66 EXraAOKDlNARV EATmO- 



death lent to their ready feet, — but not until another victim had dank the 

 sod with the unsought libation of its heart's blood. 



It pained me, as I came up, to witness the noble beasts as they lay ex- 

 tended upon the gore-dyed ground. But the present was no time for 

 regret ; we were to feed upon their carcases. 



The process of butchering was a new developement of that most use- 

 ful science. The carcase was iBrst turned upon the belly, and braced to a 

 position by its distended legs. The operator then commenced his labors by 

 gathering the long hair of tlie " 6oss," and ssvering a piece obhquely at 

 the jiHiction of the neck and shoulders, — ^then parting the hide from neck 

 to rump, a few passes of his ready knife laid bare the sides, — next paring 

 away the loose skin and preparing a hold, witli one hand he pulled tlir« 

 shoulder towards him and with the other severed it from the body; — cut- 

 ting aslant the uprights of the spiiia dorsi and "hump ribs," along the late- 

 ral to the curve, and parting the " fleece " from the tough flesh at that point 

 he deposited it upon a clean grass-spot. 



The same process being described upon the opposite side, the carcase 

 was then slightly inclined, and, by aid of the leg-bone bisected at the knee- 

 joint, the " hump-ribs " were parted from the vertebrae ; after which, pass- 

 ing his knife aside the ninth rib and around the ends at the midrifl) he laid 

 hold of the dissevered side, and, v/ith two or three well directed jerks, re- 

 moved it to be laid upon his choicely assorted pile ; a few other brief minu- 

 tiae then completed the task. 



Meanwhile, divers of the company had joined tlie butcher, and, while 

 some were greedily feeding upon liver and gall, others helped themselves 

 to marrow-bones, "6om£?i?zs," and intestinum inedulce, (choice selections 

 with mountaineers,) and others, laden with rich spoils, hastened their re- 

 turn to commence the more agTeeable task of cooking and eating. 



The remaining animal was butchered in a trice, and select portions of 

 e.tch were then placed upon a pack-horse and conveyed to the waggons. 



The assortment was, indeed, a splendid one. The " depouille " (fleece- 

 fat) was full two inches thick upon the animal's back, and ^e other dainties 

 were enough to charm the eyes and excite the voracity of an epicure. 



The camp-fires soon presented a busy and amusing spectacle. Each 

 .jne was ornamented with delicious roasts, e?i appolas, on sticks planted 

 a;^.lope around it, attentively watched by the longing voyageurs, who await- 

 ed the slow process of cooking. Some were seen with tMn slices from the 

 ".Mrder, barely heated through by the agency of a few coals, retreating from 

 the admiring throng to enjoy solo their half-cooked morsels, — others, paring 

 oiT bit by bit from tlie fresh-turned hissing roasts, while their opposite re- 

 ceived tlie finishing operation of the fire, — and others, tossing their everted 

 bondins into the flames, and in a few seconds withdrawing for the repast, 

 each seizing his ample share, bemouthed the end in quick succession to 

 66, or the chosen esculent, which, while yielding to the eager teeth, coursed 

 miniature rivulets of oily exuberance from tlie extremities of the active 

 . rifice, bedaubing both face and c]iin, and leaving its dehghted eater in all 

 the glories of grease ! 



Every man had now become his own cook, and, not to be backward, I 

 t'losed in with the overture. 



Seizing a frying-pair replete with tempting levies from the " fleece," I 



