LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 199 



he stood in need ; and after gorging as much meat as his 

 capacious stomach would hold, he left the camp, and started 

 into the mountain. 



The next day our hunters started on their journey down 

 the river, travelling leisurely, and stopping wherever good 

 grass presented itself. One morning they suddenly struck 

 a wheel-trail, which left the creek-banks and pursued a 

 course at right angles to it, in the direction of the " divide." 

 Killbuck pronounced it but a few hours old, and that of 

 three waggons drawn by oxen. 



" Wagh ! " he exclaimed, " if them poor devils of Mor- 

 monites ain't going head first into the Eapaho trap. They'll 

 be 'gone beaver' afore long." 



" Ay," said the strange hunter, " these are the waggons 

 belonging to old Brand, and he has started alone for Lara- 

 mie. I hope nothing will happen to them." 



" Brand ! " muttered La Bonte. " I knowed that name 

 mighty well once, years agone ; and should hate the worst 

 kind that mischief happened to any one who bore it. This 

 trail's as fresh as paint, and it goes against me to let these 

 simple critters help the Kapahos to their own hair. This 

 child feels like helping 'em out of the scrape. What do 

 you say, old hos ? " 



" I thinks with you, boy," answered Killbuck, " and go 

 in for following this waggon-trail, and telling the poor crit- 

 ters that thar's danger ahead of them. What's your talk, 

 stranger ? " 



" I go with you," shortly answered the latter ; and both 

 followed quickly after La* Bonte, who was already trotting 

 smartly on the trail. 



Meanwhile the three waggons, containing the household 

 gods of the Brand family, rumbled slowly over the rolling 

 prairie, and towards the upland ridge of the "divide," 

 which, studded with dwarf-pine and cedar thicket, rose 

 gradually before them. They travelled with considerable 

 caution, for already the quick eye of Antoine had discov- 

 ered recent Indian sign upon the trail, and with mountain 

 quickness had at once made it out to be that of a war- 

 party : for there were no horses with them, and after one 



