LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 27 



after 'em, and have crawled like < rattlers' along this 

 bottom to c&che 'em till they come back from the 

 Bayou, and maybe they'll leave half a dozen soldiers* 

 with em." 



How right the wily trapper was in his conjectures 

 will be shortly proved. Meanwhile, with his companion, 

 he descended the bluff, and pushing his way into a 

 thicket of dwarf pine and cedar, sat down on a log, and 

 drew from an end of the blanket, strapped on his 

 shoulder, a portion of a buffalo's liver, which they both 

 discussed, raw, with infinite relish ; eating in lieu of 

 bread (an unknown luxury in these parts) sundry strips 

 of dried fat. To have kindled a fire would have been 

 dangerous, since it was not impossible that some of the 

 Indians might leave their camp to hunt, when the smoke 

 would at once have betrayed the presence of enemies. 

 A light was struck, however, for their, pipes ; and after 

 enjoying this true consolation for some time, they laid a 

 blanket on the ground, and, side by side, soon fell asleep. 



If KiDbuck had been a prophet, or the most prescient 

 of " medicine men," he could not have more exactly 

 predicted the movements in the Indian camp. About 

 three hours before "sun-down," he rose and shook him- 

 self, which movement was sufficient to awaken his com- 

 panion. Telling La Bonte to lie down again and rest, 

 he gave him to understand that he was about to recon- 

 noitre the enemy's camp; and after carefully examining 

 his rifle, and drawing his knife-belt a hole or two 



* The young untried warriors of the Indians are thus called. 



