Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/63

 d bricks.

des of which are dwellings, store-rooms, Btablr.s, carpenter shops, smith shops, of fices, fec., all fronting upon the inner area.

This fort belongs to the North American Fur Company, and is a general rendezvous for traders, travelers, trappers, Indians, emigrants, &c., on their way to and from the different trading posts, Oregon and the United States. Here may be found repre sentatives of all nations and colors, meet ing on an equal footing, often drinking and gambling together, many of whom may be put down as implacable enemies, and who, at another time and place, would think nothing of cutting each others' throats. Here occasionally may be seen the Ponka, the Pawnee, the Crow, the Blackfoot, the Sioux and the Shoshone intermingled with the Spaniard, the Frenchman, the Mexican, the Anglo-Saxon, the Dutchman and Xe- gro. The trapper comes in at certain seasons loaded with furs, and receives in exchange for them powder, lead, tobacco, whisky, <fec., at the most exorbitant prices. Then generally follow a few days of dissi pation in feasting, gambling, drunken ness, and sometimes riot when he finds all his hard earnings gone, and he obliged to betake himself again to the mountains, to procure a new supply, to be squandered in the same reckless manner.

As we rode up to the fort, we noticed several Indians standing outside, carelessly leaning against the mud-covered walls, their persons bedecked with gew-gaws, and their faces bedaubed with paint, look ing surly and ferocious, evidently under the excitement of liquor, and ready at any mo ment, did not their cowardice and fears restrain them, to take the life and scalp of the first white man that should come in their way. Standing among them, and addressing one who from his superiority of costume and equipments I judged to be a chief, was a man of small stature, mostly concealed under a large sarape and broad- brimmed sombrero.

"H 1!" exclaimed Black George, with an indignant scowl : Ef thar aint one o' them infernal Greasers, I wish I may be dogged! Well, all I've got to say is, he'd better not come foolin round this child, or he'll find his hair lifted. Eh! Ned?"

"Won't nothin short."

Passing through the gateway, we soon had the satisfaction of seeing our cavallada well disposed of; and entering the com mon reception room, took a friendly drink together; after which, lighting our pipes, (Huntly and myself had already adopted this habit since leaving home,) we strolled around the fortress to gratify our curiosity, and while away the time till supper.

We found everything in perfect order, all the various compartments cleanly, and the fort well garrisoned by a dozen hardy fellows, each of whom had seen more or less service, and the commander of whom was at least a veteran in experience if not iu years.

The fort was not crowded by any means it not being the season of year for the traders and trappers to be " in " but still the number of guests was quite respect able. There were a few families of emi grants on their way to Oregon and Cali fornia, and one or two home-sick ones on their return to the United States, looking pale, sickK, and dejected. Some half a dozen Indians, two or three Mexicans, as many French voyageurs, four or five trap pers and. hunters all of whom were re cognized by our companions a brace of Yankee speculators, another of coureur des bois,* together with the squaw-wives and children of the garrison completed, as far as I could judge by a hasty glance, the present occupants of the station.

On the eastern side of the fort we found an additional wall to the one I have de scribed, which connected with the main one at both extremities, and enclosed ground for stabling and carrell. A large gateway opened into this from the south ern side, and a postern communicated with it from the main enclosure. Here were carrelled a few mules and cattle belonging to the emigrants, while in the stables our own horses were; enjoying the best the country afforded, for which of course we expected to pay at least six prices. In view of this important item, and their in capacity to meet it, the mountaineers had taken care to put their mules on less ex pensive diet.

In the main enclosure or common, were

Itinerant trauers or peddlen.