LIFE IxN THE FAR WEST. 73 



the meat was packed upon the mule, and the whole party hurried 

 to camp rejoicing. 



There was merry-making in the camp that night, and the way 

 they indulged their appetites — or, in their own language, " throw' d" 

 the meat " cold" — would have made the heart of a dyspeptic leap 

 for joy or burst with envy. Far into the " still watches of the 

 tranquil night" the fat-clad " depouille" saw its fleshy mass grow 

 small by degrees and beautifully less, before the trenchant blades 

 of the hungry mountaineers ; appetizing yards of well-browned 

 *' boudin" slipped glibly down their throats ; rib after rib of tender 

 hump was picked and flung to the wolves ; and when human 

 nature, with helpless gratitude, and confident that nothing of 

 super-excellent comestibility remained, was lazily wiping the greasy 

 knife that had done such good service — a skillful hunter was seen 

 to chuckle to himself as he raked the deep ashes of the fire, and 

 drew therefrom a pair of tongues so admirably baked, so soft, so 

 sweet, and of such exquisite flavor, tha4 a vail is considerately 

 drawn over the effects their discussion produced in the mind of 

 our greenhorn La Bonte, and the raptures they excited in the 

 bosom of that, as yet, most ignorant mountaineer. Still, as he ate 

 he wondered, and wondering admired, that nature, in giving him 

 Buch profound gastronomic powers, and such transcendent capa- , 

 bilities of digestion, had yet bountifully provided an edible so pe- 

 culiarly adapted to his ostrich-like appetite, that after consuming 

 nearly his own weight in rich and fat buffalo meat, he felt as easy 

 and as little incommoded as if he had lightly supped on straw- 

 berries and cream. 



Sweet was the digestive pipe after such a feast ; soft was the 

 sleep and deep, which sealed the eyes of the contented trappers 

 that night. It felt like the old thing, they said, to be once more 

 among the "meat;" and, as they were drawing near the danger- 

 ous portion of the trail, they felt at home ; although they now 

 could never be confident, when they lay down at night upon their 



D 



