LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 63 



*' Rocky-Mountain House," and hither the trappers resort, drink- 

 ing and fighting as long as their money lasts, which, as they are 

 generous and lavish as Jack Tars, is for a few days only. Such 

 scenes, both tragic and comic, as are enacted in the Rocky-Mount- 

 ain House, are beyond the powers of pen to describe ; and when 

 a fandango is in progress, to which congregate the coquettish 

 belles from " Vide Poche," as the French portion of the suburb 

 is nicknamed, the grotesque endeavors of the bear-like mount- 

 aineers to sport a figtire on the light fantastic toe, and their in- 

 sertions into the dance of the mystic jumps of Terpsichorean In- 

 dians when engaged in the " medicine" dances in honor of bear, 

 of buffalo, or ravished scalp, are such startling innovations on the 

 choreographic art as would make the shade of Gallini quake and 

 gibber in his pumps. 



Passing the open doors and' windows of the Mountain House, 

 the stranger stops short as the sounds of violin and bango twang 

 upon his ears, accompanied by extraordinary noises — sounding un- 

 earthly to the greenhorn listener, but recognized by the initiated 

 as an Indian song roared out of the stentorian lungs of a mount- 

 aineer, who, patting his stomach with open hands to improve the 

 necessary shake, choruses the well-known Indian chant — 



Hi— Hi— Hi— Hi, 



Hi-i— Hi-i— Hi-i— Hi-i 

 Hi-ya — hi-ya — hi-ya — hi-ya 



Hi-ya — hi-ya — hi-ya — hi-ya 

 Hi-ya — hi-ya — hi — hi, 

 &c., (Sec, &.C. 



and polishes off the high notes with a whoop which makes the 

 old wooden houses shake again, as it rattles and echoes down the 

 street. 



Here, over fiery "monaghahela," Jean Batiste, the sallow half- 

 breed voyageur from the north — and who, deserting the service 

 of the " North West" (the Hudson's Bay Company), has come 



