104 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



dimly seen above the more regular summit of the chain, 

 being their landmark. 



For the first day or two their route lay between two 

 ridges of mountains, and by following the little valley 

 which skirted a creek, they kept on level ground, and 

 saved their animals considerable labour and fatigue. 

 Williams always rode ahead, his body bent over his 

 saddle-horn, across which rested a long heavy rifle, his 

 keen grey eyes peering from under the slouched brim of 

 a flexible felt-hat, black and shining with grease. His 

 buckskin hunting-shirt, bedaubed until it had the appear- 

 ance of polished leather, hung in folds over his bony car- 

 cass ; his nether extremities being clothed in pantaloons of 

 the same material (with scattered fringes down the outside 

 of the leg which ornaments, however, had been pretty 

 well thinned to supply ft whangs " for mending mocassins 

 or pack-saddles), which, shrunk with wet, clung tightly to 

 his long, spare, sinewy legs. His feet were thrust into 

 a pair of Mexican stirrups made of wood, and as big as 

 coal-scuttles ; and iron spurs of incredible proportions, 

 with tinkling drops attached to the rowels, were fastened 

 to his heel a bead- worked strap, four inches broad, secur- 

 ing them over the instep. In the shoulder-belt, which 

 sustained his powder-horn and bullet-pouch, were fastened 

 the various instruments of one pursuing his mode of life. 

 An awl, with deer-horn handle, and the point defended by 

 a case of cherry-wood carved by his own hand, hung at the 

 back of the belt, side by side with a worm for cleaning the 

 rifle ; and under this was a squat and quaint-looking bullet- 

 mould, the handles guarded by strips of buckskin to save 

 his fingers from burning when running balls, having for 

 its companion a little bottle made from the point of an 

 antelope's horn, scraped transparent, which contained the 

 "medicine" used in baiting the traps. The old coon's 

 face was sharp and thin, a long nose and chin hob-nobbing 

 each other ; and his head was always bent forward, giving 

 him the appearance of being hump-backed. He appeared 

 to look neither to the right nor left, but, in fact, his little 

 twinkling eye was everywhere. He looked at no one he 



