JAKE'S OPINION OF THE SETTLEMENTS. 29 



back to the woods agin. I wur a wearyin' down thro- 

 at the settlement to get out o' the crowds. I never 

 yet seed any use in a crowd a lot o' fellurs 'ithout a 

 notion o' a trail or a rifle, an' tearin' round like all 

 creation arter cows and pigs from one end o' the week 

 to the other. Wagh ! it a'most pisons me to think sich 

 fellurs ur goin' on wi' thur doin's whur I rec'lects 

 shootin' buffler some years agone !" 



" I suppose buffalo were plentiful in those days ? " 

 said Pierre. 



"Ye may say that," replied the old trapper; "I've 

 seed the time that I cud shoot a thousand o' the critters 

 in a week. The half-breeds from Red River used to 

 take a skirr out arter 'em, an' as often as not 'ud go 

 back wi' five thousand karkidges. Ye-es; them wur 

 the times when a man cud 'arn his livelihood easy. 

 But now, what atween Injuns, half-breeds, an' buffler- 

 skinners, I guess the game's druv off the peraras." 



Here the old hunter heaved a deep sigh, no doubt 

 at the disappearance of his favourite game from its 

 former haunts, and the advent of colonists whom he 

 looked on as enemies of the most malignant type. The 

 meal proceeded in silence, broken only by the rush of 

 the river, the occasional note of a bird, or the hollow 

 tapping of the wood-pecker, who was busily engaged 

 in extracting his breakfast from the decayed trunks of 

 the trees. All having at length satiated their appe- 

 tites, they lolled a little round the fire before breaking 

 up camp. 



