LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 19 



old Beaver Tail's squaw. He'd been on Yaller Stone afore that : 

 Leclerc kuow'd him in the Blackfoot, and up in the Chippeway 

 country ; and he had the best powder as ever I flashed through life, 

 and his gun was handsome, that's a fact. Them thar locks was 

 grand ; and old Jake Hawken's nephey (him as trapped on Heely 

 that time), told me, the other day, as he saw an English gun on 

 Arkansa last winter as beat all off' hand. 



" Nigh upon two hundred dollars I had in my possibles, when I 

 went to that camp to see the boys afore they put out ; and you 

 know, Bill, as I sat to 'Euker' and ' Seven up'^ till every cent was 

 gone. 



" ' Take back twenty, old coon,' says Big John. 



" ' H — 's full of such takes back,' says I ; and I puts back to 

 town and fetches the rifle and the old mule, puts my traps into the 

 sack, gets credit for a couple of pounds of powder at Owin's store, 

 and hyar I ar on Bijou, with half a pack of beaver, and running 

 meat yet, old hos : so put a log on, and let's have a smoke. 



*' Hurraw, Jake, old coon, bear a hand, and let the squaw put 

 them tails in the pot ; for sun's down, and we'll have to put out 

 pretty early to reach ' Black Tail' by this time to-morrow. Who's 

 fust guard, boys ? them cussed ' Rapahos' will be after the animals 

 to-night, or I'm no judge of Injun sign. How many did you see, 

 Maurice ?" 



" Enfant de Garce, me see bout honderd, when I pass Squirrel 

 Creek, one dam war-party, parceque, they no bosses, and have 

 de lariats for steal des animaux. May be de Yutas in Bayou 

 Salade." 



" We'll be having trouble to-night, I'm thinking, if the devils 

 are about. Whose band was it, Maurice ?" 



" Slim-Face — I see him ver close — is out ; mais I think it 

 Wliite Wolf's." 



* " Euker," " Poker," and " Seven up," are the fashionable games of cards. 



