108 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



worst of the two. "Here's the beauty," he philosophized "of 

 having two ' wiping-sticks' to your rifle ; if one breaks while ram- 

 ming down a ball, there's still hickory left to supply its place." 

 Although, with animals and peltry, he had lost several hundred 

 dollars' worth of " possibles," he never groaned or grumbled. 

 " There's redskin will pay for this," he once muttered, and was 

 done. 



Packing all that was left on the mule, and mounting Ghil-co- 

 the on his buffalo horse, he shouldered his rifle and struck the 

 Indian trail for Platte. On Horse Creek they came upon a party 

 of French * trappers and hunters, who were encamped with their 

 lodges and Indian squaws, and formed quite a village. Several 

 old companions were among them ; and, to celebrate the arrival 

 of a "camarade," a splendid dog-feast was prepared in honor of 

 the event. To efiect this, the squaws sallied out of their lodges to 

 seize upon sundry of the younger and plumper of the pack, to fill 

 the kettles for the approaching feast. With a presentiment of 

 the fate in store for them, the curs slunk away with tails between 

 their legs, and declined the pressing invitations of the anxious 

 squaws. These shouldered their tomahawks and gave chase ; but 

 the cunning pups outstripped them, and would have fairly beaten 

 the kettles, if some of the mountaineers had not stepped out with 

 their rifles and quickly laid half-a-dozen ready to the knife. A 

 cayeute, attracted by the scent of blood, drew near, unwitting of 

 the canine feast in progress, and was likewise soon made dog of, 

 and thrust into the boiling kettle with the rest. 



The feast that night was long protracted ; and so savory was 

 the stew, and so agreeable to the palates of the hungry hunters, 

 that at the moment the last morsel was drawn from the pot, when 

 all were regretting that a few more dogs had not been slaughtered, 

 a wolfish-looking cur, who incautiously poked his long nose and 



" Creoles of St. Louis, and Freuch Ca«adians. 



