126 IN THE OLD WEST 



sought the bodies of the Indians they had slain in 

 the attack, and presently returned with three reek- 

 ing 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. 



Tramping 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 fea- 

 tures of the regions embracing the Rocky Moun- 

 tains 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 unfor- 

 tunate trapper killed there in Indian fight, or 

 treacherously slaughtered by the lurking savages, 



