34 LIFE IN THE FAE WEST. 



pointing his pipe-stem towards the fast-fading figure of the 

 brave, " that Injun's heart's about as big as ever it will be, 

 I'm thinking." 



With the Yutas, Killbuck and La Bonte remained during 

 the winter ; and when the spring sun had opened the ice- 

 bound creeks, and melted the snow on the mountains, and 

 its genial warmth had expanded the earth and permitted 

 the roots of the grass to " live " once more, and throw out 

 green and tender shoots, the two trappers bade adieu to 

 the hospitable Indians, who broke up their village in order 

 to start for the valleys of the Del Norte. As they followed 

 the trail from the bayou, at sundown, just as they thought 

 of camping, they observed ahead of them a solitary horse- 

 man riding along, followed by three mules. His hunting- 

 frock of fringed buckskin, and the rifle resting across the 

 horn of his saddle, at once proclaimed him white ; but as 

 he saw the mountaineers winding through the canon, driv- 

 ing before them half-a-dozen horses, he judged they might 

 possibly be Indians and enemies, the more so as their dress 

 was not the usual costume of the whites. The trappers, 

 therefore, saw the stranger raise the rifle in the hollow of 

 his arm, and gathering up his horse, ride steadily to meet 

 them, as soon as he observed they were but two ; two to 

 one in mountain calculation being scarcely considered odds, 

 if red skin to white. 



However, on nearing them, the stranger discovered his 

 mistake, and throwing his rifle across the saddle once 

 more, reined in his horse and waited their approach; for the 

 spot where he then stood presented an excellent camping- 

 ground, with abundance of dry wood and convenient water. 



" Where from, stranger ? " 



" The divide, and to the bayou for meat ; and you are 

 from there, I see. Any buffalo come in yet ? " 



" Heap, and seal-fat at that. What's the sign out on the 

 plains?"' 



" War-party of Rapahos passed Squirrel at sundown yes- 

 terday, and nearly raised my animals. Sign, too, of more 

 on left fork of Boiling Spring. No buffalo between this 

 and Bijou. Do you feel like camping ?" 



