LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 99 



came upon the famed locality of the Beer and Soda Springs 

 natural fountains of mineral water, renowned amongst 

 the trappers as being "medicine" of the first order. 



Arriving one evening, about sundown, at the Bear 

 Spring, they found a solitary trapper sitting over the 

 rocky basin, intently regarding, with no little awe, the 

 curious phenomenon of the bubbling gas. Behind him 

 were piled his saddles and a pack of skins, and at a 

 little distance a hobbled Indian pony fed amongst the 

 cedars which formed a grove round the spring. As the 

 three hunters dismounted from their animals, the lone 

 trapper scarcely noticed their arrival, his eyes being 

 still intently fixed upon the water. Looking round at 

 last, he was instantly recognised by one of La Bont6's 

 companions, and saluted as " Old Rube." Dressed from 

 head to foot in buckskin, his face, neck, and hands 

 appeared to be of the same leathery texture, so nearly 

 did they assimilate in colour to the materials of his 

 dress. He was at least six feet two or three in his 

 mocassins, straight-limbed and wiry, with long arms 

 ending in hands of tremendous grasp, and a quantity 

 of straight black hair hanging on his shoulders. His 

 features, which were undeniably good, wore an expres- 

 sion of comical gravity, never relaxing into a smile, 

 which a broad good-humoured mouth could have 

 grinned from ear to ear. 



"What, boys !" he said, "will you be simple enough 

 to camp here, alongside these springs ? Nothing good 

 ever came of sleeping here, I tell you, and the worst 

 kind of devils are in those dancing waters." 



