164 IN THE OLD WEST 



good qualities, being the flesh of panthers, which 

 surpasses every other, and all put together.* 



" Painter meat can't ' shine ' with this," says 

 a hunter, to express the delicious flavor of an 

 extraordinary cut of tenderloin or delicate 

 fleece. 



La Bonte started with his squaw for the North 

 Fork early in November, and arrived at the Lara- 

 mie at the moment that the big village of the Sioux 

 came up for their winter trade. Two other vil- 

 lages were encamped lower down the Platte, in- 

 cluding the Brules and the Yanka-taus, who were 

 now on more friendly terms with the whites. The 

 first band numbered several hundred lodges, and 

 presented quite an imposing appearance, the vil- 

 lage being laid out in parallel lines, the lodge of 

 each chief being marked with his particular totem. 

 The traders had a particular portion of the vil- 

 lage allotted to them, and a line was marked out, 

 which was strictl}^ kept by the soldiers appointed 

 for the protection of the whites. As there were 

 many rival traders, and numerous coureurs des 

 hois, or peddling ones, the market promised to be 

 brisk, the more so as a large quantity of ardent 

 spirits was in their possession, which would be 

 dealt with no unsparing hand to put down the 

 opposition of so many competing traders. 



In opening a trade, a quantity of liquor is first 



*The excellence of panther meat is praised by Hart 

 Merriam in his "Mammals of the Adirondacks." (Ed.) 



