LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 109 



head under the lodge skin, was pounced upon by the nearest 

 hunter, who in a moment drew his knife across the animal's 

 throat, and threw it to a squaw to skin and prepare for the pot. 

 The wolf had long since been vigorously discussed, and voted by 

 all hands to be " good as dog." 



" Meat's meat," is a common saying in the mountains, and from 

 the buffalo down to the rattlesnake, including every quadruped 

 that runs, every fowl that flies, and every reptile that creeps, 

 nothing comes amiss to the mountaineer. Throwing aside all the 

 qualms and conscientious scruples of a fastidious stomach, it must 

 be confessed that dog-meat takes a high rank in the wonderful 

 variety of cuisine afforded to the gourmand and the gourmet by 

 the prolific "mountains." Now, when the bill of fare offers such 

 tempting viands as buffalo beef, venison, mountain mutton, turkey, 

 grouse, Avildfowl, hares, rabbits, beaver and their tails, &c., &c., the 

 station assigned to " dog" as No. 2 in the list can be well appre- 

 ciated — No. 1, in delicacy of flavor, richness of meat, and other 

 good qualities, being the flesh of ^:>a/i^Ac/'S, which surpaises every 

 other, and all put together. 



'• Painter meat can't ' sliine' with this," says a hunter, to ex- 

 press the delicious flavor of an extraordinary cut of " tender-loin," 

 or delicate fleece. 



La Bonte started with his squaw for the North Fork early in 

 November, and arrived at the Laramie at the moment that the 

 big village of the Sioux came up for their winter trade. Two 

 other villages were encamped lower down the Platte, including 

 the Brule s and the Yanka-taus, who were now on more friendly 

 terms with the whites. The first band numbered several hundred 

 lodges, and presented quite an imposing appearance, the village 

 being laid out in parallel lines, the lodge of each chief being marked 

 with his particular totem. The traders had a particular portion 

 of the village allotted to them, and a line was marked out which 

 was strictly kept by the soldiers appointed for the protection of 



