90 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



hunters, that at the moment the last morsel was drawn 

 from the pot, when all were regretting that a few more 

 dogs had not been slaughtered, a wolfish-looking cur, who 

 incautiously poked his long nose and head under the 

 lodge skin, was pounced upon by the nearest hunter, who 

 in a moment drew his knife across the animal's throat, 

 and threw it to a squaw to skin and prepare for the pot. 

 The wolf had long since been vigorously discussed, and 

 voted by all hands to be "good as dog." 



" Meat's meat," is a common saying in the mountains, 

 and from the buffalo down to the rattlesnake, including 

 every quadruped that runs, every fowl that flies, and 

 every reptile that creeps, nothing comes amiss to the 

 mountaineer. Throwing aside all the qualms and con- 

 scientious scruples of a fastidious stomach, it must be con- 

 fessed that dog-meat takes a high rank in the wonderful 

 variety of cuisine afforded to the gourmand and the gour- 

 met by the prolific "mountains." Now, when the bill of 

 fare offers such tempting viands as buffalo-beef, venison, 

 mountain mutton, turkey, grouse, wild-fowl, hares, rabbits, 

 beaver and their tails, &c. &c., the station assigned to 

 "dog" as No. 2 in the list can be well appreciated No. 

 1, in delicacy of flavour, richness of meat, and other good 

 qualities, being the flesh of panthers, which surpasses 

 every other, and all put together. 



" Painter meat can't ( shine ' with this," says a hunter, 

 to express the delicious flavour of an extraordinary cut of 

 " tender loin," or delicate fleece. 



La Bonte started with his squaw for the North Fork 

 early in November, and arrived at the Laramie at the 

 moment that the big village of the Sioux came up for their 

 winter trade. Two other villages were encamped lower 

 down the Platte, including the Ernie's and the Yanka-taus, 

 who were now on more friendly terms with the whites. 

 The first band numbered several hundred lodges, and 

 presented quite an imposing appearance, the village being 

 laid out in parallel lines, the lodge of each chief being 

 marked with his particular totem. The traders had a 

 particular portion of the village allotted to them, and a 



