LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



87 



beasts to water and hobbled them, threw a piece of buf- 

 falo-meat upon the coals, squatted down before the fire, 

 and lit his pipe. La Bonte was a true philosopher. Not- 

 withstanding that his house, his squaws, his peltries, were 

 gone " at one fell swoop," the loss scarcely disturbed his 

 equanimity ; and before the tobacco in his pipe was half 

 smoked out, he had ceased to think of his misfortune. 

 Certes, as he turned his apolla of tender loin, he sighed as 

 he thought of the delicate manipulations with which hi& 

 Shoshone squaw, Sah-qua-manish, was wont to beat to 

 tenderness the toughest bull meat and missed the tending 

 care of Yute Chil-co-the, or the "Reed that bends," in 

 patching the holes worn in his neatly-fitting mocassins, 

 the work of her nimble fingers. However, he ate and 

 smoked, and smoked and ate, and slept none the worse for 

 his mishap ; thought, before he closed his eyes, a little of 

 his lost wives, and more perhaps of the " Bending Reed " 

 than of Sah-qua-manish, or "she who runs with the 

 stream" drew his blanket tightly round him, felt his rifle 

 handy to his grasp, and was speedily asleep. 



Whilst the tired mountaineer breathes heavily in his 

 dream, careless and unconscious that a living soul is near, 

 his mule on a sudden pricks her ears and stares into the 

 gloom, whence a figure soon emerges, and with noiseless 

 steps draws near the sleeping hunter. Taking one look at 

 the slumbering form, the same figure approaches the fire 

 and adds a log to the pile ; which done, it quietly seats 

 itself at the feet of the sleeper, and remains motionless as 

 a statue. Towards morning the hunter awoke, and, rub- 

 bing his eyes, was astonished to feel the glowing warmth 

 of the fire striking on his naked feet, which, in Indian 

 fashion, were stretched towards it ; as by this time, he 

 knew, the fire he left burning must long since have ex- 

 pired. Lazily raising himself on his elbow, he saw a figure 

 sitting near it with the back turned to him, which, al- 

 though his exclamatory wagh was loud enough in all con- 

 science, remained perfectly motionless, until the trapper, 

 rising, placed his hand upon the shoulder : then, turning 

 up its face, the features displayed to his wondering eye 



