Page:Rocky Mountain life.djvu/180

 accused of stealing them, but strongly protested his innocence of the latter charge.

"Among our passengers was an old whaleman, who, being very expert in the use of the harpoon, took it into his head one day to victimize the shark. After several ineffectual attempts, he finally succeeded in forcing his instrument through the monster's vitals, and drew the lifeless carcase alongside.

"The piratical cruiser was so thundering big, it took eight men with tackles to raise it on board; —it must have weighed at least sixteen hundred pounds! The body of the greedy creature was then laid upon deck, and on opening it all were astonished! What do you think was found, Gumbo?"

"Sacre sharp! Certes me tink dey fine de spoon, de fork an de knife Him shark no follow de ship for nottin."

"Well, boys, what do you all suppose was found?"

"Indeed, we couldn’t say."

"Guess,"

"The knives and spoons, of course.'

"You are wrong, to a man."

"What, in the name of reason, could it have been? Do tell—we give it up."

"Hang me, if you aint a bright set of fellows!—Can't guess a thing so easy? Why, if I must tell you—'twas guts, —only guts— nothing in the world but guts!"

"Look here, Jack," said one of the listeners, advancing towards him hat in hand, "you can take this. We'll be quite likely to remember hereafter that fish generally carry their guts inside!"

The old Frenchman looked rather crest-fallen at the curious manner in which his extraordinary fish story had been matched, —but felt little disposed to yield his laurels without an effort to retrieve them, —so, calling to aid his recollections of the marvellous, he again commenced.

Several years ago, while in the employ of the American Fur Company, our hero and another man were sent expresses to a distant post. It was winter; and they travelled on foot, depending for daily subsistence upon such game as chance brought in their way. Their course lay through an open and cheerless prairie, covered with snow, and the journey occupied nearly a month.

Having been en route some five or six days, their ammunition began to fail in the item of lead, —and only two bullets were left. Their condition now became extremely desperate, as there was no way of procuring a re-supply, —and anticipated starvation stared them in the face.

Determined to eat as long as the means of subsistence remained, their last balls were shot away in killing a buffalo bull. After furnishing themselves from his carcase with a large supply of meat for present and future use, our hero proceeded to cut a few locks of hair from off the creature's head, for the purpose of stuffing his moccasins.

"Bon Dieu! Vat you tink me fine? You no can tell all day! Me no ask you guess. Bon Dieu! c'etre admirable. Me fine forty ballas, in