LIFEINTHEFARWEST. 97 



again to suggest that, if nothing ofiered, they must either take the 

 alternative of starvmg to death, for they could not hope to last 

 another day, or have recourse to the revolting extremity of sacri- 

 ficing one of the party to save the lives of all. To this, however, 

 there was a murmur of dissent, and it was finally resolved that 

 all should sally out and hunt ; for a deer track had heen dis- 

 covered near the camp, which, although it was not a fresh one, 

 proved that there must be game in the vicinity. Weak and ex- 

 hausted as they were, they took their rifles and started for the 

 neighboring uplands, each taking a different direction. 



It was nearly sunset when La Bonte returned to the camp, 

 where he already espied one of his companions engaged in cooking 

 something over the fire. Hurrying to the spot, overjoyed with 

 the anticipations of a feast, he observed that the squaws were 

 gone ; but, at the same time thought it was not improbable they 

 had escaped during their absence. Approaching the fire, he ob- 

 served Forey broiling some meat on the embers, while at a little 

 distance lay what he fancied was the carcass of a deer. 



" Hurrah, boy I" he exclaimed, as he drew near the fire. 

 " You've ' made' a ' raise,' I see." 



" Well, T have," rejoined the other, turning his meat with the 

 point of his butcher knife. " There's the meat, hos — help yourself." ' 



La Bonte drew the knife from his scabbard, and approached 

 the spot his companion was pointing to ; but what was his horror 

 to see the yet quivering bt>dy of one of the Indian squaws, with a 

 large portion of the flesh butchered from it, part of which Forey 

 was already greedily devouring. The knife dropped from his 

 hand, and his heart rose to his throat. 



The next day he and his companion struck the creek where 

 Rube and the other trapper had agreed to await them, and found 

 them in camp with plenty of meat, and about to start again on 

 their hunt, having given up the others for lost. From the day 

 they parted, nothing was ever heard of La Bonte's other two 



E 



