deceived whites was -instantly turned upon the luckless providers of the -feast. They saw the storm that was brewing, and -without more ado turned tail from the camp, and -scuttled up the bluffs, where, turning round, they -fired a volley of arrows at the tricked mountaineers, -and instantly disappeared.</p> - -<p>However, the desert and its nomade pilferers -were at length passed; the sandy plains became -grass-covered prairies; the monstrous cottonwood -on the creeks was replaced by oak and ash; the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> -surface of the country grew more undulating, and -less broken up into cañons and ravines; elk and -deer leaped in the bottoms, and bands of antelope -dotted the plains, with occasional troops of wild -horses, too wary to allow the approach of man. -On the banks of a picturesque stream called the -San Joaquim, the party halted a few days to recruit -themselves and animals, feasting the while on the -fattest of venison and other game. They then -struck to the south-east for two days, until they -reached a branch of the “Las Animas,” a clear -stream running through a pretty valley, well -timbered and abounding in game. Here, as they -wound along the river-banks, a horseman suddenly -appeared upon the bluff above them, galloping at -a furious rate along the edge. His dress approached -in some degree to civilised attire. A -broad-brimmed sombrero surmounted his swarthy -face; a coloured blanket, through a slit in which -his head was thrust, floated in the air from his -shoulders; leathern leggings encased his lower -limbs; and huge spurs jingled on his heels. He -rode in a high-peaked Mexican saddle, his feet -thrust in ponderous stirrups, and in his hand swung -a coil of ready lasso, his only offensive arm. One -of the trappers knew a little Spanish, and instantly -hailed him.</p> - -<p>“<i>Compadre</i>,” he shouted, “<i>por onde va?</i>” The -Californian reined in suddenly, throwing the horse -he rode on its very haunches, and darting down the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> -bluff, galloped unhesitatingly into the midst of the -hunters.</p> - -<p>“<i>Americanos!</i>” he exclaimed, glancing at them; -and continued, smiling—“<i>Y caballos quieren, por -eso vienen tan lejitos. Jesus, que mala gente!</i>”—“It's -horses you want, and for this you come all -this way. Ah, what rogues you are!”</p> - -<p>He was an Indian, employed at the mission of -San Fernando, distant three days' journey from -their present position, and was now searching for a -band of horses and mules which had strayed. San -Fernando, it appeared, had once before been visited -by a party of mountain free-booters, and the Indian -therefore divined the object of the present one. He -was, he told them, “<i>un Indio, pero mansito</i>:” an -Indian, but a tame one;<a name="FNanchor_28_28" id="FNanchor_28_28"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_28_28" class="fnanchor">[28]</a> “<i>de mas, Christiano</i>:” -a Christian moreover (exhibiting a small cross which -hung round his neck). There were many people -about the mission, he said, who knew how to fight, -and had plenty of arms; and there were enough to -“eat up” the “<i>Americanos, sin frijoles</i>,” without -beans, as he facetiously observed. For his part, -however, he was very friendly to the <i>Americanos</i>; -he had once met a man of that nation who was a -good sort of fellow, and had made him a present of -tobacco, of which he was particularly fond. Finding -this hint did not take, he said that the horses -and mules belonging to the mission were innumerable—“like -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> -that,” he added, sweeping his hand to -all points of the compass over the plain, to intimate -that they would cover that extent; and he could -point out a large herd grazing nearer at hand than -the mission, and guarded but by three <i>vaqueros</i>. -Regaled with venison, and with a smoke of his coveted -tobacco, he rode off, and made his way to the -mission without delay, conveying the startling intelligence -that a thousand Americans were upon them.</p> - -<p>The next morning the thirteen doughty mountaineers -quietly resumed their journey, moving -leisurely along towards the object of their expedition.</p> - -<p>It will not be out of place here to digress a little, -in order to describe the singular features of the -establishments formed in those remote regions by -the Catholic church, as nuclei round which to concentrate -the wandering tribes that inhabit the country, -with a view to give them the benefit of civilised -example, and to wean them from their restless nomadic -habits.</p> - -<p>The establishment of missions in Upper California -is coeval with the first settlement of Southern Mexico. -No sooner had Spanish rule taken a firm foot-hold -in the Aztec empire, than the avowed primary object -of the military expedition began to be carried -into effect. “To save the souls” of the savage and -barbarous subjects of their most Catholic majesties -was ever inculcated upon the governors of the conquered -country as the grand object to be sought -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> -after, as soon as tranquillity was partially restored -by the submission of the Mexicans; and the Cross, -the sacred emblem of the Catholic faith, was to be -upraised in the remotest corners of the country, and -the natives instructed and compelled to worship it, -in lieu of the grotesque images of their own idolatrous -religion.</p> - -<p>To carry into effect these orthodox instructions, -troops of pious priests, of friars and monks of every -order, and even of saintly nuns, followed in the wake -of the victorious armies of Cortez; and, girding up -their loins with zealous fervour and enthusiasm, and -with an enterprise and hardihood worthy of buccaneers, -they pushed their adventurous way far into -the bowels of the land, preaching devoutly and with -commendable perseverance to savages who did not -understand a syllable of what they so eloquently -discoursed; and returning, after the lapse of many -months passed in this first attempt, with glowing -accounts of the “<i>muy buen indole</i>,” the very ductile -disposition of the savages, and of the thousands they -had converted to “<i>la santa fé catolica</i>.”</p> - -<p>Ferdinand and Isabel, of glorious memory, at -once beat up for volunteers. Crowds of Franciscan -monks, greasy Capuchinos, and nuns of orthodox -odour, joined the band; and saints even of the -feminine gender, long since canonised and up aloft -amongst the goodly muster of saints and martyrs, -put foot once more on <i>terra firma</i>, and, rosary in -hand, crossed the seas to participate in the good -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> -work. As proof of this latter fact, one Venabides, -a Franciscan, whose veracity is beyond impeachment, -declared that, while preaching in the regions -now known as New Mexico, one million Indians from -the “rumbo” known as Cibolo, a mighty nation, -approached his temporary pulpit on the Rio Grande, -and requested in a body the favour of being baptised. -Struck with the singularity of this request from Indians -with whom he had as yet held no communication, -and with conscientious scruple as to whether -he would be justified in performing such ceremony -without their having received previous instruction, -he hesitated a few moments before making an answer -At this juncture the Indians espied a medallion -which hung around his neck, bearing the effigy -of a certain saint of extraordinary virtue. At sight -of this they fell on their knees before it; and it was -some time before they found words (in what language -does not appear) to explain to the holy father -that the original of that effigy, which hung pendant -from his neck, had been long amongst them instructing -them in the elements of the Christian religion, -and had only lately disappeared; informing them -that certain reverend men would shortly appear in -the land, who would finish the good work she had -devoutly commenced, and clench the business by -baptising the one million miserable sinners who now -knelt before El Padre Venabides.</p> - -<p>“Valgame Dios!” reverently exclaimed that -worthy man, “qui milagro es este;” [what a miracle -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span>. -is this I hear;] and casting up his eyes, and -speaking slowly, as if he weighed every word, and -taxing his memory of the historical calendar of -saints, continued,—</p> - -<p>“<i>Se murió—aquella—santissima—muger—en el -ano 175—es decir—ya hacen—mil—quatro—cientos—anos.</i>” -[That most holy woman died in the -year 175, that is to say, one thousand four hundred -years ago.]</p> - -<p>“Oh, what a strange thing is this!” the padre -continues devoutly. “After so many ages spent in -heaven in company of the angels, of most holy men, -and of virgins the most pure; and, perhaps, also in -the company of my worthy and esteemed friend and -patron, Don Vincente Carvajal y Calvo, who died a -few years ago in San Lucar of Xeres (bequeathing -me certain arrobas of dry wine, of a class I greatly -esteem—for which act he deserved to be canonised, -and, I have no doubt, is), the said Don Vincente -Carvajal y Calvo being, moreover, a man of the -purest and holiest thoughts (Dios mio! what a -puchero that man always had on his table!) this -holy woman comes here—to these wild and remote -regions; this holy woman (who died fifteen hundred -years ago), abandoning the company of angels, of -holy men, and sanctified women and virgins, and -also of Don Vincente Carvajal y Calvo (that worthy -man!)—comes here, I say, where there are neither -pucheros, nor garbanzos, nor dry wine, nor sweet -wine, neither of Xeres, nor of Val de Peñas, nor of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> -Peralta; where” (sobbed the padre, and bellowed -the last word) “there is—nothing either to eat or -to drink. Valgame Purissima Maria! And what is -the name of this holy woman? the world will ask,” -continues Venabides. “Santa Clara of Carmona is -her name, one well known in my native country, -who leaves heaven and all its joys, wends her way -to the distant wilds of New Spain, and spends years -in inducting the savage people to the holy faith. -Truly a pious work, and pleasing to God!” -<a name="FNanchor_29_29" id="FNanchor_29_29"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_29_29" class="fnanchor">[29]</a></p> - -<p>Thus spoke Venabides the Franciscan, and no -doubt he believed what he said; and many others -in Old Spain were fools enough to believe it too, -for the shaven heads flocked over in greater numbers, -and the cry was ever “still they come.”</p> - -<p>Along the whole extent of the table-lands, not an -Indian tribe but was speedily visited by the preaching -friars and monks; and, in less than a century -after the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards, -these hardy and enthusiastic frayles had pushed -their way into the inhospitable regions of New -Mexico, nearly two thousand miles distant from the -valley of Anahuac. How they succeeded in surmounting -the natural obstacles presented by the -wild and barren deserts they traversed; how they -escaped the infinite peril they encountered at every -step, at the hands of the savage inhabitants of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> -country, with whose language they were totally -unacquainted, is sufficient puzzle to those who, in -the present day, have attempted a journey in the -same regions.</p> - -<p>However, it is impossible not to admire the -hardihood of these holy pioneers of civilisation, -who, totally unfitted by their former mode of life -for undergoing such hardships as they must have -anticipated, threw themselves into the wilderness -with fearless and stubborn zeal.</p> - -<p>For the most part, however, they found the -Indians exceedingly hospitable and well disposed; -and it was not until some time after—when, receiving -from the missionary monks glowing, and not -always very truthful accounts of the riches of the -country in which they had located themselves, the -governors of Mexico despatched armed expeditions -under adventurous desperadoes to take and retain -possession of the said country, with orders to compel -the submission of the native tribes, and enforce -their obedience to the authority of the whites—that -the simple and confiding Indians began to see the -folly they had committed in permitting the residence -amongst them of these superior beings, whom -they had first looked upon as more than mortal, -but who, when strong enough to do so, were not -long in throwing off the mask, and proving to the -simple savages that they were much “more human -than divine.”</p> - -<p>Thus, in the province of New Mexico, Fray -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> -Augustin Ruiz, with his co-preachers, Marcos and -Venabides, were kindly received by the native -inhabitants, and we have seen how one million (?) -Indians came from the “rumbo” of the Cibolo, -ready and willing to receive the baptismal sacrament. -This Cibolo, or Sivulo, as it is written in -some old MSS., is, by the way, mysteriously alluded -to by the monkish historians who have written on -this region, as being a kingdom inhabited by a very -superior class of Indians to any met with between -Anahuac and the Vale of Taos—in the enjoyment -of a high state of civilisation, inhabiting a well-built -city, the houses of which were three stories -high, and having attained considerable perfection -in the domestic arts. This, notwithstanding the -authority of Don Francisco Vasquez Coronado, -who visited Cibolo, and of Solis and Venegas, who -have guaranteed the assertion, must be received -<i>cum grano salis</i>; but, at all events, the civilisation -of the mysterious Cibolo may be compared to that -of the Aztec empire, under Montezuma, at the time -of the Spanish Conquest, both being egregiously -exaggerated by the historians of the day. Cibolo -was situated on a river called Tegue. At this day, -neither name is known to the inhabitants of New -Mexico. If pate-shaven Venabides had held his -tongue, New Mexico might now be in the peaceful -possession of the Catholic Missions, and the property -of the Church of Mexico pretty considerably -enhanced by the valuable <i>placeres</i>, or gold washings, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> -which abound in that province. Full, however, -of the wonderful miracle of Santa Clara of -Carmona, which had been brought to light through -the agency of the medallion at the end of his rosario, -Fray Venabides must needs return to Spain, -and humbug poor old Fernando, and even the more -sensible Isabel, with wonderful accounts of the -riches of the country he had been instrumental in -exploring, and of the excellent disposition of the -natives to receive the word of God. Don Juan -Oñate was, therefore, quickly despatched to take -possession; and in his train followed twelve Castilian -families of <i>sangre azul</i>, to colonise the newly-acquired -territory. The names of these still remain, -disgraced by the degenerate wretches who now bear -them, but in whom scarce a drop of blood remains -which ever filtered from the veins of the paladins of -Old Castile.</p> - -<p>Then commenced the troublous times. The missions -were upheld by dint of steel alone; and frequently -the Indians rose, and often massacred -their white persecutors. The colonists were more -than once driven bodily from New Mexico, and -were only reinstated by the aid of large bodies of -armed men.</p> - -<p>In California, however, they managed these -things better. The wily monks took care to keep -all interlopers from the country, established themselves -in snug quarters, instructed the Indians in -agriculture, and soon gained such an ascendancy -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> -over them, that no difficulty was experienced in -keeping them under proper and wholesome restraint. -Strong and commodious missions were built and -fortified, well stored with arms and ammunition, -and containing sufficient defenders to defy attack. -Luxuriant gardens and thriving vineyards soon surrounded -these isolated stations: the plains waved -with golden corn; whilst domestic cattle, thriving -on the rich pasture, and roaming far and near, -multiplied and increased a hundred-fold.</p> - -<p>Nothing can be more beautiful than the appearance -of one of these missions, to the traveller who -has lately passed the arid and barren wilderness of -the North-west. The <i>adobe</i> walls of the convent-looking -building, surmounted by cross and belfry, -are generally hidden in a mass of luxuriant vegetation. -Fig-trees, bananas, cherry, and apple, leaf-spreading -platanos, and groves of olives, form -umbrageous vistas, under which the sleek monks -delight to wander; gardens, cultivated by their own -hands, testify to the horticultural skill of the worthy -padres; whilst vineyards yield their grateful produce -to gladden the hearts of the holy exiles in -these western solitudes. Vast herds of cattle roam -half-wild on the plains, and bands of mules and -horses, whose fame has even reached the distant -table-lands of the Rocky Mountains, and excited -the covetousness of the hunters—and thousands of -which, from the day they are foaled to that of their -death, never feel a saddle on their backs—cover -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> -the country. Indians (Mansitos) idle round the -skirts of these vast herds (whose very numbers -keep them together), living, at their own choice, -upon the flesh of mule, or ox, or horse.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VII.</h2> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap"> -The</span> Mission of San Fernando is situated on a -small river called Las Animas, a branch of the Los -Martires. The convent is built at the neck of a -large plain, at the point of influx of the stream from -the broken spurs of the sierra. The savana is -covered with luxuriant grass, kept down, however, -by the countless herds of cattle which pasture on it. -The banks of the creek are covered with a lofty -growth of oak and poplar, which near the Mission -have been considerably thinned for the purpose of -affording fuel and building materials for the increasing -settlement. The convent stands in the midst -of a grove of fruit-trees, its rude tower and cross -peeping above them, and contrasting picturesquely -with the wildness of the surrounding scenery. Gardens -and orchards lie immediately in front of the -building, and a vineyard stretches away to the upland -ridge of the valley. The huts of the Indians -are scattered here and there, built of stone and -adobe, sometimes thatched with flags and boughs, -but comfortable enough. The convent itself is a -substantial building, of the style of architecture -characterising monastic edifices in most parts of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> -world. Loopholes peer from its plastered walls, and -on a flat portion of the roof a comically mounted -gingall or wall-piece, carrying a two-pound ball, -threatens the assailant in time of war. At one end -of the oblong building, a rough irregular arch of -sun-burned bricks is surmounted by a rude cross, -under which hangs a small but deep-toned bell—the -wonder of the Indian peones, and highly venerated -by the frayles themselves, who received it as -a present from a certain venerable archbishop of -Old Spain, and who, whilst guarding it with reverential -awe, tell wondrous tales of its adventures on -the road to its present abiding place.</p> - -<p>Of late years the number of the canonical inmates -of the convent has been much reduced—there being -but four priests now to do the duties of the eleven -who formerly inhabited it: Fray Augustin, a Capuchin -of due capacity of paunch, being at the head -of the holy quartette. Augustin is the conventual -name of the reverend father, who fails not to impress -upon such casual visitants to that <i>ultima Thule</i> -as he deems likely to appreciate the information, -that, but for his humility, he might add the sonorous -appellations of Ignacio Sabanal-Morales-y Fuentes—his -family being of the best blood of Old Castile, -and known there since the days of Ruy Gomez—el -Campéador—possessing, moreover, half the “vega” -of the Ebro, &c., where, had fate been propitious, -he would now have been the sleek superior of a rich -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> -capuchin convent, instead of vegetating, a leather-clad -frayle, in the wilds of California Alta.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, his lot is no bad one. With plenty -of the best and fattest meat to eat, whether of beef -or venison, of bear or mountain mutton; with good -wine and brandy of home make, and plenty of it; -fruit of all climes in great abundance; wheaten or -corn bread to suit his palate; a tractable flock of -natives to guide, and assisted in the task by three -brother shepherds; far from the strife of politics or -party—secure from hostile attack (not quite, by-the-by), -and eating, drinking, and sleeping away -his time, one would think that Fray Augustin Ignacio -Sabanal-Morales-y Fuentes had little to trouble -him, and had no cause to regret even the vega of -Castilian Ebro, held by his family since the days of -el Campéador.</p> - -<p>One evening Fray Augustin sat upon an adobe -bench, under the fig-tree shadowing the porch of -the Mission. He was dressed in a goat-skin jerkin, -softly and beautifully dressed, and descending to -his hips, under which his only covering—tell it not -in Gath!—was a long linen shirt, reaching to his -knees, and lately procured from Puebla de los Angeles, -as a sacerdotal garment. Boots, stockings, -or unmentionables, he had none. A cigarito, of -tobacco rolled in corn shuck, was occasionally placed -between his lips; whereupon huge clouds of smoke -rushed in columns from his mouth and nostrils. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> -His face was of a golden yellow colour, relieved by -arched and very black eyebrows; his shaven chin -was of most respectable duplicity—his corporation -of orthodox dimensions. Several Indians and half-bred -Mexican women were pounding Indian corn -on metates near at hand; whilst sundry beef-fed -urchins of whitey-brown complexion sported before -the door, exhibiting, as they passed Fray Augustin, -a curious resemblance to the strongly marked -features of that worthy padre. They were probably -his nieces and nephews—a class of relations -often possessed in numbers by priests and monks.</p> - -<p>The three remaining brothers were absent from -the Mission; Fray Bernardo, hunting elk in the -sierra; Fray José, gallivanting at Puebla de los -Angeles, ten days' journey distant; Fray Cristoval, -lassoing colts upon the plain. Augustin, thus left -to his own resources, had just eaten his vespertine -frijolitos and chile colorado, and was enjoying a -post-cœnal smoke of fragrant pouche under the -shadow of his own fig-tree.</p> - -<p>Whilst thus employed, an Indian dressed in Mexican -attire approached him hat in hand, and, making -a reverential bow, asked his directions concerning -domestic business of the Mission.</p> - -<p>“Hola! friend José,” cried Fray Augustin in a -thick guttural voice, “pensaba yo—I was thinking -that it was very nearly this time three years ago -when those 'malditos Americanos' came by here -and ran off with so many of our cavallada.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span></p> - -<p>“True, reverend father,” answered the administrador, -“just three years ago, all but fifteen days: -I remember it well. <i>Malditos sean</i>—curse them!”</p> - -<p>“How many did we kill, José?”</p> - -<p>“Quizas mōōchos—a great many, I dare say. -But they did not fight fairly—charged right upon -us, and gave us no time to do any thing. They -don't know how to fight, these Mericanos; come -right at you, before you can swing a lasso, hallooing -like Indios Bravos.”</p> - -<p>“But, José, how many did they leave dead on -the field?”</p> - -<p>“Not one.”</p> - -<p>“And we?”</p> - -<p>“Valgame Dios! thirteen dead, and many more -wounded.”</p> - -<p>“That's it! Now if these savages come again -(and the Chemeguaba, who came in yesterday, -says he saw a large trail), we must fight adentro—within—outside -is no go; for as you very properly -say, José, these Americans don't know how to -fight, and kill us before—before we can kill them! -Vaya!”</p> - -<p>At this moment there issued from the door of the -Mission Don Antonio Velez Trueba, a Gachupin—that -is, a native of Old Spain—a wizened old hidalgo -refugee, who had left the mother country on account -of his political opinions, which were stanchly Carlist, -and had found his way—how, he himself scarcely -knew—from Mexico to San Francisco in Upper California, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> -where, having a most perfect contempt for -every thing Mexican, and hearing that in the Mission -of San Fernando, far away, were a couple of -Spanish padres of “sangre regular,” he had started -into the wilderness to ferret them out; and having -escaped all dangers on the route (which, however, -were hardly dangers to the Don, who could not -realise the idea of scalp-taking savages), had arrived -with a whole skin at the Mission. There he was -received with open arms by his countryman Fray -Augustin, who made him welcome to all the place -afforded, and there he harmlessly smoked away his -time; his heart far away on the banks of the Genil -and in the grape-bearing vegas of his beloved Andalusia, -his withered cuerpo in the sierras of Upper -California. Don Antonio was the walking essence -of a Spaniard of the <i>ancien régime</i>. His family -dated from the Flood, and with the exception of -sundry refreshing jets of Moorish blood, injected -into the Truebas during the Moorish epoch, no -strange shoot was ever engrafted on their genealogical -tree. The marriages of the family were -ever confined to the family itself—never looking to -fresh blood in a station immediately below it, which -was not hidalgueño; nor above, since any thing -higher in rank than the Trueba y Trueba family, -<i>no habia</i>, there was not.</p> - -<p>Thus, in the male and female scions of the house, -were plainly visible the ill effects of breeding “in -and in.” The male Truebas were sadly degenerate -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> -Dons, in body as in mind—compared to their ancestors -of Boabdil's day; and the señoritas of the -name were all eyes, and eyes alone, and hardly of -such stamp as would have tempted that amorous -monarch to bestow a kingdom for a kiss, as ancient -ballads tell.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="verse">“Dueña de la negra toca,</div> - <div class="verse">Por un beso de tu boca,</div> - <div class="verse indent-1_5">Diera un reyno, Boabdil;</div> - <div class="verse">Y yo por ello, Cristiana,</div> - <div class="verse">Te diera de buena gana</div> - <div class="verse indent-1_5">Mil cielos, si fueran mil.”</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Come of such poor stock, and reared on tobacco -smoke and “gazpacho,” Don Antonio would not -have shone, even amongst pigmy Mexicans, for physical -beauty. Five feet high, a framework of bones -covered with a skin of Andalusian tint, the Trueba -stood erect and stiff in all the consciousness of his -“sangre regular.” His features were handsome, -but entirely devoid of flesh, his upper lip was covered -with a jet-black mustache mixed with gray, his -chin was bearded “like the pard.” Every one -around him clad in deer and goat skin, our Don -walked conspicuous in shining suit of black—much -the worse for wear, it must be confessed—with beaver -hat sadly battered, and round his body and over -his shoulder an unexceptionable “capa” of the amplest -dimensions. Asking, as he stepped over him, -the pardon of an Indian urchin who blocked the -door, and bowing with punctilious politeness to the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> -sturdy mozas who were grinding corn, Don Antonio -approached our friend Augustin, who was discussing -warlike matters with his administrador.</p> - -<p>“Hola! Don Antonio, how do you find yourself, -sir?”</p> - -<p>“Perfectly well, and your very humble servant, -reverend father; and your worship also, I trust you -are in good health?”</p> - -<p>“<i>Sin novedad</i>—without novelty;” which, since -it was one hour and a half since our friends had -separated to take their siestas, was not impossible.</p> - -<p>“Myself and the worthy José,” continued Fray -Augustin, “were speaking of the vile invasion of a -band of North American robbers, who three years -since fiercely assaulted this peaceful Mission, killing -many of its inoffensive inhabitants, wounding many -more, and carrying off several of our finest colts -and most promising mules to their dens and caves -in the Rocky Mountains. Not with impunity, however, -did they effect this atrocity. José informs me -that many of the assailants were killed by my brave -Indians. How many said you, José?”</p> - -<p>“Quizas mo-o-ochos,” answered the Indian.</p> - -<p>“Yes, probably a great multitude,” continued -the padre; “but, unwarned by such well-merited -castigation, it has been reported to me by a Chemeguaba -mansito, that a band of these audacious marauders -are now on the road to repeat the offence, -numbering many thousands, well mounted and armed; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> -and to oppose these white barbarians it behoves -us to make every preparation of defence.” -<a name="FNanchor_30_30" id="FNanchor_30_30"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_30_30" class="fnanchor">[30]</a></p> - -<p>“There is no cause for alarm,” answered the -Andaluz. “I (tapping his breast) have served in -three wars: in that glorious one 'de la Independencia,' -when our glorious patriots drove the French -like sheep across the Pyrenees; in that equally -glorious one of 1821; and in the late magnanimous -struggle for the legitimate rights of his majesty -Charles V., king of Spain (doffing his hat), whom -God preserve. With that right arm,” cried the -spirited Don, extending his shrivelled member, “I -have supported the throne of my kings—have -fought for my country, mowing down its enemies -before me; and with it,” vehemently exclaimed the -Gachupin, working himself into a perfect frenzy, -“I will slay these Norte Americanos, should they -dare to show their faces in my front. Adios, Don -Augustin Ignacio Sabanal-Morales-y Fuentes,” he -cried, doffing his hat with an earth-sweeping bow; -“I go to grind my sword. Till then adieu.”</p> - -<p>“A countryman of mine!” said the frayle, admiringly, -to the administrador. “With him by our -side we need not to fear: neither Norte Americanos, -nor the devil himself, can harm us when he is -by.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span></p> - -<p>Whilst the Trueba sharpens his Tizona, and the -priest puffs volumes of smoke from his nose and -mouth, let us introduce to the reader one of the -muchachitas, who knelt grinding corn on the metate, -to make tortillas for the evening meal. Juanita -was a stout wench from Sonora, of Mexican blood, -hardly as dark as the other women who surrounded -her, and with a drop or two of the Old Spanish -blood struggling with the darker Indian tint to -colour her plump cheeks. An enagua (a short petticoat) -of red serge was confined round her waist by -a gay band ornamented with beads, and a chemisette -covered the upper part of the body, permitting, -however, a prodigal display of her charms. Whilst -pounding sturdily at the corn, she laughed and -joked with her fellow-labourers upon the anticipated -American attack, which appeared to have but few -terrors for her. “Que vengan,” she exclaimed—“let -them come; they are only men, and will not molest -us women. Besides, I have seen these white men -before—in my own country, and they are fine fellows, -very tall, and as white as the snow on the -sierras. Let them come, say I!”</p> - -<p>“Only hear the girl!” cried another: “if these -savages come, then will they kill Pedrillo, and what -will Juanita say to lose her sweetheart?”</p> - -<p>“Pedrillo!” sneered the latter; “what care I -for Pedrillo? Soy Mejicana, yo—a Mexican girl -am I, I'd have you know, and don't demean me to -look at a wild Indian. Not I, indeed, by my salvation! -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> -What I say is, let the Norte Americanos -come.”</p> - -<p>At this juncture Fray Augustin called for a glass -of aguardiente, which Juanita was despatched to -bring, and, on presenting it, the churchman facetiously -inquired why she wished for the Americans, -adding, “Don't think they'll come here—no, no: -here we are brave men, and have Don Antonio with -us, a noble fellow, well used to arms.” As the words -were on his lips, the clattering of a horse's hoofs -was heard rattling across the loose stones and pebbles -in the bed of the river, and presently an Indian -herder galloped up to the door of the Mission, his -horse covered with foam, and its sides bleeding from -spur-wounds.</p> - -<p>“Oh, padre mio!” he cried, as soon as he caught -sight of his reverence, “vienen los Americanos—the -Americans, the Americans are upon us. Ave Maria -purissima!—more than ten thousand are at my -heels!”</p> - -<p>Up started the priest and shouted for the Don.</p> - -<p>That hidalgo presently appeared, armed with the -sword that had graced his thigh in so many glorious -encounters—the sword with which he had mowed -down the enemies of his country, and by whose aid -he now proposed to annihilate the American savages, -should they dare to appear before him.</p> - -<p>The alarm was instantly given; peones, vagueros -hurried from the plains; and milpas, warned by the -deep-toned bell, which soon rung out its sonorous -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> -alarum. A score of mounted Indians, armed with -gun and lasso, dashed off to bring intelligence of the -enemy. The old gingall on the roof was crammed -with powder and bullets to the very muzzle, by the -frayle's own hand. Arms were brought and piled -in the sala, ready for use. The padre exhorted, -the women screamed, the men grew pale and nervous, -and thronged within the walls. Don Antonio, -the fiery Andaluz, alone remained outside, flourishing -his whetted sabre, and roaring to the padre, who -stood on the roof with lighted match, by the side of -his formidable cannon, not to be affrighted. “That -he, the Trueba, was there, with his Tizona, ready to -defeat the devil himself should he come on.”</p> -<p>He was deaf to the entreaties of the priest to -enter.</p> - -<p>“Siempre en el frente—Ever in the van,” he said, -“was the war-cry of the Truebas.”</p> - -<p>But now a cloud of dust was seen approaching -from the plain, and presently a score of horsemen -dashed headlong towards the Mission. “El enemigo,” -shouted Fray Augustin; and, without waiting -to aim, he clapped his match to the touch-hole of the -gun, harmlessly pointed to the sky, and crying out -“in el nombre de Dios”—in God's name—as he did -so, was instantly knocked over and over by the recoil -of the piece, then was as instantly seized by -some of the Indian garrison, and forced through -the trap-door into the building; whilst the horsemen -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> -(who were his own scouts) galloped up with the intelligence -that the enemy was at hand, and in overwhelming -force.</p> - -<p>Thereupon the men were all mounted, and formed -in a body before the building, to the amount of more -than fifty, well armed with guns or bows and arrows. -Here the gallant Don harangued them, and infusing -into their hearts a little of his own courage, they -eagerly demanded to be led against the enemy. -Fray Augustin re-appeared on the roof, gave them -his blessing, advised them to give no quarter, and, -with slight misgivings, saw them ride off to the -conflict.</p> - -<p>About a mile from the Mission, the plain gradually -ascended to a ridge of moderate elevation, on -which was a growth of dwarf oak and ilex. To this -point the eyes of the remaining inmates of the convent -were earnestly directed, as here the enemy -was first expected to make his appearance. Presently -a few figures were seen to crown the ridge, -clearly defined against the clear evening sky. Not -more than a dozen mounted men composed this -party, which all imagined must be doubtless the -vanguard of the thousand invaders. On the summit -of the ridge they halted a few minutes, as if to reconnoitre; -and by this time the Californian horsemen -were halted in the plain, midway between the -Mission and the ridge, and distant from the former -less than half-a-mile, so that all the operations were -clearly visible to the lookers-on.</p> - -<p>The enemy wound slowly, in Indian file, down -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> -the broken ground of the descent; but when the -plain was reached, they formed into something like -a line, and trotted fearlessly towards the Californians. -These began to sit uneasily in their saddles; -nevertheless they made a forward movement, and -even broke into a gallop, but soon halted, and again -huddled together. Then the mountaineers quickened -their pace, and their loud shout was heard as they -dashed into the middle of the faltering troop. The -sharp cracks of the rifles followed, and the duller -reports of the smooth-bored pieces of the Californians; -a cloud of smoke and dust arose from the -plain, and immediately half-a-dozen horses, with -empty saddles, broke from it, followed quickly by -the Californians, flying like mad across the level. -The little steady line of the mountaineers advanced, -and puffs of smoke arose, as they loaded and discharged -their rifles at the flying horsemen. As the -Americans came on, however, one was seen to totter -in his saddle, the rifle fell from his grasp, and he -tumbled headlong to the ground. For an instant -his companions surrounded the fallen man, but again -forming, dashed towards the Mission, shouting fierce -war-whoops, and brandishing aloft their long and -heavy rifles. Of the defeated Californians some -jumped off their horses at the door of the Mission, -and sought shelter within; others galloped off towards -the sierra in panic-stricken plight. Before -the gate, however, still paced valiantly the proud -hidalgo, encumbered with his cloak, and waving -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> -with difficulty his sword above his head. To the -priest and women, who implored him to enter, he -replied with cries of defiance, “Viva Carlos Quinto,” -and “Death or glory.” He shouted in vain to the -flying crowd to halt; but, seeing their panic was -beyond hope, he clutched his weapon more firmly as -the Americans dashed at him, closed his teeth and -his eyes, thought once of the vega of his beloved -Genil, and of Granada la Florida, and gave himself -up for lost. Those inside the Mission, when they -observed the flight of their cavalry, gave up the -defence as hopeless; and already the charging -mountaineers were almost under the walls, when -they observed the curious figure of the little Don -making demonstrations of hostility.</p> - -<p>“Wagh!” exclaimed the leading hunter (no other -than our friend La Bonté), “here's a little crittur -as means to do all the fighting;” and seizing his -rifle by the barrel, he poked at the Don with the -butt-end, who parried the blow, and with such a -sturdy stroke, as nearly severed the stock in two. -Another mountaineer rode up, and, swinging his -lasso overhead, threw the noose dexterously over -the Spaniard's head, and as it fell over his shoulders, -drew it taut, thus securing the arms of the pugnacious -Don as in a vice.</p> - -<p>“Quartel!” cried the latter; “por Dios, quartel!”</p> - -<p>“Quarter be d——!” exclaimed one of the whites, -who understood Spanish; “who's agoin' to hurt you, -you little crittur?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span></p> - -<p>By this time Fray Augustin was waving a white -flag from the roof, in token of surrender; and soon -after he appeared trembling at the door, beseeching -the victors to be merciful and to spare the lives of -the vanquished, when all and every thing in the -Mission would be freely placed at their disposal.</p> - -<p>“What does the niggur say!” asked old Walker, -the leader of the mountaineers, of the interpreter.</p> - -<p>“Well, he talks so queer, this hos can't rightly -make it out.”</p> - -<p>“Tell the old coon then to quit that, and make -them darned greasers clear out of the lodge, and -pock some corn and shucks here for the animals, -for they're nigh give out.”</p> - -<p>This being conveyed to him in mountain Spanish, -which fear alone made him understand, the padre -gave orders to the men to leave the Mission, advising -them, moreover, not to recommence hostilities, -as himself was kept as hostage, and if a finger was -lifted against the mountaineers, he would be killed -at once, and the Mission burned to the ground. -Once inside, the hunters had no fear of attack, -they could have kept the building against all California; -so, leaving a guard of two outside the gate, -and first seeing their worn-out animals supplied with -piles of corn and shucks, they made themselves at -home, and soon were paying attention to the hot -tortillas, meat, and chile colorado which were quickly -placed before them, washing down the hot-spiced -viands with deep draughts of wine and brandy. It -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> -would have been amusing to have seen the faces of -these rough fellows as they gravely pledged each -other in the grateful liquor, and looked askance at -the piles of fruit served by the attendant Hebes. -These came in for no little share of attention, it -may be imagined; but the utmost respect was paid -to them, for your mountaineer, rough and bear-like -though he be, never, by word or deed, offends the -modesty of a woman, although sometimes obliged to -use a compulsory wooing, when time is not allowed -for regular courtship, and not unfrequently known -to jerk a New Mexican or Californian beauty behind -his saddle, should the obdurate parents refuse -consent to their immediate union. It tickled the -Americans not a little to have all their wants supplied, -and to be thus waited upon, by what they -considered the houris of paradise; and after their -long journey, and the many hardships and privations -they had suffered, their present luxurious situation -seemed scarcely real.</p> - -<p>The hidalgo, released from the durance vile of -the lasso, assisted at the entertainment; his sense -of what was due to the “sangre regular” which -ran in his veins being appeased by the fact, that he -sat <i>above</i> the wild uncouth mountaineers, these preferring -to squat cross-legged on the floor in their -own fashion, to the uncomfortable and novel luxury -of a chair. Killbuck, indeed, seemed to have quite -forgotten the use of such pieces of furniture. On -Fray Augustin offering him one, and begging him, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> -with many protestations, to be seated, that old -mountain worthy looked at it, and then at the -padre, turned it round, and at length comprehending -the intention, essayed to sit. This he effected -at last, and sat grimly for some moments, when, -seizing the chair by the back, he hurled it out of -the open door, exclaiming,—“Wagh! this coon aint -hamshot anyhow, and don't want such fixins, he -don't;” and gathering his legs under his body, -reclined in the manner customary to him. There -was a prodigious quantity of liquor consumed that -night, the hunters making up for their many banyans; -but as it was the pure juice of the grape, it -had little or no effect upon their hard heads. They -had not much to fear from attacks on the part of -the Californians; but, to provide against all emergencies, -the padre and the Gachupin were “hobbled,” -and confined in an inner room, to which there -was no ingress nor egress save through the door -which opened into the apartment where the mountaineers -lay sleeping, two of the number keeping -watch. A fandango with the Indian girls had been -proposed by some of them, but Walker placed a -decided veto on this. He said “they had need of -sleep now, for there was no knowing what to-morrow -might bring forth; that they had a long journey -before them, and winter was coming on; they -would have to 'streak' it night and day, and sleep -when their journey was over, which would not be -until Pike's Peak was left behind them. It was now -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> -October, and the way they'd have to hump it back -to the mountains would take the gristle off a painter's -tail.”</p> - -<p>Young Ned Wooton was not to the fore when the -roll was called. He was courting the Sonora wench -Juanita, and to some purpose, for we may at once -observe, that the maiden accompanied the mountaineer -to his distant home, and at the present moment -is sharing his lodge on Hard-scrabble creek -of the upper Arkansa, having been duly and legally -married by Fray Augustin before their departure.</p> - -<p>But now the snow on the ridge of the Sierra -Madre, and the nightly frosts; the angular flights -of geese and ducks constantly passing overhead; -the sober tints of the foliage, and the dead leaves -that strew the ground; the withering grass on the -plain, and the cold gusts, sometimes laden with -snow and sleet, that sweep from the distant snow-clad -mountains;—all these signs warn us to linger -no longer in the tempting valley of San Fernando, -but at once to pack our mules to cross the dreary -and desert plains and inhospitable sierras; and to -seek with our booty one of the sheltered bayous of -the Rocky Mountains.</p> - -<p>On the third day after their arrival, behold our -mountaineers again upon the march, driving before -them—with the assistance of half-a-dozen Indians, -impressed for the first few days of the journey until -the cavallada get accustomed to travel without confusion—a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> -band of four hundred head of mules and -horses, themselves mounted on the strongest and -fleetest they could select from at least a thousand.</p> - -<p>Fray Augustin and the Hidalgo, from the house-top, -watched them depart: the former glad to get -rid of such unscrupulous guests at any cost, the -latter rather loath to part with his boon companions, -with whom he had quaffed many a quartillo of -Californian wine. Great was the grief, and violent -the sobbing, when all the girls in the Mission surrounded -Juanita to bid her adieu; as she, seated en -cavalier on an easy pacing mule, bequeathed her -late companions to the keeping of every saint in the -calendar, and particularly to the great St Ferdinand -himself, under whose especial tutelage all those -in the Mission were supposed to live. Pedrillo, -poor forsaken Pedrillo, a sullen sulky half-breed, -was overcome, not with grief, but with anger at the -slight put upon him, and vowed revenge. He of -the “sangre regular,” having not a particle of -enmity in his heart, waved his arm—that arm with -which he had mowed down the enemies of Carlos -Quinto—and requested the mountaineers, if ever -fate should carry them to Spain, not to fail to visit -his quinta in the vega of Genil, which, with all in it, -he placed at their worships' disposal—con muchissima -franqueza.</p> - -<p>Fat Fray Augustin likewise waved his arm, but -groaned in spirit as he beheld the noble band of -mules and horses, throwing back clouds of dust on -the plain where they had been bred. One noble -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> -roan stallion seemed averse to leave his accustomed -pasture, and again and again broke away from the -band. Luckily old Walker had taken the precaution -to secure the “<i>bell-mare</i>” of the herd, and -mounted on her rode ahead, the animals all following -their well-known leader. As the roan galloped -back, the padre was in ecstasy. It was a favourite -steed, and one he would have gladly ransomed at -any price.</p> - -<p>“Ya viene, ya viene!” he cried out, “now, now -it's coming! hurra for the roan!” but, under the -rifle of a mountaineer, one of the Californians dashed -at it, a lasso whirling round his head, and turning -and twisting like a doubling hare, as the horse tried -to avoid him, at last threw the open coil over the -animal's head, and led him back in triumph to the -band.</p> - -<p>“Maldito sea aquel Indio—curse that Indian!” -quoth the padre, and turned away.</p> - -<p>And now our sturdy band—less two who had gone -under—were fairly on their way. They passed the -body of their comrade who had been killed in the -fight before the Mission; the wolves, or Indian -dogs, had picked it to the bones; but a mound near -by, surrounded by a rude cross, showed where the -Californians (seven of whom were killed) had been -interred—the pile of stones at the foot of the cross -testifying that many an <i>ave maria</i> had already -been said by the poor Indians, to save the souls of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> -their slaughtered companions from the pangs of -purgatory.</p> - -<p>For the first few days progress was slow and -tedious. The confusion attendant upon driving so -large a number of animals over a country without -trail or track of any description, was sufficient to -prevent speedy travelling; and the mountaineers, -desirous of improving the pace, resolved to pursue -a course more easterly, and to endeavour to strike -the great <span class="smcap">Spanish Trail</span>, which is the route followed -by the New Mexicans in their journeys to -and from the towns of Puebla de los Angeles and -Santa Fé. This road, however, crosses a long -stretch of desert country, destitute alike of grass -and water, save at a few points, the regular halting-places -of the caravans; and as but little pasture is -to be found at these places at any time, there was -great reason to doubt, if the Santa Fé traders had -passed this season, that there would not be sufficient -grass to support the numerous cavallada, after the -herbage had been laid under contribution by the -traders' animals. However, a great saving of time -would be effected by taking this trail, although it -wound a considerable distance out of the way to -avoid the impassable chain of the Sierra Nevada—the -gap in those mountains through which the Americans -had come being far to the southward, and at -this late season probably obstructed by the snow.</p> - -<p>Urged by threats and bribes, one of the Indians -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> -agreed to guide the cavallada to the trail, which he -declared was not more than five days' distant. As -they advanced, the country became wilder and more -sterile,—the valleys, through which several small -streams coursed, alone being capable of supporting -so large a number of animals. No time was lost in -hunting for game; the poorest of the mules and -horses were killed for provisions, and the diet was -improved by a little venison when a deer casually -presented itself near the camping ground. Of -Indians they had seen not one; but they now approached -the country of the Diggers, who infest the -district through which the Spanish trail passes, laying -contributions on the caravans of traders, and -who have been, not inaptly, termed the “Arabs of -the American desert.” The Californian guide now -earnestly entreated permission to retrace his steps, -saying, that he should lose his life if he attempted -to pass the Digger country alone on his return. He -pointed to a snow-covered peak, at the foot of -which the trail passed; and leave being accorded, -he turned his horse's head towards the Mission of -San Fernando.</p> - -<p>Although the cavallada travelled, by this time, -with much less confusion than at first, still, from the -want of a track to follow, great trouble and exertion -were required to keep the proper direction. -The bell-mare led the van, carrying Walker, who -was better acquainted with the country than the -others; another hunter, of considerable distinction -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> -in the band, on a large mule, rode by his side. -Then followed the cavallada, jumping and frisking -with each other, stopping whenever a blade of grass -showed, and constantly endeavouring to break away -to green patches which sometimes presented themselves -in the plains. Behind the troop, urging them -on by dint of loud cries and objurgations, rode six -mountaineers, keeping as much as possible in a -line. Two others were on each flank to repress all -attempts to wander, and keep the herd in a compact -body. In this order the caravan had been crossing -a broken country, up and down ridges, all day, the -animals giving infinite trouble to their drivers, when -a loud shout from the advanced guard put them all -upon the <i>qui-vive</i>. Old Walker was seen to brandish -the rifle over his head and point before him, -and presently the cry of “The trail! the trail!” -gladdened all hearts with the anticipation of a -respite from the harassing labour of mule-driving. -Descending a broken ridge, they at once struck -into a distinct and tolerably well-worn track, into -which the cavallada turned as easily and instinctively -as if they had all their lives been accustomed -to travel on beaten roads. Along this they travelled -merrily—their delight being, however, alloyed by -frequent indications that hunger and thirst had -done their work on the mules and horses of the -caravans which had preceded them on the trail. -They happened to strike it in the centre of a long -stretch of desert, extending sixty miles without -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> -either water or pasture; and many animals had -perished here, leaving their bones to bleach upon -the plain. The soil was sandy, but rocks and stones -covered the surface, disabling the feet of many of -the young horses and mules; several of which, at -this early stage of the journey, were already abandoned. -Traces of the wretched Diggers became -very frequent; these abject creatures resorting to -the sandy plains for the purpose of feeding upon -the lizards which there abound. As yet they did -not show; only at night they prowled around the -camp, waiting a favourable opportunity to run the -animals. In the present instance, however, many -of the horses having been left on the road, the Diggers -found so plentiful a supply of meat as to render -unnecessary any attack upon the formidable -mountaineers.</p> - -<p>One evening the Americans had encamped, earlier -than usual, on a creek well-timbered with willow -and quaking-ash, and affording tolerable pasture; -and although it was still rather early, they -determined to stop here, and give the animals an -opportunity to fill themselves. Several deer had -jumped out of the bottom as they entered it; and -La Bonté and Killbuck had sallied from the camp -with their rifles, to hunt and endeavour to procure -some venison for supper. Along the river banks, -herds of deer were feeding in every direction, within -shot of the belt of timber; and the two hunters -had no difficulty in approaching and knocking over -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> -two fine bucks within a few paces of the thicket. -They were engaged in butchering the animals, -when La Bonté, looking up from his work, saw -half-a-dozen Indians dodging among the trees, -within a few yards of himself and Killbuck. At -the same instant two arrows <i>thudded</i> into the carcass -of the deer over which he knelt, passing but a -few inches from his head. Hollowing to his companion, -La Bonté immediately seized the deer, and, -lifting it with main strength, held it as a shield -before him, but not before an arrow had struck -him in the shoulder. Rising from the ground he -retreated behind cover, yelling loudly to alarm -the camp, which was not five hundred yards' distant -on the other side of the stream. Killbuck, -when apprised of the danger, ran bodily into the -plain, and, keeping out of shot of the timber, joined -La Bonté, who now, out of arrow-shot, threw down -his shield of venison and fired his rifle at the assailants. -The Indians appeared at first afraid to leave -the cover; but three or four more joining them, -one a chief, they advanced into the plain, with -drawn bows, scattering wide apart, and running -swiftly towards the whites, in a zigzag course, in -order not to present a steady mark to their unerring -rifles. The latter were too cautious to discharge -their pieces, but kept a steady front, with rifle at -shoulder. The Indians evidently disliked to approach -nearer; but the chief, an old grizzled man, -incited them by word and gesture—running in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> -advance, and calling upon the others to follow -him.</p> - -<p>“Ho, boy!” exclaimed Killbuck to his companion, -“that old coon must go under, or we'll get rubbed -out by these darned critturs.”</p> - -<p>La Bonté understood him. Squatting on the -ground, he planted his wiping-stick firmly at the -extent of his left arm, and resting the long barrel -of his rifle on his left hand, which was supported by -the stick, he took a steady aim and fired. The -Indian, throwing out his arms, staggered and let -fall his bow—tried hard to recover himself, and -then fell forward on his face. The others, seeing -the death of their chief, turned and made again for -the cover. “You darned critturs,” roared Killbuck, -“take that!” and fired his rifle at the last one, -tumbling him over as dead as a stone. The camp -had also been alarmed. Five of them waded across -the creek and took the Indians in rear; their rifles -cracked within the timber, several more Indians -fell, and the rest quickly beat a retreat. The venison, -however, was not forgotten; the two deer were -packed into camp, and did the duty of mule-meat -that night.</p> - -<p>This lesson had a seasonable effect upon the Diggers, -who made no attempt on the cavallada that -night or the next; for the camp remained two days -to recruit the animals.</p> - -<p>We will not follow the party through all the difficulties -and perils of the desert route, nor detail -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> -the various devilries of the Diggers, who constantly -sought opportunities to stampede the animals, or, -approaching them in the night as they grazed, fired -their arrows indiscriminately at the herd, trusting -that dead or disabled ones would be left behind, -and afford them a good supply of meat. In the -month of December the mountaineers crossed the -great dividing ridge of the Rocky Mountains, making -their way through the snowy barrier with the -utmost difficulty, and losing many mules and horses -in the attempt. On passing the ridge, they at -once struck the head-springs of the Arkansa river, -and turned into the Bayou Salade. Here they -found a village of Arapahos, and were in no little -fear of leaving their cavallada with these dexterous -horse-thieves. Fortunately, the chief in command -was friendly to the whites, and restrained his young -men; and a present of three horses insured his -good offices. Still, the near neighbourhood of these -Indians being hardly desirable, after a few days' -halt, the Americans were again on their way, and -halted finally at the juncture of the Fontaine-qui-bout -with the Arkansa, where they determined to -construct a winter camp. They now considered -themselves at home, and at once set about building -a log-shanty capable of containing them all, and a -large corral for securing the animals at night, or in -case of Indian alarms. This they effected by felling -several large cottonwoods, and throwing them -in the form of a horse-shoe: the entrance, however, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span> -being narrower than in that figure, and secured by -upright logs, between which poles were fixed to be -withdrawn at pleasure. The house, or “fort”—as -any thing in the shape of a house is called in these -parts, where, indeed, every man must make his -house a castle—was loopholed on all sides, and -boasted a turf chimney of rather primitive construction; -but which answered the purpose of drawing -the smoke from the interior. Game was plentiful -all around;—bands of buffalo were constantly passing -the Arkansa; and there were always deer and -antelope within sight of the fort. The pasture, -too, was good and abundant—being the rich grama -or buffalo grass, which, although rather dry at this -season, still retains its fattening qualities; and the -animals soon began to improve wonderfully in condition -and strength.</p> - -<p>Of the four hundred head of mules and horses -with which they had started from California, but -one-half reached the Arkansa. Many had been -killed for food (indeed they had furnished the only -provisions during the journey), many had been -stolen by the Indians, or shot by them at night; -and many had strayed off and not been recovered. -We have omitted to mention that the Sonora girl, -Juanita, and her spouse, Ned Wooton, remained -behind at Roubideau's fort and rendezvous on the -Uintah, which our band had passed on the other -side of the mountains, whence they proceeded with -a party to Taos in New Mexico, and resided there -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> -for some years, blessed with a fine family, &c. &c. -&c., as the novels end.</p> - -<p>As soon as the animals were fat and strong, they -were taken down the Arkansa to Bent's Indian -trading fort, about sixty miles below the mouth of -Fontaine-qui-bout. Here a ready sale was found -for them, mules being at that time in great demand -on the frontier of the United States, and every -season the Bents carried across the plains to Independence -a considerable number collected in the -Indian country, and in the upper settlements of New -Mexico. While the mountaineers were descending the -Arkansa, a little incident occurred, and some of the -party very unexpectedly encountered an old friend. -Killbuck and La Bonté, who were generally compañeros, -were riding some distance ahead of the -cavallada, passing at the time the mouth of the -Huerfano or Orphan Creek, when, at a long distance -before them, they saw the figure of a horseman, -followed by two loose animals, descending the -bluff into the timbered bottom of the river. Judging -the stranger to be Indian, they spurred their -horses and galloped in pursuit, but the figure ahead -suddenly disappeared. However, they quickly followed -the track, which was plain enough in the -sandy bottom, that of a horse and two mules. Killbuck -scrutinised the “sign,” and puzzled over it a -considerable time; and at last exclaimed—“Wagh! -this sign's as plain as mon beaver to me; look at -that hos-track, boy; did ye ever see that afore?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span></p> - -<p>“<i>Well</i>, I have!” answered La Bonté, peering -down at it: “that ar shuffle-toe seems handy to me -now, I <i>tell</i> you.”</p> - -<p>“The man as used to ride that hos is long gone -under, but the hos, darn the old crittur, is old Bill -Williams's, I'll swar by hook.”</p> - -<p>“Well, it aint nothin else,” continued La Bonté, -satisfying himself by a long look; “it's the old -boy's hos as shure as shootin: and them Rapahos -has rubbed him out at last, and raised his animals. -Ho, boy! let's lift their hair.”</p> - -<p>“Agreed,” answered Killbuck; and away they -started in pursuit, determined to avenge the death -of their old comrade.</p> - -<p>They followed the track through the bottom and -into the stream, which it crossed, and, passing a few -yards up the bank, entered the water again, when -they could see nothing more of it. Puzzled at this, -they sought on each side the river, but in vain; -and, not wishing to lose more time in the search, -they proceeded through the timber on the banks to -find a good camping-place for the night, which had -been their object in riding in advance of the cavallada. -On the left bank, a short distance before -them, was a heavy growth of timber, and the river -ran in one place close to a high bluff, between which -and the water was an almost impervious thicket of -plum and cherry trees. The grove of timber ended -before it reached this point, and but few scattered -trees grew in the little glade which intervened, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> -which was covered with tolerable grass. This being -fixed upon as an excellent camp, the two mountaineers -rode into the glade, and dismounted close to the -plum and cherry thicket, which formed almost a -wall before them, and an excellent shelter from the -wind. Jumping off their horses, they were in the -act of removing the saddles from their backs, when -a shrill neigh burst from the thicket not two yards -behind them; a rustling in the bushes followed, and -presently a man dressed in buckskin, and rifle in -hand, burst out of the tangled brush, exclaiming in -an angry voice—</p> - -<p>“Do'ee hy'ar now? I was nigh upon gut-shootin -some of e'e—I was now; thought e'e was darned -Rapahos, I did, and câched right off.”</p> - -<p>“Ho, Bill! what, old hos! not gone under yet?” -cried both the hunters. “Give us your paw.”</p> - -<p>“Do'ee now, if hy'ar ar'nt them boys as was -rubbed out on Lodge Pole (creek) a time ago. -Do'ee hyar? if this aint 'some' now, I would'nt -say so.”</p> - -<p>Leaving old Bill Williams and our two friends to -exchange their rough but hearty greetings, we will -glance at that old worthy's history since the time -when we left him caching in the fire and smoke on -the Indian battle-ground in the Rocky Mountains. -He had escaped fire and smoke, or he would not -have been here on Arkansa with his old grizzled -Nez-percé steed. On that occasion, the veteran -mountaineer had lost his two pack-animals and all -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> -his beaver. He was not the man, however, to want -a horse or mule as long as an Indian village was -near at hand. Skulking, therefore, by day in -cañons and deep gorges of the mountains, and travelling -by night, he followed closely on the trail of -the victorious savages, bided his time, struck his -“coup,” and recovered a pair of pack-horses, which -was all he required. Ever since, he had been trapping -alone in all parts of the mountains; had visited -the rendezvous but twice for short periods, and then -with full packs of beaver; and was now on his way -to Bent's Fort, to dispose of his present loads of -peltry, enjoy one good carouse on Taos whisky, and -then return to some hole or corner in the mountains -which he knew of, to follow in the spring his solitary -avocation. He too had had his share of -troubles, and had many Indian scrapes, but passed -safely through all, and scarcely cared to talk of -what he had done, so matter-of-fact to him were the -most extraordinary of his perilous adventures.</p> - -<p>Arrived at Bent's Fort, the party disposed of -their cavallada, and then—respect for the pardonable -weaknesses of our mountain friends prompts us -to draw a veil over the furious orgies that ensued. -A number of hunters and trappers were “in” from -their hunting-grounds, and a village of Shians and -some lodges of Kioways were camped round the -fort. As long as the liquor lasted, and there was -good store of alcohol as well as of Taos whisky, the -Arkansa resounded with furious mirth—not unmixed -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> -with graver scenes; for your mountaineer, ever -quarrelsome in his cups, is quick to give and take -offence, when rifles alone can settle the difference, -and much blood is spilt upon the prairie in his wild -and frequent quarrels.</p> - -<p>Bent's Fort is situated on the left or northern -bank of the river Arkansa, about one hundred miles -from the foot of the Rocky Mountains—on a low -and level bluff of the prairie which here slopes -gradually to the water's-edge. The walls are built -entirely of adobes—or sun-burned bricks—in the -form of a hollow square, at two corners of which -are circular flanking towers of the same material. -The entrance is by a large gateway into the square, -round which are the rooms occupied by the traders -and employés of the host. These are small in size, -with walls coloured by a white-wash made of clay -found in the prairie. Their flat roofs are defended -along the exterior by parapets of adobe, to serve as -a cover to marksmen firing from the top; and along -the coping grow plants of cactus of all the varieties -common in the plains. In the centre of the square -is the press for packing the furs; and there are -three large rooms, one used as a store and magazine, -another as a council-room, where the Indians -assemble for their “talks,” whilst the third is the -common dining-hall, where the traders, trappers, -and hunters, and all employés, feast upon the best -provender the game-covered country affords. Over -the culinary department presided of late years a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> -fair lady of colour, Charlotte by name, who was, as -she loved to say, “de onlee lady in de dam Injun -country,” and who moreover was celebrated from -Long's Peak to the Cumbres Espanolás for slapjacks -and pumpkin pies.</p> - -<p>Here congregate at certain seasons the merchants -of the plains and mountains, with their stocks of -peltry. Chiefs of the Shian, the Kioway, and Arapaho, -sit in solemn conclave with the head traders, -and smoke the “calumet” over their real and -imaginary grievances. Now O-cun-no-whurst, the -Yellow Wolf, grand chief of the Shian, complains -of certain grave offences against the dignity of his -nation! A trader from the “big lodge” (the fort) -has been in his village, and before the trade was -opened, in laying the customary chief's gift “on the -prairie”<a name="FNanchor_31_31" id="FNanchor_31_31"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_31_31" class="fnanchor">[31]</a> -has not “opened his hand,” but “squeezed -out his present between his fingers,” grudgingly, -and with too sparing measure. This was hard to -bear, but the Yellow Wolf would say no more!</p> - -<p>Tah-kai-buhl, or, “he who jumps,” is deputed -from the Kioway to warn the white traders not to -proceed to the Canadian to trade with the Comanche. -That nation is mad—a “heap mad” with the whites, -and has “dug up the hatchet” to “rub out” all -who enter its country. The Kioway loves the paleface, -and gives him warning (and “he who jumps” -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> -looks as if he deserves something “on the prairie” -for his information).</p> - -<p>Shawh-noh-qua-mish, “the peeled lodge-pole,” is -there to excuse his Arapaho braves, who lately -made free with a band of horses belonging to the -fort. He promises the like shall never happen again, -and he, Shawh-noh-qua-mish, speaks with a “single -tongue.” Over clouds of tobacco and kinnik-kinnik, -these grave affairs are settled and terms arranged.</p> - -<p>In the corral, groups of leather-clad mountaineers, -with “decks” of “euker” and “seven up,” -gamble away their hard-earned peltries. The employés—mostly -St Louis Frenchmen and Canadian -voyageurs—are pressing packs of buffalo skins, -beating robes, or engaged in other duties of a trading -fort. Indian squaws, the wives of mountaineers, -strut about in all the pride of beads and fofarrow, -jingling with bells and bugles, and happy as paint -can make them. Hunters drop in with animals -packed with deer or buffalo meat to supply the -fort; Indian dogs look anxiously in at the gateway, -fearing to enter and encounter their natural -enemies, the whites: and outside the fort, at -any hour of the day or night, one may safely wager -to see a dozen cayeutes or prairie wolves loping -round, or seated on their haunches, and looking -gravely on, waiting patiently for some chance offal -to be cast outside. Against the walls, groups of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> -Indians, too proud to enter without an invitation, -lean, wrapped in their buffalo robes, sulky and evidently -ill at ease to be so near the whites without a -chance of fingering their scalp-locks; their white -lodges shining in the sun, at a little distance from -the river-banks; their horses feeding in the plain -beyond.</p> - -<p>The appearance of the fort is very striking, standing -as it does hundreds of miles from any settlement, -on the vast and lifeless prairie, surrounded -by hordes of hostile Indians, and far out of reach of -intercourse with civilised man; its mud-built walls -inclosing a little garrison of a dozen hardy men, -sufficient to hold in check the numerous tribes of -savages ever thirsting for their blood. Yet the -solitary stranger passing this lone fort, feels proudly -secure when he comes within sight of the “stars -and stripes” which float above the walls.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VIII.</h2> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap"> -Again</span> we must take a jump with La Bonté over a -space of several months; when we find him, in company -of half a dozen trappers, amongst them his -inseparable compañero Killbuck, camped on the -Greenhorn creek, <i>en route</i> to the settlements of -New Mexico. They have a few mules packed with -beaver for the Taos market: but this expedition -has been planned more for pleasure than profit—a -journey to Taos valley being the only civilised -relaxation coveted by the mountaineers. Not a few -of the present band are bound thither with matrimonial -intentions; the belles of Nuevo Mejico being -to them the <i>ne plus ultra</i> of female perfection, uniting -most conspicuous personal charms (although -coated with cosmetic <i>alegria</i>—an herb, with the -juice of which the women of Mexico hideously -bedaub their faces), with all the hard-working -industry of Indian squaws. The ladies, on their -part, do not hesitate to leave the paternal abodes, -and eternal tortilla-making, to share the perils and -privations of the American mountaineers in the distant -wilderness. Utterly despising their own countrymen, -whom they are used to contrast with the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> -dashing white hunters who swagger in all the pride -of fringe and leather through their towns—they, as -is but natural, gladly accept husbands from the latter -class; preferring the stranger, who possesses -the heart and strong right arm to defend them, to -the miserable cowardly “peládos,” who hold what -little they have on sufferance of savage Indians, but -one degree superior to themselves.</p> - -<p>Certainly no band of hunters that ever appeared -in the vale of Taos, numbered in its ranks a properer -lot of lads than those now camped on Greenhorn, -intent on matrimonial foray into the settlements -of New Mexico. There was young Dick -Wooton, who was “some” for his inches, being six -feet six, and as straight and strong as the barrel of -his long rifle. Shoulder to shoulder with this “boy,” -stood Rube Herring, and not a hair's-breadth difference -in height or size was there between them. -Killbuck, though mountain winters had sprinkled a -few snow-flakes on his head, <i>looked up</i> to neither; -and La Bonté held his own with any mountaineer -who ever set a trap in sight of Long's Peak or the -Snowy Range. Marcellin—who, though a Mexican, -despised his people and abjured his blood, having -been all his life in the mountains with the white -hunters—looked down easily upon six feet and odd -inches. In form a Hercules, he had the symmetry -of an Apollo; with strikingly handsome features, -and masses of long black hair hanging from his -slouching beaver over the shoulders of his buckskin -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> -hunting shirt. He, as he was wont to say, was “no -dam Spaniard, but 'mountainee man,' wagh!” -Chabonard, a half-breed, was not lost in the crowd;—and, -the last in height, but the first in every quality -which constitutes excellence in a mountaineer, -whether of indomitable courage, or perfect indifference -to death or danger; with an iron frame capable -of withstanding hunger, thirst, heat, cold, fatigue, -and hardships of every kind; of wonderful presence -of mind, and endless resources in times of peril; -with the instinct of an animal, and the moral courage -of a <i>man</i>—who was “taller” for his inches -than <span class="smcap">Kit Carson</span>, paragon of mountaineers? -<a name="FNanchor_32_32" id="FNanchor_32_32"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_32_32" class="fnanchor">[32]</a> -Small in stature, and slenderly limbed, but with -muscles of wire, with a fair complexion and quiet -intelligent features, to look at Kit none would suppose -that the mild-looking being before him was an -incarnate devil in Indian fight, and had raised more -hair from head of Redskins than any two men in -the western country; and yet, thirty winters had -scarcely planted a line or furrow on his clean-shaven -face. No name, however, was better known in the -mountains—from Yellow Stone to Spanish Peaks, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> -from Missouri to Columbia River—than that of Kit -Carson, “raised” in Boonlick, county of Missouri -State, and a credit to the diggins that gave him birth.</p> - -<p>On Huerfano or Orphan Creek, so called from -an isolated <i>hutte</i> which stands on a prairie near the -stream, our party fell in with a village of Yuta -Indians, at that time hostile to the whites. Both -parties were preparing for battle, when Killbuck, -who spoke the language, went forward with signs -of peace, and after a talk with several chiefs, -entered into an armistice, each party agreeing not -to molest the other. After trading for a few deer-skins, -which the Yutas are celebrated for dressing -delicately fine, the trappers moved hastily on out -of such dangerous company, and camped under the -mountain on Oak Creek, where they forted in a -strong position, and constructed a corral in which -to secure their animals at night. At this point is a -tolerable pass through the mountains, where a break -occurs in a range, whence they gradually decrease -in magnitude until they meet the sierras of Mexico, -which connect the two mighty chains of the Andes -and the Rocky Mountains. From the summit of -the dividing ridge, to the eastward, a view is had -of the vast sea of prairie which stretches away from -the base of the mountains, in dreary barrenness, for -nearly a thousand miles, until it meets the fertile -valley of the great Missouri. Over this boundless -expanse, nothing breaks the uninterrupted solitude -of the view. Not a tree or atom of foliage relieves -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> -the eye; for the lines of scattered timber which belt -the streams running from the mountains, are lost in -the shadow of their stupendous height, and beyond -this nothing is seen but the bare surface of the rolling -prairie. In no other part of the chain are the -grand characteristics of the Far West more strikingly -displayed than from this pass. The mountains -here rise, on the eastern side, abruptly from -the plain, and the view over the great prairies is -not therefore obstructed by intervening ridges. To -the westward the eye sweeps over the broken spurs -which stretch from the main range in every direction; -whilst distant peaks, for the most part snow-covered, -are seen at intervals rising isolated above -the range. On all sides the scene is wild and dismal.</p> - -<p>Crossing by this pass, the trappers followed the -Yuta trail over a plain, skirting a pine-covered -ridge, in which countless herds of antelope, tame as -sheep, were pasturing. Numerous creeks intersect -it, well timbered with oak, pine, and cedar, and -well stocked with game of all kinds. On the eleventh -day from leaving the Huerfano, they struck -the Taos valley settlement on Arroyo Hondo, and -pushed on at once to the village of Fernandez—sometimes, -but improperly, called Taos. As the -dashing band clattered through the village, the dark -eyes of the reboso-wrapped muchachas peered from -the doors of the adobe houses, each mouth armed -with cigarito, which was at intervals removed to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> -allow utterance to the salutation to each hunter as -he trotted past of <i>Adios Americanos</i>,—“Welcome -to Fernandez!” and then they hurried off to prepare -for the fandango, which invariably followed -the advent of the mountaineers. The men, however, -seemed scarcely so well pleased; but leaned -sulkily against the walls, their sarapes turned -over the left shoulder, and concealing the lower -part of the face, the hand appearing from its upper -folds only to remove the eternal cigarro from their -lips. They, from under their broad-brimmed sombreros, -scowled with little affection upon the stalwart -hunters, who clattered past them, scarcely -deigning to glance at the sullen Peládos, but paying -incomprehensible compliments to the buxom wenches -who smiled at them from the doors. Thus exchanging -salutations, they rode up to the house of an old -mountaineer, who had long been settled here with a -New Mexican wife, and who was the recognised -entertainer of the hunters when they visited Taos -valley, receiving in exchange such peltry as they -brought with them.</p> - -<p>No sooner was it known that Los Americanos had -arrived, than nearly all the householders of Fernandez -presented themselves to offer the use of their -“salas” for the fandango which invariably celebrated -their arrival. This was always a profitable -event; for as the mountaineers were generally -pretty well “flush” of cash when on their “spree,” -and as open-handed as an Indian could wish, the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> -sale of whisky, with which they regaled all comers, -produced a handsome return to the fortunate individual -whose room was selected for the fandango. -On this occasion the sala of the Alcalde Don Cornelio -Vegil was selected and put in order; a general -invitation was distributed; and all the dusky beauties -of Fernandez were soon engaged in arraying -themselves for the fête. Off came the coats of dirt -and “alegnía” which had bedaubed their faces -since the last “funcion,” leaving their cheeks clear -and clean. Water was profusely used, and their -cuerpos were doubtless astonished by the unusual -lavation. Their long black hair was washed and -combed, plastered behind their ears, and plaited -into a long queue, which hung down their backs. -<i>Enaguas</i> of gaudy colour (red most affected) were -donned, fastened round the waist with ornamented -belts, and above this a snow-white <i>camisita</i> of fine -linen was the only covering, allowing a prodigal -display of their charms. Gold and silver ornaments, -of antiquated pattern, decorate their ears and -necks; and massive crosses of the precious metals, -wrought from the gold or silver of their own placeres, -hang pendant on their breasts. The enagua or -petticoat, reaching about halfway between the knee -and ancle, displays their well-turned limbs, destitute -of stockings, and their tiny feet, thrust into quaint -little shoes (<i>zapatitos</i>) of Cinderellan dimensions. -Thus equipped, with the reboso drawn over their -heads and faces, out of the folds of which their brilliant -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> -eyes flash like lightning, and each pretty -mouth armed with its cigarito, they coquettishly -enter the fandango.<a name="FNanchor_33_33" id="FNanchor_33_33"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_33_33" class="fnanchor">[33]</a> Here, at one end of a long -room, are seated the musicians, their instruments -being generally a species of guitar, called heaca, a -<i>bandolin</i>, and an Indian drum, called <i>tombé</i>—one -of each. Round the room groups of New Mexicans -lounge, wrapped in the eternal sarape, and smoking -of course, scowling with jealous eyes at the more -favoured mountaineers. These, divested of their -hunting-coats of buckskins, appear in their bran-new -shirts of gaudy calico, and close fitting buckskin -pantaloons, with long fringes down the outside seam -from the hip to the ancle; with moccasins, ornamented -with bright beads and porcupine quills. -Each, round his waist, wears his mountain-belt and -scalp-knife, ominous of the company he is in, and -some have pistols sticking in their belt.</p> - -<p>The dances—save the mark!—are without form -or figure, at least those in which the white hunters -sport the “fantastic toe.” Seizing his partner -round the waist with the gripe of a grisly bear, each -mountaineer whirls and twirls, jumps and stamps; -introduces Indian steps used in the “scalp” or -“buffalo” dances, whooping occasionally with unearthly -cry, and then subsiding into the jerking step, -raising each foot alternately from the ground, so -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> -much in vogue in Indian ballets. The hunters have -the floor all to themselves. The Mexicans have no -chance in such physical force dancing; and if a -dancing Peládo<a name="FNanchor_34_34" id="FNanchor_34_34"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_34_34" class="fnanchor">[34]</a> -steps into the ring, a lead-like -thump from a galloping mountaineer quickly sends -him sprawling, with the considerate remark—“Quit, -you darned Spaniard! you can't 'shine' in -this crowd.”</p> - -<p>During a lull, guagés<a name="FNanchor_35_35" id="FNanchor_35_35"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_35_35" class="fnanchor">[35]</a> filled with whisky go the -rounds—offered to and seldom refused by the ladies—sturdily -quaffed by the mountaineers, and freely -swallowed by the Peládos, who drown their jealousy -and envious hate of their entertainers in potent -aguardiente. Now, as the guagés are oft refilled -and as often drained, and as night advances, so do -the spirits of the mountaineers become more boisterous, -while their attentions to their partners -become warmer—the jealousy of the natives waxes -hotter thereat—and they begin to show symptoms -of resenting the endearments which the mountaineers -bestow upon their wives and sweethearts. And -now, when the room is filled to crowding,—with two -hundred people, swearing, drinking, dancing, and -shouting—the half-dozen Americans monopolising -the fair, to the evident disadvantage of at least -threescore scowling Peládos, it happens that one of -these, maddened by whisky and the green-eyed -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> -monster, suddenly seizes a fair one from the waist-encircling -arm of a mountaineer, and pulls her from -her partner. Wagh!—La Bonté—it is he—stands -erect as a pillar for a moment, then raises his hand -to his mouth, and gives a ringing war-whoop—jumps -upon the rash Peládo, seizes him by the body -as if he were a child, lifts him over his head, and -dashes him with the force of a giant against the -wall.</p> - -<p>The war, long threatened, has commenced; -twenty Mexicans draw their knives and rush upon -La Bonté, who stands his ground, and sweeps them -down with his ponderous fist, one after another, as -they throng around him. “Howgh-owgh-owgh-owgh-h!” -the well-known warhoop, bursts from the -throats of his companions, and on they rush to the -rescue. The women scream, and block the door in -their eagerness to escape; and thus the Mexicans -are compelled to stand their ground and fight. -Knives glitter in the light, and quick thrusts are -given and parried. In the centre of the room the -whites stand shoulder to shoulder—covering the -floor with Mexicans by their stalwart blows; but -the odds are fearful against them, and other assailants -crowd up to supply the place of those who -fall.</p> - -<p>The alarm being given by the shrieking women, -reinforcements of Peládos rushed to the scene of action, -but could not enter the room, which was already -full. The odds began to tell against the mountaineers, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> -when Kit Carson's quick eye caught sight -of a high stool or stone, supported by three long -heavy legs. In a moment he had cleared his way -to this, and in another the three legs were broken -off and in the hands of himself, Dick Wooton, and -La Bonté. Sweeping them round their heads, down -came the heavy weapons amongst the Mexicans with -wonderful effect—each blow, dealt by the nervous -arms of Wooton and La Bonté, mowing down a -good half-dozen of the assailants. At this the -mountaineers gave a hearty whoop, and charged the -wavering enemy with such resistless vigour, that -they gave way and bolted through the door, leaving -the floor strewed with wounded, many most dangerously; -for, as may be imagined, a thrust from -the keen scalp-knife by the nervous arm of a mountaineer -was no baby blow, and seldom failed to -strike home—up to the “Green River” -<a name="FNanchor_36_36" id="FNanchor_36_36"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_36_36" class="fnanchor">[36]</a> on the -blade.</p> - -<p>The field being won, the whites, too, beat a quick -retreat to the house where they were domiciled, and -where they had left their rifles. Without their -trusty weapons they felt, indeed, unarmed; and not -knowing how the affair just over would be followed -up, lost no time in making preparations for defence. -However, after great blustering on the part of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> -prefecto, who, accompanied by a <i>posse comitatus</i> of -“Greasers,” proceeded to the house, and demanded -the surrender of all concerned in the affair—which -proposition was received with a yell of derision—the -business was compounded by the mountaineers -promising to give sundry dollars to the friends of -two of the Mexicans, who died during the night of -their wounds, and to pay for a certain amount of -masses to be sung for the repose of their souls in -purgatory. Thus the affair blew over; but for -several days the mountaineers never showed themselves -in the streets of Fernandez without their rifles -on their shoulders, and refrained from attending -fandangos for the present, and until the excitement -had cooled down.</p> - -<p>A bitter feeling, however, existed on the part of -the men; and one or two offers of a matrimonial -nature were rejected by the papas of certain ladies -who had been wooed by some of the white hunters, -and their hands formally demanded from the respective -padres.</p> - -<p>La Bonté had been rather smitten with the charms -of one Dolores Salazar—a buxom lass, more than -three parts Indian in her blood, but confessedly the -“beauty” of the Vale of Taos. She, by dint of eye, -and of nameless acts of elaborate coquetry, with which -the sex so universally bait their traps, whether in -the salons of Belgravia, or the rancherias of New -Mexico, contrived to make considerable havoc in -the heart of our mountaineer; and when once -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> -Dolores saw she had made an impression, she followed -up her advantage with all the arts the most -civilised of her sex could use when fishing for a -husband.</p> - -<p>La Bonté, however, was too old a hunter to be -easily caught; and before committing himself, he -sought the advice of his tried companion Killbuck. -Taking him to a retired spot without the village, he -drew out his pipe and charged it—seated himself -cross-legged on the ground, and, with Indian gravity, -composed himself for a “talk.”</p> - -<p>“Ho, Killbuck!” he began, touching the ground -with the bowl of his pipe, and then turning the stem -upwards for “<i>medicine</i>”—“Hyar's a child feels -squamptious like, and nigh upon 'gone beaver,' -<i>he</i> is—Wagh!”</p> - -<p>“Wagh!” exclaimed Killbuck, all attention.</p> - -<p>“Old hos,” continued the other, “thar's no use -câching anyhow what a niggur feels—so hyar's to -'put out.' You're good for beaver <i>I</i> know; at -deer or buffler, or darned red Injun either, you're -'some.' Now that's a fact. 'Off-hand,' or 'with -a rest,' you make 'em 'come.' You knows the -'sign' of Injuns slick—Blackfoot or Sioux, Pawnee -or Burnt-wood, Zeton, Rapaho, Shian, or Shoshonée, -Yutah, Piyutah, or Yamhareek—their trail's a -plain as writin', old hos, to you.”</p> - -<p>“Wagh!” grunted Killbuck, blushing bronze at -all these compliments.</p> - -<p>“Your sight ain't bad. Elks is elk; black-tail -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> -deer ain't white-tails; and b'ar is b'ar to you, and -nothin' else, a long mile off and more.”</p> - -<p>“Wa-agh!”</p> - -<p>“Thar ain't a track as leaves its mark upon the -plains or mountains but you can read off-hand; that -I've see'd myself. But tell me, old hos, can you -make understand the 'sign' as shows itself in a -woman's breast?”</p> - -<p>Killbuck removed the pipe from his mouth, raised -his head, and puffed a rolling cloud of smoke into the -air,—knocked the ashes from the bowl, likewise -made his “medicine”—and answered thus:—</p> - -<p>“From Red River, away up north amongst the -Britishers, to Heely (Gila) in the Spanish country—from -old Missoura to the Sea of Californy, I've trapped -and hunted. I knows the Injuns and thar -'sign,' and they knows <i>me</i>, I'm thinkin. Thirty -winters has snowed on me in these hyar mountains, -and a niggur or a Spaniard<a name="FNanchor_37_37" id="FNanchor_37_37"></a> -<a href="#Footnote_37_37" class="fnanchor">[37]</a> would larn 'some' in -that time. This old tool” (tapping his rifle) “shoots -'center' <i>she</i> does; and if thar's game afoot, this -child knows 'bull' from 'cow,' and ought to could. -That deer is deer, and goats is goats, is plain as -paint to any but a greenhorn. Beaver's a cunning -crittur, but I've trapped a 'heap;' and at killing -meat when meat's a-running, I'll 'shine' in the biggest -kind of crowd. For twenty year I packed a -squaw along. Not one, but a many. First I had a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> -Blackfoot—the darndest slut as ever cried for fofarrow. -I lodge-poled her on Colter's Creek, and made -her quit. My buffler hos, and as good as four packs -of beaver, I gave for old Bull-tail's daughter. He -was head chief of the Ricaree, and 'came' nicely -'round' me. Thar was'nt enough scarlet cloth, nor -beads, nor vermilion in Sublette's packs for her. -Traps wouldn't buy her all the fofarrow she wanted; -and in two years I'd sold her to Cross-Eagle for -one of Jake Hawkin's guns—this very one I hold -in my hands. Then I tried the Sioux, the Shian, -and a Digger from the other side, who made the -best moccasin as ever <i>I</i> wore. She was the best of -all, and was rubbed out by the Yutas in the Bayou -Salade. Bad was the best; and after she was gone -under I tried no more.</p> - -<p>“Afore I left the settlements I know'd a white -gal, and she was some punkins. I have never seed -nothing as 'ould beat her. Red blood won't 'shine' -any ways you fix it; and though I'm h— for 'sign,' -a woman's breast is the hardest kind of rock to me, -and leaves no trail that I can see of. I've hearn -you talk of a gal in Memphis county; Mary Brand -you called her oncest. The gal I said <i>I</i> know'd, her -name I disremember, but she stands before me as -plain as Chimley Rock on Platte, and thirty year -and more har'nt changed a feature in her face, to -me.</p> - -<p>“If you ask this child, he'll tell you to leave the -Spanish slut to her Greasers, and hold on till you -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> -take the trail to old Missoura, whar white and Christian -gals are to be had for axing. Wagh!”</p> - -<p>La Bonté rose to his feet. The mention of Mary -Brand's name decided him; and he said—</p> - -<p>“Darn the Spaniard! she can't shine with me; -come, old hos! let's move.”</p> - -<p>And, shouldering their rifles, the two compañeros -returned to the Ranch. More than one of the -mountaineers had fulfilled the object of their journey, -and had taken to themselves a partner from -amongst the belles of Taos, and now they were preparing -for their return to the mountains. Dick -Wooton was the only unfortunate one. He had -wooed a damsel whose parents peremptorily forbade -their daughter to wed the hunter, and he -therefore made ready for his departure with considerable -regret.</p> - -<p>The day came, however. The band of mountaineers -were already mounted, and those with wives in -charge were some hours on the road, leaving the -remainder quaffing many a stirrup-cup before they -left. Dick Wooton was as melancholy as a buffalo -bull in spring; and as he rode down the village, -and approached the house of his lady-love, who -stood wrapped in reboso, and cigarito in mouth, on -the sill of the door, he turned away his head as if -dreading to say adios. La Bonté rode beside him, -and a thought struck him.</p> - -<p>“Ho, Dick!” he said, “thar's the gal, and thar's -the mountains: shoot sharp's the word.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span></p> - -<p>Dick instantly understood him, and was “himself -again.” He rode up to the girl as if to bid her -adieu, and she came to meet him. Whispering one -word, she put her foot upon his, was instantly seized -round the waist, and placed upon the horn of his -saddle. He struck spurs into his horse, and in a -minute was out of sight, his three companions covering -his retreat, and menacing with their rifles the -crowd which was soon drawn to the spot by the cries -of the girl's parents, who had been astonished spectators -of the daring rape.</p> - -<p>The trapper and his bride, however, escaped -scatheless, and the whole party effected a safe passage -of the mountains, and reached the Arkansa, -where the band was broken up,—some proceeding -to Bent's Fort, and others to the Platte, amongst -whom were Killbuck and La Bonté, still in company.</p> - -<p>These two once more betook themselves to trapping, -the Yellow Stone being their chief hunting-ground. -But we must again leap over months and -years, rather than conduct the reader through all -their perilous wanderings, and at last bring him back -to the camp on Bijou, where we first introduced him -to our mountaineers; and as we have already followed -them on the Arapaho trail, which they pursued -to recover their stolen animals from a band of that -nation, we will once again seat ourselves at the camp -on Boiling Spring, where they had met a strange -hunter on a solitary expedition to the Bayou Salade, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> -whose double-barrelled rifle had excited their wonder -and curiosity.</p> - -<p>From him they learned also that a large band of -Mormons were wintering on the Arkansa, <i>en route</i> -to the Great Salt Lake and Upper California; and -as our hunters had before fallen in with the advanced -guard of these fanatic emigrants, and felt -no little wonder that such helpless people should -undertake so long a journey through the wilderness, -the stranger narrated to them the history of -the sect, which we shall shortly transcribe for the -benefit of the reader.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IX.</h2> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap"> -The</span> Mormons were originally of the sect known as -“Latter-day Saints,” which sect flourishes wherever -Anglo-Saxon gulls are found in sufficient numbers -to swallow the egregious nonsense of fanatic humbugs -who fatten upon their credulity. In the -United States they especially abounded; but, the -creed becoming “slow,” one Joe Smith, a <i>smart</i> -man, arose from its ranks, and instilled a little life -into the decaying sect.</p> - -<p>Joe, better known as the “Prophet Joe,” was -taking his siesta one fine day, upon hill in one of -the New England States, when an angel suddenly -appeared to him, and made known the locality of a -new Bible or Testament, which contained the history -of the lost tribes of Israel; that these tribes -were no other than the Indian nations which possessed -the continent of America at the time of its -discovery, and the remains of which still existed in -their savage state; that, through the agency of -Joe, these were to be reclaimed, collected into the -bosom of a church to be there established, according -to principles which would be found in the wonderful -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> -book—and which church was gradually to -receive into its bosom all other churches, sects, and -persuasions, with “unanimity of belief and perfect -brotherhood.”</p> - -<p>After a certain probation, Joe was led in body -and spirit to the mountain; by the angel who first -appeared to him, was pointed out the position of -the wonderful book, which was covered by a flat -stone, on which would be found two round pebbles, -called Urim and Thummim, and through the agency -of which the mystic characters inscribed on the -pages of the book were to be deciphered and translated. -Joe found the spot indicated without any -difficulty, cleared away the earth, and discovered a -hollow place formed by four flat stones; on removing -the topmost one of which sundry plates of brass -presented themselves, covered with quaint and antique -carving; on the top lay Urim and Thummim -(commonly known to the Mormons as Mummum -and Thummum, the pebbles of wonderful virtue), -through which the miracle of reading the plates of -brass was to be performed.</p> - -<p>Joe Smith, on whom the mantle of Moses had so -suddenly fallen, carefully removed the plates and -hid them, burying himself in woods and mountains -whilst engaged in the work of translation. However, -he made no secret of the important task -imposed upon him, nor of the great work to which -he had been called. Numbers at once believed him, -but not a few were deaf to belief, and openly -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> -derided him. Being persecuted (as the sect declares, -at the instigation of the authorities), and -many attempts being made to steal his precious -treasure, Joe, one fine night, packed his plates in a -sack of beans, bundled them into a Jersey waggon, -and made tracks for the West. Here he completed -the great work of translation, and not long after -gave to the world the “Book of Mormon,” a work -as bulky as the Bible, and called “of Mormon,” for -so was the prophet named by whose hand the history -of the lost tribes had been handed down in the -plates of brass thus miraculously preserved for -thousands of years, and brought to light through -the agency of Joseph Smith.</p> - -<p>The fame of the Book of Mormon spread over -all America, and even to Great Britain and Ireland. -Hundreds of proselytes flocked to Joe, to hear from -his lips the doctrine of Mormonism; and in a very -brief period the Mormons became a numerous and -recognised sect, and Joe was at once, and by universal -acclamation, installed as the head of the -Mormon church, and was ever after known by the -name of the “Prophet Joseph.”</p> - -<p>However, from certain peculiarities in their social -system, the Mormons became rather unpopular in -the settled States, and at length moved bodily into -Missouri, where they purchased several tracts of -land in the neighbourhood of Independence. Here -they erected a large building, which they called the -Lord's Store, where goods were collected on the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> -common account, and retailed to members of the -church at moderate prices. All this time their -numbers increased in a wonderful manner, and -immigrants from all parts of the States, as well as -Europe, continually joined them. As they became -stronger, they grew bolder and more arrogant in -their projects. They had hitherto been considered -as bad neighbours, on account of their pilfering -propensities, and their utter disregard of the conventional -decencies of society—exhibiting the greatest -immorality, and endeavouring to establish -amongst their society an indiscriminate concubinage. -This was sufficient to produce an ill feeling against -them on the part of their neighbours, the honest -Missourians; but they still tolerated their presence -amongst them, until the Saints openly proclaimed -their intention of seizing upon the country, and -expelling by force the present occupants—giving, -as their reason, that it had been revealed to their -prophets that the “Land of Zion” was to be possessed -by themselves alone.</p> - -<p>The sturdy Missourians began to think this was -a little too strong, and that, if they permitted such -aggressions any longer, they would be in a fair -way of being despoiled of their lands by the Mormon -interlopers. At length matters came to a -crisis, and the Saints, emboldened by the impunity -with which they had hitherto carried out their -plans, issued a proclamation to the effect that all in -that part of the country, who did not belong to the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> -Mormon persuasion, must “clear out,” and give up -possession of their lands and houses. The Missourians -collected in a body, burned the printing-press -from which the proclamation had emanated, seized -several of the Mormon leaders, and, after inflicting -a summary chastisement, “tarred and feathered” -them, and let them go.</p> - -<p>To revenge this insult, the Mormons marshalled -an army of Saints, and marched upon Independence, -threatening vengeance against the town and people. -Here they met, however, a band of sturdy backwoodsmen, -armed with rifles, determined to defend -the town against the fanatic mob, who, not relishing -their appearance, refused the encounter, and -surrendered their leaders at the first demand. The -prisoners were afterwards released, on condition -that the Mormons left that part of the country -without delay.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, they once more “took up their beds -and walked,” crossing the Missouri to Clay County, -where they established themselves, and would finally -have formed a thriving settlement but for their own -acts of wilful dishonesty. At this time their blasphemous -mummery knew no bounds. Joe Smith, -and other prophets who had lately arisen, were -declared to be chosen of God; and it was the -general creed that, on the day of judgment, the -former would take his stand on the right hand of -the judgment-seat, and that none would pass into -the kingdom of heaven without his seal and touch. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> -One of their tenets was the faith in “spiritual -matrimony.” No woman, it appeared, would be -admitted into heaven unless “passed” by a saint. -To qualify them for this, it was necessary that the -woman should first be received by the guaranteeing -Mormon as an “earthly wife,” in order that he did -not pass in any of whom he had no knowledge. -The consequence of this state of things may be -imagined. The most debasing immorality was a -precept of the order, and an almost universal concubinage -existed amongst the sect, which at this -time numbered at least forty thousand. Their disregard -to the laws of decency and morality was -such as could not be tolerated in any class of civilised -society.</p> - -<p>Again did the honest Missourians set their faces -against this pernicious example, and when the -county to which the Mormons had removed became -more thickly settled, they rose to a man against -the modern Gomorrah. The Mormons, by this -time, having on their part gained considerable -accession to their strength, thought to set the laws -at defiance, organised and armed large bodies of -men, in order to maintain the ascendency over the -legitimate settlers, and bid fair to constitute an -“imperium in imperio” in the State, and become -the sole possessors of the public lands. This, of -course, could not be tolerated. Governor Boggs -at once ordered out a large force of State militia to -put down this formidable demonstration, marched -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> -against the Mormons, and suppressed the insurrectionary -movement without bloodshed.</p> - -<p>From Clay County they moved still farther -into the wilds, and settled at last in Caldwell -County, where they built the town of “Far -West,” and here they remained for the space of -three years.</p> - -<p>During this time they were continually receiving -converts to the faith, and many of the more ignorant -country people were disposed to join them, -being only deterred by the fear of incurring ridicule -from the stronger-minded. The body of the -Mormons seeing this, called upon their prophet, -Joe Smith, to perform a miracle in public before all -comers, which was to prove to those of their own -people who still doubted the doctrine, the truth of -what it advanced—(the power of performing miracles -was stedfastly declared to be in their hands by -the prophets)—and to enlist those who wavered in -the Mormon cause.</p> - -<p>The prophet instantly agreed, and declared that, -upon a certain day, he would walk across the broad -waters of the Missouri without wetting the soles of -his feet. On the appointed day, the river banks -were thronged by an expectant crowd. The Mormons -sang hymns of praise in honour of their prophet, -and were proud of the forthcoming miracle, -which was to set finally at rest all doubt as to his -power and sanctity.</p> - -<p>This power of performing miracles and effecting -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> -miraculous cures of the sick, was so generally -believed by the Mormons, that physic was never -used amongst them. The prophets visited the beds -of the sick, and laid hands upon them, and if, as of -course was almost invariably the case, the patient -died, it was attributed to his or her want of faith; -but if, on the contrary, the patient recovered, -there was universal glorification on the miraculous -cure.</p> - -<p>Joe Smith was a tall, fine-looking man, of most -plausible address, and possessed the gift of the gab -in great perfection. At the time appointed for the -performance of the walking-water miracle, he duly -attended on the river banks, and descended barefoot -to the edge of the water.</p> - -<p>“My brethren!” he exclaimed in a loud voice, -“this day is a happy one to me, to us all, who -venerate the great and only faith. The truth of -our great and blessed doctrine will now be proved -before the thousands I see around me. You have -asked me to prove by a miracle that the power of -the prophets of old has been given to me. I say -unto you, not only to me, but to all who have faith. -I have faith, and can perform miracles—that faith -empowers me to walk across the broad surface of -that mighty river without wetting the soles of my -unworthy feet; but if ye are to <i>see</i> this miracle -performed, it is necessary that ye have faith also, -not only in yourselves, but in me. Have ye this -faith in yourselves?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span></p> - -<p>“We have, we have!” roared the crowd.</p> - -<p>“Have ye the faith in me, that ye believe I can -perform this miracle?”</p> - -<p>“We have, we have!” roared the crowd.</p> - -<p>“Then,” said Joe Smith, coolly walking away, -“with such faith do ye know well that I <i>could</i>, but -it boots not that I <i>should</i>, do it; therefore, my brethren, -doubt no more”—and Joe put on his boots -and disappeared.</p> - -<p>Being again compelled to emigrate, the Mormons -proceeded into the state of Illinois, where, in a -beautiful situation, they founded the new Jerusalem, -which, it had been declared by the prophet -Mormon, should rise out of the wilderness of the -west, and where the chosen people should be collected -under one church, and governed by the elders -after a “spiritual fashion.”</p> - -<p>The city of Nauvoo soon became a large and -imposing settlement. An enormous building, called -the Temple of Zion, was erected, half church half -hôtel, in which Joe Smith and the other prophets -resided—and large storehouses were connected with -it, in which the goods and chattels belonging to the -community were kept for the common good.</p> - -<p>However, here, as every where else, they were -continually quarrelling with their neighbours; and -as their numbers increased, so did their audacity. -A regular Mormon militia was again organised and -armed, under the command of experienced officers, -who had joined the sect; and now the authority of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> -the state government was openly defied. In consequence, -the executive took measures to put down -the nuisance, and a regular war commenced, and -was carried on for some time, with no little bloodshed -on both sides; and this armed movement is -known in the United States as the Mormon war. -The Mormons, however, who, it seemed, were much -better skilled in the use of the tongue than the -rifle, succumbed: the city of Nauvoo was taken, -Joe Smith and other ringleading prophets captured; -and the former, in an attempt to escape from his -place of confinement, was seized and shot. The -Mormons declare he had long foretold his own fate, -and that when the rifles of the firing party who -were his executioners were levelled at the prophet's -breast, a flash of lightning struck the weapons from -their hands, and blinded for a time the eyes of the -sacrilegious soldiers.</p> - -<p>With the death of Joe Smith the prestige of the -Mormon cause declined; but still thousands of proselytes -joined them annually, and at last the state -took measures to remove them altogether, as a body, -from the country.</p> - -<p>Once again they fled, as they themselves term it, -before the persecutions of the ungodly! But this -time their migration was far beyond the reach of -their enemies, and their intention was to place between -them the impassable barrier of the Rocky -Mountains, and to seek a home and resting-place in -the remote regions of the Far West.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span></p> - -<p>This, the most extraordinary migration of modern -times, commenced in the year 1845; but it was not -till the following year that the great body of the -Mormons turned their backs upon the settlements -of the United States, and launched boldly out into -the vast and barren prairies, without any fixed destination -as a goal to their endless journey. For -many months, long strings of Pittsburg and Conostaga -waggons, with herds of horses and domestic -cattle, wound their way towards the Indian frontier, -with the intention of rendezvousing at Council -Bluffs on the Upper Missouri. Here thousands of -waggons were congregated, with their tens of thousands -of men, women, and children, anxiously waiting -the route from the elders of the church, who -on their parts scarcely knew whither to direct the -steps of the vast crowd they had set in motion. At -length the indefinite destination of Oregon and -California was proclaimed, and the long train of -emigrants took up the line of march. It was believed -the Indian tribes would immediately fraternise -with the Mormons, on their approaching their -country; but the Pawnees quickly undeceived them -by running off with their stock on every opportunity. -Besides these losses, at every camp, horses, -sheep, and oxen strayed away and were not recovered, -and numbers died from fatigue and want -of provender; so that, before they had been many -weeks on their journey, nearly all their cattle, -which they had brought to stock their new country, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> -were dead or missing, and those that were left -were in most miserable condition.</p> - -<p>They had started so late in the season, that the -greater part were compelled to winter on the Platte, -on Grand Island, and in the vicinity, where they -endured the greatest privations and suffering from -cold and hunger. Many who had lost their stock -lived upon roots and pig-nuts; and scurvy, in a -most malignant form, and other disorders, carried -off numbers of the wretched fanatics.</p> - -<p>Amongst them were many substantial farmers from -all parts of the United States, who had given up -their valuable farms, sold off all their property, and -were dragging their irresponsible and unfortunate -families into the wilderness—carried away by their -blind and fanatic zeal in this absurd and incredible -faith. There were also many poor wretches from -different parts of England, mostly of the farm-labouring -class, with wives and families, crawling -along with helpless and almost idiotic despair, but -urged forward by the fanatic leaders of the movement, -who promised them a land flowing with milk -and honey to reward them for all their hardships -and privations.</p> - -<p>Their numbers were soon reduced by want and -disease. When too late, they often wished themselves -back in the old country, and sighed many a -time for the beer and bacon of former days, now -preferable to the dry buffalo meat (but seldom -obtainable) of the Far West.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span></p> - -<p>Evil fortune pursued the Mormons, and dogged -their steps. The year following, some struggled -on towards the promised land, and of these a few -reached Oregon and California. Many were killed -by hostile Indians; many perished of hunger, cold, -and thirst, in passing the great wilderness; and -many returned to the States, penniless and crestfallen, -and heartily cursing the moment in which -they had listened to the counsels of the Mormon -prophet. The numbers who reached their destination -of Oregon, California, and the Great Salt -Lake, are computed at 20,000, of whom the United -States had an unregretted riddance.</p> - -<p>One party had followed the troops of the American -government intended for the conquest of New -Mexico and the Californias. Of these a battalion -was formed, and part of it proceeded to Upper -California; but the way being impracticable for -waggons, some seventy families proceeded up the -Arkansa, and wintered near the mountains, intending -to cross to the Platte the ensuing spring, and -join the main body of emigrants on their way by -the south pass of the Rocky Mountains.</p> - -<p>In the wide and well-timbered bottom of the -Arkansa, the Mormons had erected a street of log -shanties, in which to pass the inclement winter. -These were built of rough logs of cottonwood, laid -one above the other, the interstices filled with mud, -and rendered impervious to wind or wet. At one -end of the row of shanties was built the “church” -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span> -or temple—a long building of huge logs, in which -the prayer-meetings and holdings-forth took place. -The band wintering on the Arkansa were a far -better class than the generality of Mormons, and -comprised many wealthy and respectable farmers -from the western states, most of whom were accustomed -to the life of woodmen, and were good hunters. -Thus they were enabled to support their -families upon the produce of their rifles, frequently -sallying out to the nearest point of the mountains -with a waggon, which they would bring back loaded -with buffalo, deer, and elk meat, thereby saving the -necessity of killing any of their stock of cattle, of -which but few remained.</p> - -<p>The mountain hunters found this camp a profitable -market for their meat and deer-skins, with -which the Mormons were now compelled to clothe -themselves, and resorted there for that purpose—to -say nothing of the attraction of the many really -beautiful Missourian girls who sported their tall graceful -figures at the frequent fandangoes. Dancing and -preaching go hand in hand in Mormon doctrine, -and the “temple” was generally cleared for a hop -two or three times during the week, a couple of -fiddles doing the duty of orchestra. A party of -mountaineers came in one day, bringing some -buffalo meat and dressed deer-skins, and were invited -to be present at one of these festivals.</p> - -<p>Arrived at the temple, they were rather taken -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> -aback by finding themselves in for a sermon, which -one of the elders delivered preparatory to the -“physical exercises.” The preacher was one Brown—called, -by reason of his commanding a company -of Mormon volunteers, “Cap'en Brown”—a hard-featured, -black-coated man of five-and-forty, correctly -got up in black continuations, and white -handkerchief round his neck, a costume seldom -seen at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The -Cap'en, rising, cleared his voice, and thus commenced, -first turning to an elder (with whom there -was a little rivalry in the way of preaching):—“Brother -Dowdle!”—(brother Dowdle blushed -and nodded: he was a long tallow-faced man, with -black hair combed over his face)—“I feel like -holding forth a little this afternoon, before we -glorify the Lord,—a—a—in the—a—holy dance. -As there are a many strange gentlemen now—a—present, -it's about right to tell 'em—a—what -our doctrine just is, and so I tells 'em right -off what the Mormons is. They are the chosen of -the Lord; they are the children of glory, persecuted -by the hand of man: they flies here to the -wilderness, and, amongst the <i>Injine</i> and the buffler, -they lifts up their heads, and cries with a loud -voice, Susannah, and hurray for the promised land! -Do you believe it? I <i>know</i> it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span></p> - -<p>“They wants to know whar we're going. Whar -the church goes—thar we goes. Yes, to hell, and -pull the devil off his throne—that's what we'll do. -Do you believe it? I <i>know</i> it.</p> - -<p>“Thar's milk and honey in that land as we're -goin' to, and the lost tribes of Israel is thar, and -will jine us. They say as we'll starve on the road, -bekase thar's no game and no water; but thar's -manna up in heaven, and it 'll rain on us, and thar's -prophets among us can make the water 'come.' -Can't they, brother Dowdle?”</p> - -<p>“<i>Well</i>, they can.”</p> - -<p>“And now, what have the Gen<i>tiles</i> and the Philis<i>tines</i> -to say against us Mormons? They says -we're thieves, and steal hogs; yes, d—— 'em! -they say we has as many wives as we like. So we -have. I've twenty—forty, myself, and mean to -have as many more as I can get. But it's to pass -unfortunate females into heaven that I has 'em—yes, -to prevent 'em going to roaring flames and -damnation that I does it.</p> - -<p>“Brother Dowdle,” he continued, in a hoarse, -low voice, “I've 'give out,' and think we'd better -begin the exercises grettful to the Lord.”</p> - -<p>Brother Dowdle rose, and, after saying that -“he didn't feel like saying much, begged to remind -all hands, that dancing was solemn like, to be -done with proper devotion, and not with laughing -and talking, of which he hoped to hear little or -none; that joy was to be in their hearts, and not -on their lips; that they danced for the glory of the -Lord, and not their own amusement, as did the -Gen<i>tiles</i>.” After saying thus, he called upon brother -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> -Ezra to “strike up:” sundry couples stood -forth, and the ball commenced.</p> - -<p>Ezra of the violin was a tall, shambling Missourian, -with a pair of “homespun” pantaloons thrust -into the legs of his heavy boots. Nodding his head -in time with the music, he occasionally gave instructions -to such of the dancers as were at fault, singing -them to the tune he was playing, in a dismal -nasal tone,—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="verse">“Down the centre—hands across,”</div> - <div class="verse">“You, Jake Herring—thump it,”</div> - <div class="verse">“Now, you all go right ahead—</div> - <div class="verse">Every one of you hump it.</div> - <div class="verse indent-0_5">Every one of you—<i>hump it</i>.”</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>The last words being the signal that all should -clap the steam on, which they did <i>con amore</i>, and -with comical seriousness.</p> - -<p>A mountaineer, Rube Herring, whom we have -more than once met in the course of this narrative, -became a convert to the Mormon creed, and held -forth its wonderful doctrines to such of the incredulous -trappers as he could induce to listen to him. -Old Rube stood nearly six feet six in height, and -was spare and bony in make. He had picked up a -most extraordinary cloth coat amongst the Mormons, -which had belonged to some one his equal in -stature. This coat, which was of a snuff-brown -colour, had its waist about a hand's span from the -nape of Rube's neck, or about a yard above its -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> -proper position, and the skirts reached to his -ancles. A slouching felt-hat covered his head, from -which long black hair escaped, hanging in flakes -over his lantern-jaws. His pantaloons of buckskin -were shrunk with wet, and reached midway between -his knees and ancles, and his huge feet were -encased in moccasins of buffalo-cow skin.</p> - -<p>Rube was never without the book of Mormon in -his hand, and his sonorous voice might be heard, at -all hours of the day and night, reading passages -from its wonderful pages. He stood the badgering -of the hunters with most perfect good humour, and -said there never was such a book as that ever -before printed; that the Mormons were the “biggest -kind” of prophets, and theirs the best faith -ever man believed in.</p> - -<p>Rube had let out one day that he was to be hired -as guide by this party of Mormons to the Great -Salt Lake; but their destination being changed, -and his services not required, a wonderful change -came over his mind. He was, as usual, book of -Mormon in hand, when brother Brown announced -the change in their plans; at which the book was -cast into the Arkansa, and Rube exclaimed—“Cuss -your darned Mummum and Thummum! thar's not -one among you knows 'fat cow' from 'poor bull,' -and you may go h—— for me.” And turning -away, old Rube spat out a quid of tobacco and his -Mormonism together.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span></p> - -<p>Amongst the Mormons was an old man, named -Brand, from Memphis county, state of Tennessee, -with a family of a daughter and two sons, the latter -with their wives and children. Brand was a wiry -old fellow, nearly seventy years of age, but still -stout and strong, and wielded axe or rifle better -than many a younger man. If truth be told, he -was not a very red-hot Mormon, and had joined -them as much for the sake of company to California, -whither he had long resolved to emigrate, as from -any implicit credence in the faith. His sons were -strapping fellows, of the sterling stuff that the -Western pioneers are made of; his daughter Mary, -a fine woman of thirty, for whose state of single -blessedness there must doubtless have been sufficient -reason; for she was not only remarkably -handsome, but was well known in Memphis to be -the best-tempered and most industrious young -woman in those diggings. She was known to have -received several advantageous offers, all of which -she had refused; and report said, that it was from -having been disappointed in very early life in an -<i>affaire du cœur</i>, at an age when such wounds sometimes -strike strong and deep, leaving a scar difficult -to heal. Neither his daughter, nor any of his -family, had been converted to the Mormon doctrine, -but had ever kept themselves aloof, and refused to -join or associate with them; and, for this reason, -the family had been very unpopular with the Mormon -families on the Arkansa; and hence, probably, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> -one great reason why they now started alone on -their journey.</p> - -<p>Spring had arrived, and it was time the Mormons -should proceed on their march; but whether -already tired of the sample they had had -of life in the wilderness, or fearful of encountering -the perils of the Indian country, not one amongst -them, with the exception of old Brand, seemed -inclined to pursue the journey farther. That old -backwoodsman, however, was not to be deterred, -but declared his intention of setting out alone, with -his family, and risking all the dangers to be anticipated.</p> - -<p>One fine sunny evening in April of 1847, when -the cottonwoods on the banks of the Arkansa began -to put forth their buds, and robins and blue-birds—harbingers -of spring—were hopping, with gaudy -plumage, through the thickets, three white-tilted -Conostoga waggons emerged from the timbered -bottom of the river, and rumbled slowly over the -prairie, in the direction of the Platte's waters. -Each waggon was drawn by eight oxen, and contained -a portion of the farming implements and -household utensils of the Brand family. The teams -were driven by the young boys, the men following -in rear with shouldered rifles—Old Brand himself -mounted on an Indian horse, leading the advance. -The women were safely housed under the shelter of -the waggon tilts, and out of the first the mild face -of Mary Brand smiled adieu to many of her old -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> -companions who had accompanied them thus far, -and now wished them “God-speed” on their long -journey. Some mountaineers, too, galloped up, -dressed in buckskin, and gave them rough greeting—warning -the men to keep their “eyes skinned,” -and look out for the Arapahos, who were out on the -waters of the Platte. Presently all retired, and -then the huge waggons and the little company were -rolling on their solitary way through the deserted -prairies—passing the first of the many thousand -miles which lay between them and the “setting -sun,” as the Indians style the distant regions of the -Far West. And on, without casting a look behind -him, doggedly and boldly marched old Brand, followed -by his sturdy family.</p> - -<p>They made but a few miles that evening, for the -first day the <i>start</i> is all that is effected; and nearly -the whole morning is taken up in getting fairly -under weigh. The loose stock had been sent off -earlier, for they had been collected and corralled -the previous night; and, after a twelve hours' fast, -it was necessary they should reach the end of the -day's journey betimes. They found the herd grazing -in the bottom of the Arkansa, at a point previously -fixed upon for their first camp. Here the oxen -were unyoked, and the waggons drawn up so as to -form the three sides of a small square. The women -then descended from their seats, and prepared the -evening meal. A huge fire was kindled before the -waggons, and round this the whole party collected; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span> -whilst large kettles of coffee boiled on it, and hoe-cakes -baked upon the embers.</p> - -<p>The women were sadly downhearted, as well they -might be, with the dreary prospect before them; -and poor Mary, when she saw the Mormon encampment -shut out from her sight by the rolling bluffs, -and nothing before her but the bleak, barren -prairie, could not divest herself of the idea that she -had looked for the last time on civilised fellow-creatures, -and fairly burst into tears.</p> - -<p>In the morning the heavy waggons rolled on -again across the upland prairies, to strike the trail -used by the traders in passing from the south fork -of the Platte to the Arkansa. They had for guide -a Canadian voyageur, who had been in the service -of the Indian traders, and knew the route well, and -who had agreed to pilot them to Fort Lancaster, on -the north fork of the Platte. Their course led for -about thirty miles up the Boiling Spring River, -whence they pursued a north-easterly course to the -dividing ridge which separates the waters of the -Platte and Arkansa. Their progress was slow, for -the ground was saturated with wet, and exceedingly -heavy for the cattle, and they scarcely advanced -more than ten miles a-day.</p> - -<p>At the camp-fire at night, Antoine, the Canadian -guide, amused them with tales of the wild life and -perilous adventures of the hunters and trappers who -make the mountains their home; often extorting a -scream from the women by the description of some -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span> -scene of Indian fight and slaughter, or beguiling -them of a commiserating tear by the narrative of -the sufferings and privations endured by those hardy -hunters in their arduous life.</p> - -<p>Mary listened with the greater interest, since she -remembered that such was the life which had been -led by one very dear to her—by one, long supposed -to be dead, of whom she had never but once, since -his departure, nearly fifteen years before, heard a -syllable. Her imagination pictured him as the -bravest and most daring of these adventurous -hunters, and conjured up his figure charging -through the midst of whooping savages, or stretched -on the ground perishing from wounds, or cold, or -famine.</p> - -<p>Amongst the characters who figured in Antoine's -stories, a hunter named La Bonté was made conspicuous -for deeds of hardiness and daring. The -first mention of the name caused the blood to rush -to Mary's face: not that she for a moment imagined -it was her La Bonté, for she knew the name was a -common one; but, associated with feelings which -she had never got the better of, it recalled a sad -epoch in her former life, to which she could not -look back without mingled pain and pleasure.</p> - -<p>Once only, and about two years after his departure, -had she ever received tidings of her former -lover. A mountaineer had returned from the Far -West to settle in his native State, and had found -his way to the neighbourhood of old Brand's farm. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span> -Meeting him by accident, Mary, hearing him speak -of the mountain hunters, had inquired, tremblingly, -after La Bonté. Her informant knew him well—had -trapped in company with him—and had heard -at the trading fort, whence he had taken his departure -for the settlements, that La Bonté had been -killed on the Yellow Stone by Blackfeet; which -report was confirmed by some Indians of that -nation. This was all she had ever learned of the -lover of her youth.</p> - -<p>Now, upon hearing the name of La Bonté so often -mentioned by Antoine, a vague hope was raised in -her breast that he was still alive, and she took an -opportunity of questioning the Canadian closely on -the subject.</p> - -<p>“Who was this La Bonté, Antoine, who you -say was so brave a mountaineer?” she asked one -day.</p> - -<p>“J'ne sais pas; he vas un beau garçon, and strong -comme le diable—enfant de garce, mais he pas not -care a dam for les sauvages, pe gar. He shoot de -centare avec his carabine; and ride de cheval -comme one Comanche. He trap heap castor, (what -you call beevare,) and get plenty dollare—mais he -open hand vare wide—and got none too. Den, he -hont vid de Blackfoot and avec de Cheyenne, and -all round de montaignes he hont dam sight.”</p> - -<p>“But, Antoine, what became of him at last? and -why did he not come home, when he made so many -dollars?” asked poor Mary.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Enfant de garce, mais pourquoi he com home? -Pe gar, de montaigne-man, he love de montaigne -and de prairie more better dan he love de grandes -villes—même de Saint Louis ou de Montreal. -Wagh! La Bonté, well, he one montaigne-man, -wagh! He love de buffaloe and de chevreaux plus -que de bœuf and de mouton, may be. Mais on-dit -dat he have autre raison—dat de gal he lofe in -Missouri not lofe him, and for dis he not go back. -Mais now he go ondare, m' on dit. He vas go to -de Californe, may be to steal de hos and de mule—pe -gar, and de Espagnols rub him out, and take -his hair, so he mort.”</p> - -<p>“But are you sure of this?” she asked, trembling -with grief.</p> - -<p>“Ah, now, j'ne suis pas sûr, mais I tink you -know dis La Bonté. Enfant de garce, maybe you -de gal in Missouri he lofe, and not lofe him. Pe -gar! 'fant de garce! fort beau garçon dis La Bonté, -pourquoi you ne l'aimez pas? Maybe he not gone -ondare. Maybe he turn op, autrefois. De trappares, -dey go ondare tree, four, ten times, mais dey -turn op twenty time. De sauvage not able for kill -La Bonté, ni de dam Espagnols. Ah, non! ne -craignez pas; pe gar, he not gone ondare encore.”</p> - -<p>Spite of the good-natured attempts of the Canadian, -poor Mary burst into a flood of tears: not -that the information took her unawares, for she -long had believed him dead; but because the very -mention of his name awoke the strongest feelings -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> -within her breast, and taught her how deep was -the affection she had felt for him whose loss and -violent fate she now bewailed.</p> - -<p>As the waggons of the lone caravan roll on towards -the Platte, we return to the camp where La -Bonté, Killbuck, and the stranger, were sitting -before the fire when last we saw them:—Killbuck -loquitur:—</p> - -<p>“The doins of them Mormon fools can't be beat -by Spaniards, stranger. Their mummums and -thummums you speak of won't 'shine' whar Injuns -are about; nor pint out a trail, whar nothin crossed -but rattler-snakes since fust it snow'd on old Pike's -Peak. If they pack along them <i>profits</i>, as you tell -of, who can make it rain hump-ribs and marrow-guts -when the crowd gets out of the buffler range, -they are 'some,' now, that's a fact. But this child -don't believe it. I'd laugh to get a sight on these -darned Mormonites, I would. They're 'no account,' -I guess; and it's the 'meanest' kind of action to -haul their women critters and their young 'uns to -sech a starving country as the Californys.”</p> - -<p>“They are not all Mormons in the crowd,” said -the strange hunter; “and there's one family -amongst them with some smartish boys and girls, I -tell you. Their name's Brand.”</p> - -<p>La Bonté looked up from the lock of his rifle, -which he was cleaning—but either didn't hear, or, -hearing, didn't heed, for he continued his work.</p> - -<p>“And they are going to part company,” continued -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> -the stranger, “and put out alone for Platte -and the South Pass.”</p> - -<p>“They'll lose their hair, I'm thinking,” said Killbuck, -“if the Rapahos are out thar.”</p> - -<p>“I hope not,” continued the other, “for there's -a girl amongst them worth more than that.”</p> - -<p>“Poor beaver!” said La Bonté, looking up from -his work. “I'd hate to see any white gal in the -hands of Injuns, and of Rapahos worse than all. -Where does she come from, stranger?”</p> - -<p>“Down below St Louis, from Tennessee, I've -heard them say.”</p> - -<p>“Tennessee,” cried La Bonté,—“hurrah for the -old State! What's her name, stran——” At this -moment Killbuck's old mule pricked her ears and -snuffed the air, which action catching La Bonté's -eye, he rose abruptly, without waiting a reply to -his question, and exclaimed, “The old mule smells -Injuns, or I'm a Spaniard!”</p> - -<p>The hunter did the old mule justice, and she well -maintained her reputation as the best “guard” in -the mountains; for in two minutes an Indian stalked -into the camp, dressed in a cloth capote, and in odds -and ends of civilised attire.</p> - -<p>“Rapaho,” cried Killbuck, as soon as he saw -him; and the Indian catching the word, struck his -hand upon his breast, and exclaimed, in broken -Spanish and English mixed, “Si, si, me Arapaho, -white man amigo. Come to camp—eat heap <i>carne</i>—me -amigo white man. Come from Pueblo—hunt -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span> -cibola—me gun break—<i>no puedo matar nada: -mucha hambre</i> (very hungry),—heap eat.”</p> - -<p>Killbuck offered his pipe to the Indian, and spoke -to him in his own language, which both he and La -Bonté well understood. They learned that he was -married to a Mexican woman, and lived with some -hunters at the Pueblo fort on the Arkansa. He volunteered -the information that a war party of his people -were out on the Platte trail to intercept the Indian -traders on their return from the North Fork; and -as some “Mormones” had just started with three -waggons in that direction, he said his people would -make a “roise.” Being muy amigo himself to the -whites, he cautioned his present companions from -crossing to the “divide,” as the “braves,” he said, -were a “heap” mad, and their hearts were “big,” -and nothing in the shape of white skin would live -before them.</p> - -<p>“Wagh!” exclaimed Killbuck, “the Rapahos -know me, I'm thinking; and small gain they've -made against this child. I've knowed the time -when my gun-cover couldn't hold more of their -scalps.”</p> - -<p>The Indian was provided with some powder, of -which he stood in need; and, after gorging as much -meat as his capacious stomach would hold, he left -the camp, and started into the mountain.</p> - -<p>The next day our hunters started on their journey -down the river, travelling leisurely, and stopping -wherever good grass presented itself. One -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span> -morning they suddenly struck a wheel trail, which -left the creek banks and pursued a course at right -angles to it, in the direction of the “divide.” Killbuck -pronounced it but a few hours old, and that -of three waggons drawn by oxen.</p> - -<p>“Wagh!” he exclaimed, “if them poor devils of -Mormonites ain't going head first into the Rapaho -trap. They'll be 'gone beaver' afore long.”</p> - -<p>“Ay,” said the strange hunter, “these are the -waggons belonging to old Brand, and he has started -alone for Laramie. I hope nothing will happen to -them.”</p> - -<p>“Brand!” muttered La Bonté. “I knowed that -name mighty well once, years agone; and should -hate the worst kind that mischief happened to any -one who bore it. This trail's as fresh as paint; and -it goes against me to let these simple critters help -the Rapahos to their own hair. This child feels -like helping 'em out of the scrape. What do you -say, old hos?”</p> - -<p>“I thinks with you, boy,” answered Killbuck, -“and go in for following this waggon trail, and telling -the poor critters that thar's danger ahead of -them. What's your talk, stranger?”</p> - -<p>“I go with you,” shortly answered the latter; -and both followed quickly after La Bonté, who was -already trotting smartly on the trail.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the three waggons, containing the -household gods of the Brand family, rumbled slowly -over the rolling prairie, and towards the upland -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span> -ridge of the “divide,” which, studded with dwarf -pine and cedar thicket, rose gradually before them. -They travelled with considerable caution, for already -the quick eye of Antoine had discovered recent -Indian sign upon the trail, and, with mountain -quickness, had at once made it out to be that of a -war party; for there were no horses with them, -and, after one or two of the moccasin tracks, the -mark of a rope which trailed upon the ground was -sufficient to show him that the Indians were provided -with the usual lasso of skin, with which to -secure the horses stolen in the expedition. The men -of the party were consequently all mounted and -thoroughly armed, the waggons moved in a line -abreast, and a sharp look-out was kept on all sides. -The women and children were all consigned to the -interior of the waggons; and the latter had also -guns in readiness, to take their part in the defence, -should an attack be made.</p> - -<p>However, they had seen no Indians, and no fresh -sign, for two days after they left the Boiling Spring -River, and they began to think they were well out -of their neighbourhood. One evening they camped -on a creek called Black Horse, and, as usual, had -corralled the waggons, and forted as well as circumstances -would permit, when three or four Indians -suddenly appeared on a bluff at a little distance, -and, making signals of peaceable intentions, approached -the camp. Most of the men were absent -at the time, attending to the cattle or collecting -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> -fuel, and only old Brand and one of his young -grandchildren, about fourteen years old, remained -in camp. The Indians were hospitably received, -and regaled with a smoke, after which they began -to evince their curiosity by examining every article -lying about, and signifying their wishes that it -should be given to them. Finding their hints were -not taken, they laid hold of several things which -took their fancies, and, amongst others, of the pot -which was boiling on the fire, and with which one -of them was about very coolly to walk off, when old -Brand, who up to this moment had retained possession -of his temper, seized it out of the Indian's hand, -and knocked him down. One of the others instantly -began to draw the buckskin cover from his gun, and -would no doubt have taken summary vengeance for -the insult offered to his companion, when Mary -Brand courageously stepped up to him, and, placing -her left hand upon the gun which he was in the -act of uncovering, with the other pointed a pistol at -his breast.</p> - -<p>Whether daunted by the bold act of the girl, or -admiring her devotion to her father, the Indian -drew himself back, exclaimed “Howgh!” and drew -the cover again on his piece, went up to old Brand, -who all this time looked him sternly in the face, -and, shaking him by the hand, motioned at the same -time to the others to be peaceable.</p> - -<p>The other whites presently coming into camp, the -Indians sat quietly down by the fire, and, when the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span> -supper was ready, joined in the repast, after which -they gathered their buffalo robes about them, and -quietly withdrew. Meanwhile Antoine, knowing -the treacherous character of the savages, advised -that the greatest precaution should be taken to -secure the stock; and before dark, therefore, all the -mules and horses were hobbled and secured within -the corral, the oxen being allowed to feed at liberty—for -the Indians scarcely care to trouble themselves -with such cattle. A guard was also set round the -camp, and relieved every two hours; the fire was -extinguished, lest the savages should aim, by its -light, at any of the party, and all slept with rifles -ready at their sides. However, the night passed -quietly, and nothing disturbed the tranquillity of -the camp. The prairie wolves loped hungrily -around, and their mournful cry was borne upon the -wind as they chased deer and antelope on the neighbouring -plain; but not a sign of lurking Indians -was seen or heard.</p> - -<p>In the morning, shortly after sunrise, they were -in the act of yoking the oxen to the waggons, and -driving in the loose animals which had been turned -out to feed at daybreak, when some Indians again -appeared upon the bluff, and, descending it, confidently -approached the camp. Antoine strongly -advised their not being allowed to enter; but Brand, -ignorant of Indian treachery, replied that, so long -as they came as friends, they could not be deemed -enemies, and allowed no obstruction to be offered to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span> -their approach. It was now observed that they -were all painted, armed with bows and arrows, and -divested of their buffalo robes, appearing naked to -the breech-clout, their legs only being protected by -deerskin leggings, reaching to the middle of the -thigh. Six or seven first arrived, and others quickly -followed, dropping in one after the other, until a -score or more were collected round the waggons. -Their demeanour, at first friendly, soon changed as -their numbers increased, and they now became -urgent in their demands for powder and lead, and -bullying in their manner. A chief accosted Brand, -and, through Antoine, informed him “that, unless -the demands of his braves were acceded to, he could -not be responsible for the consequences; that they -were out on the 'war-trail,' and their eyes were red -with blood, so that they could not distinguish between -white and Yuta scalps; that the party, with -all their women and waggons, were in the power of -the Indian 'braves,' and therefore the white chief's -best plan was to make the best terms he could; -that all they required was that they should give up -their guns and ammunition 'on the prairie.' and all -their mules and horses-retaining the 'medicine' -buffaloes (the oxen) to draw their waggons.”</p> - -<p>By this time the oxen were yoked, and the -teamsters, whip in hand, only waited the word to -start. Old Brand foamed whilst the Indian stated -his demands, but, hearing him to the end, exclaimed, -“Darn the red devil! I wouldn't give him a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span> -grain of powder to save my life. Put out, boys!”—and, -turning to his horse, which stood ready saddled, -was about to mount, when the Indians sprang -at once upon the waggons, and commenced their -attack, yelling like fiends.</p> - -<p>One jumped upon old Brand, pulled him back as -he was rising in the stirrup, and drew his bow upon -him at the same moment. In an instant the old -backwoodsman pulled a pistol from his belt, and, -putting the muzzle to the Indian's heart, shot him -dead. Another Indian, flourishing his war-club, -laid the old man at his feet; whilst some dragged -the women from the waggons, and others rushed -upon the men, who made brave fight in their defence.</p> - -<p>Mary, when she saw her father struck to the -ground, sprang with a shrill cry to his assistance; -for at that moment a savage, frightful as red paint -could make him, was standing over his prostrate -body, brandishing a glittering knife in the air, preparatory -to thrusting it into the old man's breast. -For the rest, all was confusion: in vain the small -party of whites struggled against overpowering -numbers. Their rifles cracked but once, and they -were quickly disarmed; whilst the shrieks of the -women and children, and the loud yells of the -Indians, added to the scene of horror and confusion. -As Mary flew to her father's side, an Indian threw -his lasso at her, the noose falling over her shoulders, -and, jerking it tight, he uttered a delighted yell as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span> -the poor girl was thrown back violently to the -ground. As she fell, another deliberately shot an -arrow at her body, whilst the one who had thrown -the lasso rushed forward, his scalp-knife flashing in -his hand, to seize the bloody trophy of his savage -deed. The girl rose to her knees, and looked -wildly towards the spot where her father lay bathed -in blood; but the Indian pulled the rope violently, -dragged her some yards upon the ground, and then -rushed with a yell of vengeance upon his victim. -He paused, however, as at that moment a shout as -fierce as his own sounded at his very ear; and, -looking up, he saw La Bonté gallopping madly -down the bluff, his long hair and the fringes of his -hunting-shirt and leggins flying in the wind, his -right arm supporting his trusty rifle, whilst close -behind him came Killbuck and the stranger. -Dashing with loud hurrahs to the scene of action, -La Bonté, as he charged down the bluff, caught -sight of the girl struggling in the hands of the -ferocious Indian. Loud was the war-shout of the -mountaineer, as he struck his heavy spurs to the -rowels in his horse's side, and bounded like lightning -to the rescue. In a single stride he was upon -the Indian, and, thrusting the muzzle of his rifle -into his very breast, he pulled the trigger, driving -the savage backward by the blow itself, at the same -moment that the bullet passed through his heart, -and tumbled him over stone-dead. Throwing down -his rifle, La Bonté wheeled his obedient horse, and, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> -drawing a pistol from his belt, again charged the -enemy, among whom Killbuck and the stranger -were dealing death-giving blows. Yelling for victory, -the mountaineers rushed at the Indians; and -they, panic-struck at the sudden attack, and thinking -this was but the advanced guard of a large band, -fairly turned and fled, leaving five of their number -dead upon the field.</p> - -<p>Mary, shutting her eyes to the expected death-stroke, -heard the loud shout La Bonté gave in -charging down the bluff, and, again looking up, saw -the wild-looking mountaineer rush to her rescue, -and save her from the savage by his timely blow. -Her arms were still pinned by the lasso, which prevented -her from rising to her feet; and La Bonté -was the first to run to aid her, as soon as the fight -was fairly over. He jumped from his horse, cut -the skin rope which bound her, raised her from the -ground, and, upon her turning up her face to thank -him, beheld his never-to-be-forgotten Mary Brand; -whilst she, hardly believing her senses, recognised -in her deliverer her former lover, and still well-beloved -La Bonté.</p> - -<p>“What, Mary! can it be you?” he asked, looking -intently upon the trembling woman.</p> - -<p>“La Bonté, you don't forget me!” she answered, -and threw herself sobbing into the arms of the -sturdy mountaineer.</p> - -<p>There we will leave her for the present, and help -Killbuck and his companions to examine the killed -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> -and wounded. Of the former, five Indians and two -whites lay dead, grandchildren of old Brand, fine -lads of fourteen or fifteen, who had fought with the -greatest bravery, and lay pierced with arrows and -lance wounds. Old Brand had received a sore buffet, -but a hatful of cold water from the creek sprinkled -over his face soon restored him. His sons had -not escaped scot-free, and Antoine was shot through -the neck, and, falling, had actually been half scalped -by an Indian, whom the timely arrival of La -Bonté had caused to leave his work unfinished.</p> - -<p>Silently, and with sad hearts, the survivors of the -family saw the bodies of the two boys buried on the -river bank, and the spot marked with a pile of loose -stones, procured from the rocky bed of the creek. -The carcasses of the treacherous Indians were left -to be devoured by wolves, and their bones to bleach -in the sun and wind—a warning to their tribe, that -such foul treachery as they had meditated had met -with a merited retribution.</p> - -<p>The next day the party continued their course to -the Platte. Antoine and the stranger returned to -the Arkansa, starting in the night to avoid the Indians; -but Killbuck and La Bonté lent the aid of -their rifles to the solitary caravan, and, under their -experienced guidance, no more Indian perils were -encountered. Mary no longer sat perched up in -her father's Conostoga, but rode a quiet mustang by -La Bonté's side; and no doubt they found a theme -with which to while away the monotonous journey -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> -over the dreary plains. South Fork was passed, -and Laramie was reached. The Sweet Water mountains, -which hang over the “pass” to California, -were long since in sight; but when the waters of -the North Fork of Platte lay before their horses' -feet, and the broad trail was pointed out which led -to the great valley of Columbia and their promised -land, the heads of the oxen were turned <i>down</i> the -stream where the shallow waters flow on to join the -great Missouri—and not <i>up</i>, towards the mountains -where they leave their spring-heads, from which -springs flow several waters—some coursing their -way to the eastward, fertilising, in their route to the -Atlantic, the lands of civilised man; others westward, -forcing a passage through rocky cañons, and -flowing through a barren wilderness, inhabited by -fierce and barbarous tribes.</p> - -<p>These were the routes to choose from: and, what -ever was the cause, the oxen turned their yoked -heads away from the rugged mountains; the teamsters -joyfully cracked their ponderous whips, as -the waggons rolled lightly down the Platte; and -men, women, and children, waved their hats and -bonnets in the air, and cried out lustily, “Hurrah -for home!”</p> - -<p>La Bonté looked at the dark sombre mountains -ere he turned his back upon them for the last time. -He thought of the many years he had spent beneath -their rugged shadow, of the many hardships he had -suffered, of all his pains and perils in those wild regions. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span> -The most exciting episodes of his adventurous -career, his tried companions in scenes of fierce fight -and bloodshed, passed in review before him. A -feeling of regret was creeping over him, when Mary -laid her hand gently on his shoulder. One single -tear rolled unbidden down his cheek, and he answered -her inquiring eyes: “I'm not sorry to leave -it, Mary,” he said; “but it's hard to turn one's -back upon old friends.”</p> - -<p>They had a hard battle with Killbuck, in endeavouring -to persuade him to accompany them to the -settlements. The old mountaineer shook his head. -“The time,” he said “was gone by for that. He -had often thought of it, but, when the day arrived, -he hadn't heart to leave the mountains. Trapping -now was of no account, he knew; but beaver was -bound to rise, and then the good times would come -again. What could he do in the settlements, where -there wasn't room to move, and where it was hard -to breathe—there were so many people?”</p> - -<p>He accompanied them a considerable distance -down the river, ever and anon looking cautiously -back, to ascertain that he had not gone out of sight -of the mountains. Before reaching the forks, however, -he finally bade them adieu; and, turning the -head of his old grizzled mule westward, he heartily -wrung the hand of his comrade La Bonté; and, -crying Yep! to his well-tried animal, disappeared -behind a roll of the prairie, and was seen no more—a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> -thousand good wishes for the welfare of the -sturdy trapper speeding him on his solitary way.</p> - -<p>Four months from the day when La Bonté so -opportunely appeared to rescue Brand's family from -the Indians on Black Horse Creek, that worthy and -the faithful Mary were duly and lawfully united in -the township church of Brandville, Memphis county, -State of Tennessee. We cannot say, in the concluding -words of nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand -novels, that “numerous pledges of mutual love -surrounded and cheered them in their declining -years,” &c. &c.; because it was only on the 24th -of July, in the year of our Lord 1847, that La -Bonté and Mary Brand were finally made one, after -fifteen long years of separation.</p> - -<hr class="small" /> - -<p>The fate of one of the humble characters who -have figured in these pages, we must yet tarry a -little longer to describe.</p> - -<p>During the past winter, a party of mountaineers, -flying from overpowering numbers of hostile Sioux, -found themselves, one stormy evening, in a wild -and dismal cañon near the elevated mountain valley -called the “New Park.”</p> - -<p>The rocky bed of a dry mountain torrent, whose -waters were now locked up at their spring-heads by -icy fetters, was the only road up which they could -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> -make their difficult way: for the rugged sides of -the gorge rose precipitously from the creek, scarcely -affording a foot-hold to even the active bighorn, -which occasionally looked down upon the travellers -from the lofty summit. Logs of pine, uprooted by the -hurricanes which sweep incessantly through the -mountain defiles, and tossed headlong from the surrounding -ridges, continually obstructed their way; -and huge rocks and boulders, fallen from the -heights and blocking up the bed of the stream, added -to the difficulty, and threatened them every -instant with destruction.</p> - -<p>Towards sundown they reached a point where -the cañon opened out into a little shelving glade or -prairie, a few hundred yards in extent, the entrance -to which was almost hidden by a thicket of dwarf -pine and cedar. Here they determined to encamp -for the night, in a spot secure from Indians, and, as -they imagined, untrodden by the foot of man.</p> - -<p>What, however, was their astonishment, on breaking -through the cedar-covered entrance, to perceive -a solitary horse standing motionless in the centre of -the prairie. Drawing near, they found it to be an -old grizzled mustang, or Indian pony, with cropped -ears and ragged tail, (well picked by hungry mules), -standing doubled up with cold, and at the very last -gasp from extreme old age and weakness. Its bones -were nearly through the stiffened skin, the legs of -the animal were gathered under it; whilst its forlorn-looking -head and stretched-out neck hung -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span> -listlessly downwards, almost overbalancing its tottering -body. The glazed and sunken eye—the -protruding and froth-covered tongue—the heaving -flank and quivering tail—declared its race was run; -and the driving sleet and snow, and penetrating -winter blast, scarce made impression upon its callous -and worn-out frame.</p> - -<p>One of the band of mountaineers was Marcellin, -and a single look at the miserable beast was sufficient -for him to recognise the once renowned Nez-percé -steed of old Bill Williams. That the owner -himself was not far distant he felt certain; and, -searching carefully around, the hunters presently -came upon an old camp, before which lay, protruding -from the snow, the blackened remains of -pine logs. Before these, which had been the fire, -and leaning with his back against a pine trunk, and -his legs crossed under him, half covered with snow, -reclined the figure of the old mountaineer, his snow-capped -head bent over his breast. His well-known -hunting-coat of fringed elk-skin hung stiff and -weather-stained about him; and his rifle, packs, -and traps, were strewed around.</p> - -<p>Awe-struck, the trappers approached the body, -and found it frozen hard as stone, in which state it -had probably lain there for many days or weeks. -A jagged rent in the breast of his leather coat, and -dark stains about it, showed he had received a wound -before his death; but it was impossible to say, whether -to his hurt, or to sickness, or to the natural -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> -decay of age, was to be attributed the wretched and -solitary end of poor Bill Williams.</p> - -<p>A friendly bullet cut short the few remaining -hours of the trapper's faithful steed; and burying, -as well as they were able, the body of the old mountaineer, -the hunters next day left him in his lonely -grave, in a spot so wild and remote, that it was -doubtful whether even hungry wolves would discover -and disinter his attenuated corpse.</p> - - -<p class="p4 ac noindent">THE END.</p> - - -<p class="p4 ac noindent xx-smaller">PRINTED BY JOHN HUGHES, 3 THISTLE STREET, -EDINBURGH.</p> - - -<div class="footnotes p4"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> -In accordance with this suggestion, the name was changed -to Brand. The mountaineers, it seems, are more sensitive to -type than to tomahawks; and poor Ruxton, who always contemplated -another expedition among them, would sometimes -jestingly speculate upon his reception, should they learn that he -had shown them up in print.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> -Killed, or died. Both terms adapted from the Indian figurative language.</p> -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> -Killed, or died. Both terms adapted from the Indian figurative language.</p> -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> -The Mexicans are called “Spaniards” or “Greasers” (from -their greasy appearance) by the Western people.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> -Bent's Indian trading fort on the Arkansa.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> -Meaning—if that's what you mean. The “stick” is -tied to the beaver trap by a string; and, floating on the -water, points out its position, should a beaver have carried -it away.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> Scalped.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> -Soles made of buffalo hide.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> -The Hudson Bay Company having amalgamated with the -American North West Company, is known by the name 'North -West' to the southern trappers. Their employés usually wear -Canadian capotes.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> -A spice of the devil.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> -“Euker,” “poker,” and “seven up,” are the fashionable -games of cards.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> -Antelope are frequently called “goats” by the mountaineers.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_13_13" id="Footnote_13_13"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> -An Indian is always a “heap” hungry or thirsty—loves a -“heap”—is a “heap” brave—in fact, “heap” is tantamount to -very much.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_14_14" id="Footnote_14_14"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_14_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> -The young untried warriors of the Indians are thus called.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_15_15" id="Footnote_15_15"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_15_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> -There is a great difference between an Indian's fire and -a white's. The former places the ends of logs to burn gradually; -the latter, the centre, besides making such a bonfire that -the Indians truly say, “The white makes a fire so hot that he -cannot approach to warm himself by it.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_16_16" id="Footnote_16_16"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_16_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a> -A pithy substance found in dead pine-trees.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_17_17" id="Footnote_17_17"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_17_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> -Saddle-blanket made of buffalo-calf skin.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_18_18" id="Footnote_18_18"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_18_18"><span class="label">[18]</span></a> -The French Canadians are called <i>wah-keitcha</i>—“bad medicine”—by -the Indians, who account them treacherous and vindictive, -and at the same time less daring than the American -hunters.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_19_19" id="Footnote_19_19"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_19_19"><span class="label">[19]</span></a> -A substance obtained from a gland in the scrotum of the -beaver, and used to attract that animal to the trap.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_20_20" id="Footnote_20_20"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_20_20"><span class="label">[20]</span></a> -The Hudson's Bay Company is so called by the American -trappers.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_21_21" id="Footnote_21_21"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_21_21"><span class="label">[21]</span></a> -A small lake near the head waters of the Yellow Stone, -near which are some curious thermal springs of ink-black water.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_22_22" id="Footnote_22_22"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_22_22"><span class="label">[22]</span></a> -The Aztecs are supposed to have built this city during their -migration to the south; there is little doubt, however, but that -the region extending from the Gila to the Great Salt Lake, and -embracing the province of New Mexico, was the locality from -which they emigrated.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_23_23" id="Footnote_23_23"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_23_23"><span class="label">[23]</span></a> -Creoles of St Louis, and French Canadians.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_24_24" id="Footnote_24_24"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_24_24"><span class="label">[24]</span></a> -“On the prairie,” is the Indian term for a free gift.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_25_25" id="Footnote_25_25"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_25_25"><span class="label">[25]</span></a> -Hide—from <i>cacher</i>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_26_26" id="Footnote_26_26"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_26_26"><span class="label">[26]</span></a> -Carrion.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_27_27" id="Footnote_27_27"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_27_27"><span class="label">[27]</span></a> -In Frémont's expedition to California, on a somewhat similar -occasion, two mountaineers, one the celebrated Kit Carson, -the other a St Louis Frenchman named Godey, and both old -trappers, performed a feat surpassing the one described above, -inasmuch as they were but two. They charged into an Indian village -to rescue some stolen horses, and avenge the slaughter of -two New Mexicans who had been butchered by the Indians; -both which objects they effected, returning to camp with the lost -animals and a couple of propitiatory scalps.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_28_28" id="Footnote_28_28"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_28_28"><span class="label">[28]</span></a> -The Mexicans call the Indians living near the missions and -engaged in agriculture, <i>mansos</i>, or <i>mansitos</i>, tame.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_29_29" id="Footnote_29_29"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_29_29"><span class="label">[29]</span></a> -From a manuscript obtained in Santa Fé of New Mexico, -describing the labours of the missionaries Fray Augustin Ruiz, -Venabides, and Marcos, in the year 1585.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_30_30" id="Footnote_30_30"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_30_30"><span class="label">[30]</span></a> -From the report to the Governor of California by the Head -of the Mission, in reference to the attacks by the American -mountaineers.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_31_31" id="Footnote_31_31"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_31_31"><span class="label">[31]</span></a> -Indian expression for a free gift.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_32_32" id="Footnote_32_32"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_32_32"><span class="label">[32]</span></a> -Since the time of which we speak, Kit Carson has distinguished -himself in guiding the several U. S. exploring expeditions, -under Frémont, across the Rocky Mountains, and to all -parts of Oregon and California; and for his services, the President -of the United States presented the gallant Mountaineer -with the commission of lieutenant in a newly raised regiment of -mounted riflemen, of which his old leader Frémont is appointed -colonel.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_33_33" id="Footnote_33_33"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_33_33"><span class="label">[33]</span></a> -The word <i>fandango</i>, in New Mexico, is not applied to the -peculiar dance known in Spain by that name, but designates a -ball or dancing meeting.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_34_34" id="Footnote_34_34"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_34_34"><span class="label">[34]</span></a> -A nickname for the idle fellows hanging about a Mexican -town, translated into “Greasers” by the Americans.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_35_35" id="Footnote_35_35"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_35_35"><span class="label">[35]</span></a> -Cask-shaped gourds.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_36_36" id="Footnote_36_36"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_36_36"><span class="label">[36]</span></a> -The knives used by the hunters and trappers are manufactured -at the “Green River” works, and have that name stamped -upon the blade. Hence the mountain term for doing any thing -effectually is “up to Green River.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p><a name="Footnote_37_37" id="Footnote_37_37"></a> -<a href="#FNanchor_37_37"><span class="label">[37]</span></a> -Always alluding to Mexicans, who are invariably called -Spaniards by the Western Americans.</p></div></div> - -<div class="transnote p4"> - <h3>Transcriber's Note:</h3> - <ul> - <li>The original spelling, hyphenation, and punctuation have been - retained, with the exception of apparent typographical errors - which have been corrected. </li> - <li>Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained.</li> - <li>Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant - form was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. </li> - <li>Footnotes were moved to the end of the book and numbered in one - sequence.</li> - </ul> -</div> -</div> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE IN THE FAR WEST***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 55093-h.htm or 55093-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/5/0/9/55093">http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/0/9/55093</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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