146 LIFE IN THE FAE WEST. 



"H — I" exclaimed La Bonte emphatically. 

 " This beats grainin' bull-hide slick," broke from Killbuck as 

 the strangers reined up at the fire, the younger dismounting, and 

 staring with wonder at the weather-beaten trappers. 



" Well, my men, how are you ?" he rattled out. " Any game 

 here ? By Jove I" he suddenly exclaimed, seizing his rifle, as at 

 that moment a large buzzard, the most unclean of birds, flew into 

 the topmast branch of a cotton-wood, and sat, a tempting shot. 

 " By Jove, there's a chance I" cried the mighty hunter ; and, 

 bending low, started ofi^ to approach the unwary bird in the most 

 approved fashion of northern deer-stalkers. The buzzard sat 

 quietly, and now and then stretched its neck to gaze upon the 

 advancing sportsman, who on such occasions threw himself flat on 

 the ground, and remained motionless, in dread of alarming the 

 bird. It was worth while to look at the countenance of old Kill- 

 buck, as he watched the antics of the " bourgeois" hunter. He 

 thought at first that the dandy rifleman had really discovered 

 game in the bottom, and was nothing loth that there was a chance 

 of his seeing meat ; but when he understood the object of such 

 mancEuvres, and saw the quarry the hunter was so carefully ap- 

 proaching, his mouth grinned from ear to ear, and, turning to La 

 Bonte, he said, " Wagh ! he-s some — he is I" 



Nothing doubting, however, the stranger approached the tree 

 on which the bird was sitting, and, getting well under it, raised 

 his rifle and fired. Down tumbled the bird ; and the successful 

 hunter, with a loud shout, rushed frantically toward it, and bore it 

 in triumph to the camp, earning the most sovereign contempt 

 from the two trappers by the achievement. 



The other stranger was a quieter character. He, too, smiled as 

 he witnessed the exultation of his younger companion, (M^hose 

 'lorse, by the way, was scampering about the plain), and spoke 

 kindly to the mountaineers, whose appearance was clear CAadence 

 of the sufierings they had endured. The snakes by this time were 



