208 LIFE IN THE FAR WESt. 



covered tongue the heaving flank and quivering tail 

 declared its race was run ; and the driving sleet and snow, 

 and penetrating winter blast, scarce made impression upon 

 its callous and worn-out frame. 



One of the band of mountaineers was Marcelliii, and a 

 single look at the miserable beast was sufficient for him to 

 recognise the once renowned Nez-perce" steed of old Bill 

 Williams. That the owner himself was not far distant he 

 felt certain ; and, searching carefully around, the hunters 

 presently came upon an old camp, before which lay, pro- 

 truding from the snow, the blackened remains of pine logs. 

 Before these, which had been the fire, and leaning with his 

 back against a pine trunk, and his legs crossed under him, 

 half covered with snow, reclined the figure of the old 

 mountaineer, his snow-capped head bent over his breast. 

 His well-known hunting-coat of fringed elk-skin hung stiff 

 and weather-stained about him ; and his rifle, packs, and 

 traps were strewed around. 



Awe -struck, the trappers approached the body, and 

 found it frozen hard as stone, in which state it had pro- 

 bably lain there for many days or weeks. A jagged 

 rent in the breast of his leather coat, and dark stains 

 about it, showed he had received a wound before his 

 death ; but it was impossible to say, whether to his hurt, 

 or to sickness, or to the natural decay of age, was to be 

 attributed the wretched and solitary end of poor Bill 

 Williams. 



A friendly bullet cut short the few remaining hours of 

 the trapper's faithful steed ; and burying, as well as they 

 were able, the body of the old mountaineer, the hunters 

 next day left him in his lonely grave, in a spot so wild and 

 remote, that it was doubtful whether even hungry wolves 

 would discover and disinter his attenuated corpse. 



THE END. 



PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH. 



