LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. Ill 



less, before the trenchant blades of the hungry mountaineers ; 

 appetizing yards of well-browned "boudin" clipped glibly 

 down their throats ; rib after rib of tender hump was picked 

 and flung to the wolves ; and when human nature, with help- 

 less gratitude, and confident that nothing of super-excellent 

 comestibility remained, was lazily wiping the greasy knife 

 that had done such good service a skilful hunter was seen 

 to chuckle to himself as he raked the deep ashes of the fire, 

 and drew therefrom a pair of tongues so admirably baked, so 

 soft, so sweet, and of such exquisite flavor, that a veil is con- 

 siderately drawn over the effects their discussion produced in 

 the mind of our greenhorn La Bonte, and the raptures they 

 excited in the bosom of that, as yet, most ignorant moun- 

 taineer. Still, as he ate, he wondered, and wondering ad- 

 mired, that nature, in giving him such profound gastronomic 

 powers, and such transcendent capabilities of digestion, had 

 yet bountifully provided an edible so peculiarly adapted to 

 his ostrich-like appetite, that after consuming nearly his own 

 weight in rich and fat buffalo meat, he felt as easy and as 

 little incommoded as if he had lightly supped on strawberries 

 and ice croam. 



Sweet was the digestive pipe after such a feast ; soft was 

 the sleep and deep, which sealed the eyes of the contented 

 trappers that night. It felt like the old thing, they said, to 

 be once more among the "meat." 



However, no enemies showed themselves as yet, and they 

 proceeded quietly up the river, vast herds of buffalo darken- 

 ing the plains around them, affording them more than an 

 abundance of choicest meat ; but, to their credit be it spoken, 

 no more was slaughtered than was absolutely required un- 

 like the cruel slaughter made by most of the white travellers 

 across the plains, who wantonly destroy these noble animals, 

 not even for the excitement of sport, but in cold-blooded and 

 insane butchery. La Bonte had practised enough to perfect 

 him in the art, and, before the buffalo range was passed, he 



