190 IN THE OLD WEST 



Them doins won't shine in this crowd, boy, do 

 'ee hyar, darn you? What! butcher meat across 

 the grain ! why, whar'll the blood be goin' to, you 

 precious Spaniard? Down the grain, I say," he 

 continued, in a severe tone of rebuke, " and let 

 your flaps be long, or out the juice '11 run slick 

 — do 'ee hyar, now?" But this heretical error 

 nearly cost the old trapper his appetite, and all 

 night long he grumbled his horror at seeing " fat 

 cow spiled in that fashion." 



When two or three days' journey brought them 

 to the end of the valley, and they commenced the 

 passage of the mountain, their march was ob- 

 structed by all kinds of obstacles ; although they 

 had chosen what appeared to be a gap in the 

 chain, and what was in fact the only practicable 

 passage in that vicinity. They followed the canon 

 of a branch of the Yellow Stone, where it entered 

 the mountain ; but from this point it became a tor- 

 rent, and it was only by dint of incredible exer- 

 tions that they reached the summit of the ridge. 

 Game was exceedingly scarce in the vicinity, and 

 they suffered extremely from hunger, having, on 

 more than one occasion, recourse to the parfleche 

 soles of their moccasins to allay its pangs. Old 

 Bill, however, never grumbled ; he chewed away 

 at liis shoes with relish even, and as long as he had 

 a pipeful of tobacco in his pouch was a happy 

 man. Starvation was as yet far off, for all their 

 animals were in existence; but as they were in a 



