Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/100

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lien-, then, we were at last, in full view of what seemed to us a paradise; and a simultaneous shout of delight, not only told our feelings, but that our lungs were still in good order.

"Well, Frank," exclaimed Huntly, with great animation. " \ve ar$ now in a fair way of coming in contact with somebody besides Indians, and so let us down the mountain with all the haste possible."

"Here goes, then, for a race," I cried; and urging my noble animal forward, I dashed down the declivity, to the immi- 'nent danger of myself and horse, followed by Huntly in the same reckless manner, both shouting and wild with excitement.

Reaching the base of the mountain, we galloped swiftly over the valley, and brought up at last in the center of the en campment, where curiosity soon surround ed us with a medley of various nations and complexions, all eager to learn who we were and what our business. Here we beheld Indians of different tribes, Span iards, Mexicans, Englishmen, Frenchmen, Creoles, Canadians, together with Anglo- Americans from all parts of the United States. Some of these were trappers, hunters, traders, coureur des bois, and spec ulators in general all congregated here to carry on the traffic of buying and sell ing this one to make money, and that one to squander his hard earnings in gambling and dissipation. Already had the trade of the -season opened, although the greater part of the trappers were not yet " in " from the mountains with their furs, pelts, and robes.

Outside the shanties, of which there were some half a dozen belonging, the principal one to the agent of the Hudson Bay company, and the others to different traders were built fires, around which groups of bronzed mountaineers were squatted, lost to all consciousness of the outer world, in the exciting games of "eu chre," "poker," "seven up," &c., <kc. In one place was meat in the process of jerking, in another skins stretched over hoops for drying, while here and there was a rude block of graining, together with various other implements used in the fur trade.

All these I noted with a hasty glance as I drew in rein, and while the medley

crowd, before spoken of, was gathering around us. I looked keenly at each as he came up, but failed to recognize a single face, much to my disappointment, as 1 had been rather sanguine of here finding som of my old acquaintances.

"Whar from?" asked a tall, dark, ath letic mountaineer eyeing us, as I fancied, a little suspiciously.

"Over the mountains," I answered.

"Whar's your traps and beavers?"

"We have none."

"Injins raise 'em?"

"We never carried any."

"Traders, hey?"

"No."

"What then?"

"Adventurers."

"That's a new callin, spose?"

"That is ours, at all events."

"Fine bosses you got thar."

"Very good, I believe."

"Going to stop?"

"Think we shall."

"Well,, ground yourselves, put your bosses to feed, and let's see how you look.'*

Upon this we dismounted, and while doing so, Huntly observed :

"I say, friend, do you know most of the trappers?"

"Know a heap all I ever seed."

"Did you ever see one, then, called Black George?"

"D'ye ever see your own mother, stran ger? Didn't I used to trap with him fif teen years ago? and hain't I fit him out of many a Injin snap? Ef that ain't knowin him, jest tell me what is."

"That is knowing him certainly," re turned Huntly, smiling. "But have you seen him of late?"

"Not sence two year come calf time. B'lieve he went over to the States, or some sich outlandish place or other."


 * ' Then I have seen him since you."

"Whar d'ye leave him?" inquired the other with interest.

"In an Indian fight at Bitter Cotton- wood."

"I'd sw'ar it. When Injins is about he's always in, and a few at that, or I'm no snakes. But what become on him? Hope he did'nt go under! ' x

"That is more than I can say, as my friend here and I were carried off t