56 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



However, they now knew that they were in the country 

 of meat ; and a few miles farther, another band of strag- 

 glers presenting themselves, three of the hunters went in 

 pursuit, La Bonte taking a mule to pack in the meat. He 

 soon saw them crawling towards the band, and shortly two 

 puffs of smoke, and the sharp cracks of their rifles, showed 

 that they had got within shot ; and when he rode up, two 

 fine buffaloes were stretched upon the ground. Now, for 

 the first time, he was initiated in the mysteries of " butcher- 

 ing." He watched the hunters as they turned the carcass 

 on the belly, stretching out the legs to support it on each 

 side. A transverse cut was then made at the nape of the 

 neck, and, gathering the long hair of the boss in one hand, 

 the skin was separated from the shoulder. It was then 

 laid open from this point to the tail, along the spine, and 

 then, freed from the sides and pulled down to the brisket, 

 but still attached to it, was stretched upo-i the ground to 

 receive the dissected portions. Then the shoulder was 

 severed, the fleece removed from along the backbone, and 

 the hump-ribs cut off with a tomahawk. All this was 

 placed upon the skin ; and after the " boudins " had been 

 withdrawn from the stomach, and the tongue a great 

 dainty taken from the head, the meat was packed upon 

 the mule, and the whole party hurried to camp rejoicing. 



There was merry-making in the camp that night, and 

 tlie way they indulged their appetites or, in their own 

 language, "throw'd" the meat "cold" would have made 

 the heart of a dyspeptic leap for joy or burst with envy. 

 Far into the " still watches of the tranquil night," the fat- 

 clad " depouille " saw its fleshy mass grow small by degrees 

 and beautifully less before the trenchant blades of the 

 hungry mountaineers ; appetising yards of well-browned 

 " boudin " slipped glibly down their throats ; rib after rib 

 of tender hump was picked and flung to the wolves ; and 

 when human nature, with helpless gratitude, and confident 

 that nothing of superexcellent 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 



