84 IN THE OLD WEST 



closing the grass over it, wave it in the air, when 

 it soon ignites, and readily kindles the dry sticks 

 forming the foundation of the fire. 



The tidbits of the deer the stranger had brought 

 in were soon roasting over the fire ; whilst, as soon 

 as the burning logs had deposited a sufficiency of 

 ashes, a hole was raked in them, and the head of 

 the deer, skin, hair, and all, placed in this primi- 

 tive oven, and carefully covered with the hot ashes. 



A " heap " of fat meat in perspective, our moun- 

 taineers enjoyed their anteprandial pipes, recount- 

 ing the news of the respective regions whence they 

 came ; and so well did they like each other's com- 

 pany, so sweet Avas the honeydew tobacco of which 

 the strange hunter had good store, so plentiful 

 the game about the creek, and so abundant the 

 pasture for their winter-starved animals, that be- 

 fore the carcass of the two-year buck had been 

 more than four-fifths consumed — and although 

 rib after rib had been picked and chucked over 

 their shoulders to the wolves, a,nd one fore leg 

 and the " bit " of all, the head, were still cooked 

 before them — the three had come to the resolu- 

 tion to join company, and hunt in their present 

 locality for a few days at least — the owner of 

 the " two-shoot " gun volunteering to fill their 

 horns with powder, and find tobacco for theii 

 pipes. 



Here, on plenty of meat, of venison, bear, and 

 antelope, they merrily luxuriated ; returning after 



