136 IN THE OLD WEST 



by one of La Bonte's companions, and saluted 

 as " Old Rube." Dressed from head to foot in 

 buckskin, his face, neck, and hands appeared to 

 be of the same leathery texture, so nearly did 

 they assimilate in color to the materials of his 

 dress. He was at least six feet two or three in 

 his moccasins, straight-limbed and wiry, with 

 long arms ending in hands of tremendous grasp, 

 and a quantity of straight black hair hanging on 

 his shoulders. His features, which were undeni- 

 ably good, wore an expression of comical gravity, 

 never relaxing into a smile, which a broad good- 

 humored mouth could have grinned from ear to 

 ear. 



" What, boys ! " he said, " will you be simple 

 enough to camp here alongside these springs? 

 Nothing good ever came of sleeping here, I tell 

 you, and the worst kind of devils are in those 

 dancing waters." 



"Why, old hoss," cried La Bonte, "what 

 brings you hyar then, and camp at that? " 



" This nigger," answered Rube, solemnly, 

 " has been down'd upon a sight too often to be 

 skeared by what can come out from them waters ; 

 and thar arn't a devil as hisses thar as can shine 

 with this child, I tell you. I've tried him onest, 

 an' f out him to clawin' away to Eustis ; * and if 



* A small lake near the head-waters of the Yellow Stone, 

 near which are some curious thermal springs of ink-black 

 water. 



