52 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



groaned and whined like a dog, as a thong or loosened 

 strap touched her ticklish body, lifting her hind-quarters 

 in a succession of jumps or preparatory kicks, and 

 looking wicked as a panther. When nothing but the 

 fore pack-saddle remained, she had worked herself into 

 the last stage ; and as the stranger cast loose the girth 

 of buffalo hide, and was about to lift the saddle and 

 draw the crupper from the tail, she drew her hind legs 

 under her, more tightly compressed her tail, and almost 

 shrieked with rage. 



" Stand clear," he roared (knowing what was coming,) 

 and raised the saddle, when out went her hind legs, up 

 went the pack into the air, and, with it dangling at her 

 heels, away she tore, kicking the offending saddle as she 

 ran. Her master, however, took this as matter of course, 

 followed her and brought back the saddle, which he 

 piled on the others to windward of the fire one of the 

 trappers was kindling. Fire-making is a simple process 

 with the mountaineers. Their bullet-pouches always 

 contain a flint and steel, and sundry pieces of " punk "* 

 or tinder ; and pulling a handful of dry grass, which 

 they screw into a nest, they place the lighted punk in 

 this, and, closing the grass over it, wave it in the air, 

 when it soon ignites, and readily kindles the dry sticks 

 forming the foundation of the fire. 



The tit-bits of the deer the stranger had brought in 



were soon roasting over the fire ; whilst, as soon as the 



burning logs had deposited a sufficiency of ashes, a hole 



was raked in them, and the head of the deer, skin, hair, 



* A pithy substance found in dead pine-trees. 



