

CHAPTER V. 

 MR. PALLISER AND HIS FRIENDS. CAMP STORIES. 



ONE evening after we had actually wearied ourselves 

 in slaughtering buffaloes, we sat by our camp-fire, pre- 

 paring a meal, for which we had a huge appetite. We 

 were in excellent spirits, and in spite of our fatigue, were 

 disposed to " eat, drink, and be merry." At such a time, 

 Joe Blaney usually let off his extra good feeling in long 

 stories of his mountain and prairie experience, and he was 

 just beginning one that was never known to have a ter- 

 mination, when I descried a small party coming across 

 the prairie, in the direction of our camp. The first idea 

 was that they were Indians, and our rifles were quickly 

 prepared for action. But Joe's keen eye soon settled the 

 matter, by making the strangers out to be white hunters, 

 and followed by pack-mules. In a few minutes they were 

 near enough for us to see that the men were four in num- 

 ber. Their mules were heavily burdened with skins and 



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