LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 165 



Arrived at camp, packing in a tolerable load of the 

 best part of the animal for hunger lent him strength 

 he found poor Killbuck lying on his back, deaf to 

 time, and to all appearance gone under. Having no 

 sal-volatile or vinaigrette at hand, La Bonte flapped a 

 lump of raw fleece into his patient's face, and this 

 instantly revived him. Then taking the sick man's 

 shoulder, he raised him tenderly into a sitting posture, 

 and invited, in kindly accents, " the old hos to feed," 

 thrusting at the same time a tolerable slice of liver into 

 his hand, which the patient looked at wistfully and 

 vaguely for a few short moments, and then greedily 

 devoured. It was nightfall by the time that La Bonte", 

 assisted by many intervals of hard eating, packed in the 

 last of the meat, which formed a goodly pile around the 

 fire. 



" Poor bull " it was, in all conscience : the labour of 

 chewing a mouthful of the " tender loin " was equal to a 

 hard day's hunt ; but to them, poor starved fellows, it 

 appeared the richest of meat. They still preserved a 

 small tin pot, and in this, by stress of eternal boiling, 

 La Bonte contrived to make some strong soup, which 

 soon restored his sick companion to marching order. 

 For himself, as soon as a good meal had filled him, he 

 was strong as ever, and employed himself in drying the 

 remainder of the meat for future use. Even the wolf, 

 bony as he was, was converted into meat, and rationed 

 them several days. Winter, however, had set in with 

 such severity, and Killbuck was still so weak, that La 

 Bont6 determined to remain in his present position until 



