THE STORY OF THE TRAPPER 



PART I 



CHAPTER I 



GAMESTERS OF THE WILDERNESS 



FEARING nothing, stopping at nothing, knowing no 

 law, ruling his stronghold of the wilds like a despot, 

 checkmating rivals with a deviltry that beggars paral 

 lel, wassailing with a shamelessness that might have 

 put Eome s worst deeds to the blush, fighting fighting 

 fighting, always fighting with a courage that knew 

 no truce but victory, the American trapper must ever 

 stand as a type of the worst and the best in the militant 

 heroes of mankind. 



Each with an army at his back, Wolfe and Napoleon 

 won victories that upset the geography of earth. The 

 fur traders never at any time exceeded a few thousands 

 in number, faced enemies unbacked by armies and sal 

 lied out singly or in pairs; yet they won a continent 

 that has bred a new race. 



Like John Colter,* whom Manuel Lisa met coming 

 from the wilds a hundred years ago, the trapper 

 IBtrapped a pack to his back, slung a rifle over his shoul- 



* Whom Bradbury and Irving and Chittenden have all con 

 spired to make immortal. 



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