HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS OF THE FAR WEST. 69 



woman's face about his lodge for the balance of his days ; 

 but when it comes to caching of the old traps, I've the smallest 

 kind of heart, I have. Certain, the old state come across my 

 mind now and agin, but who's thar to remember my old body ? 

 But them diggings get too overcrowded nowadays, and it is 

 hard to fetch breath amongst them big bands of corncrackers 

 to Missoura. Beside, it goes against natur to leave bufler 

 meat and feed on hog ; and them white gals are too much 

 like picturs, and a deal too ' fofaraw' (fanfaron.) No ; darn 

 the settlements, I say. It won't shine, and whar's the dollars ? 

 Howsever, beaver's 'bound to rise;' human natur can't go 

 on selling beaver a dollar a pound ; no, no, that arn't going 

 to shine much longer, I know. Them was the times when 

 this child first went to the mountains : six dollars the plew 

 old 'un or kitten. Wagh ! but it's bound to rise, I says agin; 

 and hyar's a coon knows whar to lay his hand on a dozen 

 pack right handy, and then he'll take the Taos trail, wagh !" 



Thus soliloquizing, Killbuck knocked the ashes from his 

 pipe, and placed it in the gayly ornamented case that hung 

 round his neck, drew his knife-belt a couple of holes tighter, 

 resuming his pouch and powder-horn, took his rifle, whicUTie 

 carefully covered with the folds of his Navajo blanket, and 

 striding into the darkness, cautiously reconnoitered the vici- 

 nity of the camp. When he returned to the fire he sat him- 

 self down as before, but this time with his rifle across his lap ; 

 and at intervals his keen gray eye glanced piercingly around, 

 particularly towards an old, weather-beaten, and grizzled 

 mule, who now, old stager as she was, having filled her belly, 

 stood lazily over her picket-pin, with her head bent down and 

 her long ears flapping over her face, her limbs gathered under 

 her, and her back arched to throw off the rain, tottering from 

 side to side as she rested and slept. 



" Yep, old gal !" cried Killbuck to the animal, at the same 

 time picking a piece of burnt wood from the fire and throw- 

 ing it at her, at which the mule gathered itself up and cocked 



