272 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



avec his carabine, and ride de cheval comrne one 

 Comanche. He trap heap castor, (what you call 

 beevare,) and get plenty dollare mais he open hand 

 vare wide and got none too. Den, he hont vid de 

 Blackfoot and avec de Cheyenne, and all round de 

 montaignes he hont dam sight." 



" But, Antoine, what became of him at last ? and 

 why dM he not come home, when he made so many 

 dollars ?" asked poor Mary. 



" Enfant de garce, mais pourquoi he com home ? 

 Pe gar, de montaigne-man, he love de montaigne and 

 de prairie more better dan he love de grandes villes 

 meme de Saint Louis ou de Montreal. Wagh ! La 

 Bonte, well, he one montaigne-man, wagh ! He love 

 de buifaloe and de chevreaux plus que de boeuf and de 

 mouton, may be. Mais on dit dat he have autre raison 

 dat de gal he lofe in Missouri not lofe him, and for 

 dis he not go back. Mais now he go ondare, m' on dit. 

 He vas go to de Californe, may be to steal de hose and 

 dQ mule pe gar, and de Espagnols rub him out, and 

 take his hair, so he mort." 



"But are you sure of this?" she asked, trembling 

 with grief. 



" Ah, now, j'ne suis pas sur ; mais I tink you know 

 dis La Bonte. Enfant de garce, maybe you de gal in 

 Missouri he lofe, and not lofe him. Pe gar ! 'fant de 

 garce ! fort beau gallon dis La Bonte : pourquoi you ne 

 1'aimez pas? Maybe he not go ondare. Maybe he 

 turn op, autrefois. De trappares, dey go ondare tree, 

 four, ten times, mais dey turn op twenty time. De 



