IN THE OLD WEST 191 



country where it was difficult to procure a re- 

 mount, each trapper hesitated to sacrifice one of 

 his horses to his appetite. 



From the summit of the ridge, Bill recognized 

 the country on the opposite side to that whence 

 they had just ascended as familiar to him, and 

 pronounced it to be full of beaver, as well as 

 abounding in the less desirable commodity of In- 

 dians. This was the valley lying about the lakes 

 now called Eustis and Biddle, in which are many 

 thermal and mineral springs, well known to the 

 trappers by the names of the Soda, Beer, and 

 Brimstone Springs, and regarded by them with 

 no little awe and curiosity, as being the breathing- 

 places of his Satanic majesty — considered, more- 

 over, to be the " biggest kind " of " medicine " to 

 be found in the mountains. If truth be told, old 

 Bill hardly relished the idea of entering this coun- 

 try, which he pronounced to be of " bad medicine " 

 notoriety, but nevertheless agreed to guide them to 

 the best trapping-ground. 



One day they reached a creek full of beaver- 

 sign, and determined to halt here and establish 

 their headquarters, while they trapped in the 

 neighborhood. We must here observe, that at 

 this period — which was one of considerable 

 rivalry amongst the various trading companies in 

 the Indian territory — the Indians, having be- 

 come possessed of arms and ammunition in great 

 quantities, had grown unusually daring and perse- 



