126 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



" Wait till the waggons come up, and throw away that 

 abominable stuff, and you shall have something better, I 

 promise," said the elder of the strangers. 



" Yes," continued the younger ; " some hot preserved 

 soup, hotch-potch, and a glass of porter, will do you good." 



The trappers looked at the speaker, who was talking 

 Greek (to them.) They thought the bourgeois were mak- 

 ing fun, and did not half like it, so answered simply, 

 " Wagh ! h *s full of hosh-posh and porter." 



Two large waggons presently came up, escorted by some 

 eight or ten stout Missourians. Sublette was amongst the 

 number, well known as a mountain trader, and under 

 whose guidance the present party, which formed a pleasure 

 expedition at the expense of a Scotch sportsman, was leis- 

 urely making its way across the mountains to the Colum- 

 bia. As several mountaineers were in company, Killbuck 

 and La Bonte recognised more than one friend, and the 

 former and Sublette were old campaneros. As soon as the 

 animals were unhitched, and camp formed on the banks of 

 the creek, a black cook set about preparing a meal. Our 

 two trapping friends looked on with astonishment as the 

 sable functionary drew from the waggon the different arti- 

 cles he required to furnish forth a feed. Hams, tongues, 

 tins of preserved meats, bottles of pickles, of porter, brandy, 

 coffee, sugar, flour, were tumbled promiscuously on the 

 prairie ; whilst pots and pans, knives, forks, spoons, plates, 

 &c. &c., displayed their unfamiliar faces to the mountain- 

 eers. " Hosh-posh and porter " did not now appear such 

 Utopian articles as they had first imagined ; but no one 

 but those who have fared for years on simple meat and 

 water, can understand the relish with which they accepted 

 the invitation of the Capen (as they called the Scotchman) 

 to " take a horn of liquor." Killbuck and La Bonte sat in 

 the same position as when we first surprised them asleep 

 under the shadow of Independence Rock, regarding the 

 profuse display of comestibles with scarce-believing eyes, 

 and childishly helpless from the novelty of the scene. Each 

 took the proffered half-pint cup, filled to the brim with 

 excellent brantly (no teetotallers they !) looked once at 



