WAPITI-RUNNING ON THE PLAINS 73 



pannikin, and there is the keg." Jack, like most 

 prairie men, invariably introduced himself to the Sun- 

 god with a copious libation of whisky. To take a big 

 drink of raw whisky in the morning, and to touch 

 nothing more during the rest of the day, appears 

 to me a most extraordinary perversion of principle. 

 However, it is a part of the manners and customs 

 of the country, and may be adapted to that peculiar 

 region. I have often tried to acquire the habit, 

 but have never succeeded. It is true that to take 

 one drink of whisky in the morning induces modi- 

 fied intoxication for the whole of the day, and it is 

 therefore an economical habit ; but it makes a man 

 so unpleasantly drunk that he is apt to become a 

 nuisance to himself and a terror to his friends. 

 After Jack had tossed off his tot of whisky with the 

 customary salutation, '* How," to which we replied 

 with the polite rejoinder,'' Drink hearty," we crawled 

 out of our blankets and began to dress ourselves ; 

 that is to say, to undress ourselves, for we slept 

 with more clothes on than we wore in the daytime ; 

 and then, having taken our drams in the shape of 

 coffee, and gone through the slight ceremonial that 

 answers to the getting-up of civilised life, we turned 

 out, watered our horses, and started, accompanied 

 by the captain in command of the scouting party. 



