IN THE OLD WEST 133 



Brown's Hole — an inclosed valley so called — 

 which, abounding in game, and sheltered on every 

 side by lofty mountains, is a favorite wintering- 

 ground of the mountaineers. Here they found 

 several trapping bands already arrived; and a 

 trader from the Uintah country, with store of 

 powder, lead, and tobacco, prepared to ease them 

 of their hard-earned peltries. 



Singly, and in bands numbering from two to 

 ten, the trappers dropped into the rendezvous ; 

 some with many pack-loads of beaver, others with 

 greater or less quantity, and more than one on 

 foot, having lost his animals and peltry by Indian 

 thieving. Here were soon congregated many 

 mountaineers, whose names are famous in the his- 

 tory of the Far West. Fitzpatrick and Hatcher, 

 and old Bill Williams, well-known leaders of trap- 

 ping parties, soon arrived with their bands. 

 Sublette came in with his men from Yellow Stone, 

 and many of Wyeth's New Englanders were there. 

 Chabonard with his half-breeds, Wah-keitchas all, 

 brought his peltries from the lower country ; and 

 half-a-dozen Shawanee and Delaware Indians, with 

 a Mexican from Taos, one Marcelline, a fine strap- 

 ping fellow, the best trapper and hunter in the 

 mountains, and ever first in the fight. Here, too, 

 arrived the " Bourgeois " traders of the " North- 

 West " * Company, with their superior equipments, 



* The Hudson's Bay Company is so called by the Ameri- 

 can trappers. 



