x THE BEAR 225 



served vegetables, in addition to another containing some kind of 

 animal hardly to be distinguished. He had been successful that 

 morning, having killed an antelope; therefore we had quite an 

 entertainment in this log-hut, so far away from the great world. 



The table was spread with a very dirty cloth, and our small 

 party was immediately augmented by the arrival of the coachman 

 (our driver), the man who looked after the horses, an outside 

 passenger of questionable respectability, and our host, who had 

 just cooked the bacon. It was an unexceptional fashion throughout 

 the country to reduce all clothing to a minimum. Coats were un- 

 known during the summer months (this was the middle of August) ; 

 waistcoats were despised ; and the costume of the period consisted 

 of a flannel shirt, and a pair of trousers sustained by a belt in lieu 

 of braces. Attached to this belt was the omnipresent six-shooter 

 in its. holster. I was the only person who possessed, or at all 

 events exhibited, a coat ; and I felt that peculiar and unhappy 

 sensation of being over-dressed, which I feared might be mistaken 

 for pride by our unsophisticated companions. 



We were not a cheery party; on the contrary, everybody 

 appeared to be so determined not to say the wrong thing, that they 

 remained silent ; the dulness of the meal was only broken at long 

 intervals by such carefully expressed sentiments as " I'll trouble 

 you to pass the salt, if you please," or " Will you kindly hand the 

 bacon 1 " 



There was no vulgarity in this, and we were afterwards informed 

 that these rough people, who, as a rule, season their conversation 

 with the pepper of profanity, are painfully sensitive to the presence 

 of a lady, before whom they are upon their P's and Q's of propriety ; 

 and, should an improper expression escape their lips in an unguarded 

 moment, they would be in a state of deep depression from the 

 keenest remorse, which might perhaps cause a sense of unhappiness 

 for at least five minutes. They most sensibly refrained altogether 

 from conversation in a lady's presence, to avoid the possibility of a 

 " slip of the tongue." 



If they could have left their perfume behind, together with the 

 profanity, our table would have been sweeter ; but the flannel shirts 

 were seldom washed, to prevent shrinking, just as their owners 

 seldom spoke, to avoid swearing ; an overpowering smell of horses 

 was emitted by the driver, and of stables by the ostler, while the 

 proprietor exhaled the mixed but indescribable odours combined 

 from his various duties, such as cooking, cleaning up, sleeping in 

 his clothes, and never washing them. 



The meal over, we again started. This stage was interesting, 



Q 



