174 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



" Yes," continued the younger ; " some hot preserved 

 soup, hotch-potch, and a glass of porter, will do you 

 good." 



The trappers looked at the speaker, who was talking 

 Greek (to them.) They thought the bourgeois were 

 making fun, and did not half like it, so answered simply, 

 " Wagh ! h 's full of hosh-posh and porter." 



Two large waggons presently came up, escorted by 

 some eight or ten stout Missourians. Sublette was 

 amongst the number, well known as a mountain trader, 

 and under whose guidance the present party, which 

 formed a pleasure expedition at the expense of a Scotch 

 sportsman, was leisurely making its way across the 

 mountains to the Columbia. As several mountaineers 

 were in company, Killbuck and La Bonte recognised 

 more than one friend, and the former and Sublette were 

 old campaneros. As soon as the animals were unhitched, 

 and camp formed on the banks of the creek, a black 

 cook set about preparing a meal. Our two trapping 

 friends looked on with astonishment as the sable func- 

 tionary drew from the waggon the different articles he 

 required to furnish forth a feed. Hams, tongues, tins 

 of preserved meats, bottles of pickles, of porter, brandy, 

 coffee, sugar, flour, were tumbled promiscuously on 

 the prairie ; whilst pots and pans, knives, forks, spoons, 

 plates, &c. &c., displayed their unfamiliar faces to the 

 mountaineers. " Hosh-posh and porter" did not now 

 appear such Utopian articles as they had first imagined; 

 but no one but those who have fared for years on simple 

 meat and water, can understand the relish with which 



