170 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



and placing the mouth in the palm of his left hand, 

 turned the horn up and shook it. 



" Not a grain," he said " not a grain, old hos." 

 " Wagh ! " exclaimed the other, " we'll have to eat 

 afore long," and rising, walked into the prairie. He 

 had hardly stepped two spaces, when, passing close to a 

 sage bush, a rattlesnake whizzed a note of warning 

 with its tail. Killbuck grinned, and taking the wiping- 

 stick from his rifle-barrel, tapped the snake on the 

 head, and, taking it by the tail, threw it to La Bonte, 

 saying, " hyar's meat, anyhow." The old fellow followed 

 up his success by slaying half-a-dozen more, and 

 brought them in skewered through the head on his 

 wiping-stick. A fire was soon kindled, and the snakes 

 roasting before it ; when La Bonte, who sat looking at 

 buffalo which fed close to the rock, suddenly saw them 

 raise their heads, snuff the air, and scamper towards 

 him. A few minutes afterwards, a huge shapeless 

 body loomed in the refracted air, approaching the spot 

 where the buffalo had been grazing. The hunters 

 looked at it and then at each other, and ejaculated 

 " Wagh ! " Presently a long white mass showed more 

 distinctly, followed by another, and before each was a 

 string of animals. 



" Waggons, by hos and beaver ! Hurrah for Conos- 

 toga ! " exclaimed the trappers in a breath, as they 

 now observed two white-tilted waggons, drawn by 

 several pairs of mules, approaching the very spot where 

 they sat. Several mounted men were riding about the 

 waggons, and two on horseback, in advance of all, were 



