Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/101

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Cor dead, and have not been able to get the particulars of the battle since."

"He did'nt die, I'll bet my life on that! Ef he did, it's the fust timelie ever knock ed under to sich varmints."

"1 suppose, then, you havt seen none who were in the tight?"

"Never beared on't till now so reckon I havn't."

"We fondly anticipated meeting some <Sf them here."

"Its like you may yit; for ef they're about in this part o' creation, they're sure to come. But turn out them critters, for they looks hungry, and make yourselves at home here. And while I thinks on't, ef you've got any bacca, I'll trouble ye for a chaw."

As 1 had some of the desired article, I proffered it, and received his warmest thanks in return. We now set about re moving our saddles and other appendages, and hoppling our horses; while the crowd, having stared at us to their satisfaction, and found nothing particularly remarkable in our persons or equipments, gradually sauntered away, until we were left entirely to ourselves.

Brown's Hole, at certain seasons of the year, becomes a place of considerable note, and presents many of the features of a western settlement on a holiday. It was interesting to us to note the avariciousness of the traders, and the careless indifference of the trappers, in disposing of their com modities. Dropping in daily sometimes singly and sometimes in parties from two to ten, loaded with pelts and furs, in value from one hundred to several thousand dol lars the latter would barter them for powder, lead, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and whatever else they fancied, receiving each article at the most exhorbitant price, with out uttering a word of complaint. I have seen powder sold to the mountaineers at the enormous sum of from three to four dollars a pint; alcohol at double this price, the same measure; coffee ditto; tobacco two and three dollars per plug, and every thing else in proportion. Money here was out of the question, as much as if it had never been in existence furs, pelts, and robes being substituted therefor. Here I witnessed gambling on every scale, from 'he highest to the lowest from thousands

to units while every doubtful or mooted point was sure to result in a bet before being decided. It was nothing uncommon to see a trapper " come in " with three or four mules, and furs to the amount of sev eral thousand dollars, and within a week from his arrival, be without the value of a baubee he could call his own furs, inules, rifle, everything, sacrificed to his insatia ble love of gambling. The mountaineer over his cups is often quarrelsome, and an angry dispute is almost certain to be set tled in an honorable way (?) that is, rifles at thirty yards when one or the other (sometimes both) rarely fails to pay the forfeit of his life. I had not been many days in Brown's Hole, ere I witnessed a tragedy of this kind, which even now, as I recall it, makes my blood run cold with horror.

The actors in this bloody scene were two trappers of the better class, of intelli gent and respectable appearance, neither of whom had seen over thirty years, and who, as a general thing, were of very sober and quiet habits. They were from the same part of the country had been boys together had started together upon their adventures and perilous occupation, and were, moreover, sworn friends.

Some three days after our arrival, they had made their appearance, well packed with -pelts and furs, which they immedi ately proceeded to dispose of to the traders, As their trip had been an unusually profit able one, they of course felt much elated, and taking a drink together, sat down to a friendly game of cards, to while away their leisure hours. More strict in their habits than most of their associates, they rarely gambled, and then only for diversion. On the occasion alluded to they at once began playing for liquor, and having at length drank more than their wont, proceeded to stake different articles. As the game pro gressed, they became more and more excit ed, until at last their stakes run very high. One was peculiarly fortunate, and of course the luck of the other was exactly the re verse, which so mortified and vexed him, that he finally staked all his hard earnings and lost. On this his companion took an other drink, grew more and mure merry al his own success, which he attributed to his superior skill in handling tke c