134 IN THE OLD WEST 



ready to meet their trappers, and purchase the 

 beaver at an equitable value; and soon the trade 

 opened, and the encampment assumed a busy ap- 

 pearance. 



A curious assemblage did the rendezvous pre- 

 sent, and representatives of many a land met there. 

 A son of la belle France here lit his pipe from one 

 proffered by a native of New Mexico. An Eng- 

 lishman and a Sandwich Islander cut a quid from 

 the same plug of tobacco. A Swede and an old 

 Virginian puffed together. A Shawanee blew a 

 peaceful cloud with a scion of the Six Nations. 

 One from the Land of Cakes — a canny chiel — 

 sought to "great round" (in trade) a right 

 " smart " Yankee, but couldn't " shine." 



The beaver went briskly, six dollars being the 

 price paid per lb. in goods — for money is sel- 

 dom given in the mountain market, where beaver 

 is cash, for which the articles supplied by the 

 traders are bartered. In a very short time pel- 

 tries of every description had changed hands, 

 either by trade, or by gambling with cards and 

 betting. With the mountain-men bets decide 

 every question that is raised, even the most trivial ; 

 and if the editor of " Bell's Life " were to pay 

 one of these rendezvous a winter visit, he would 

 find the broad sheet of his paper hardly capacious 

 enough to answer all the questions which would 

 be referred to his decision. 



Before the winter was over. La Bonte had lost 



