第74章

"This is the country for me!" he said; "if I could only carry the buffalo that are killed here every month down to St.Louis I'd make my fortune in one winter.I'd grow as rich as old Papin, or Mackenzie either.I call this the poor man's market.When I'm hungry I have only got to take my rifle and go out and get better meat than the rich folks down below can get with all their money.

You won't catch me living in St.Louis another winter.""No," said Reynal, "you had better say that after you and your Spanish woman almost starved to death there.What a fool you were ever to take her to the settlements.""Your Spanish woman?" said I; "I never heard of her before.Are you married to her?""No," answered Raymond, again looking intelligent; "the priests don't marry their women, and why should I marry mine?"This honorable mention of the Mexican clergy introduced the subject of religion, and I found that my two associates, in common with other white men in the country, were as indifferent to their future welfare as men whose lives are in constant peril are apt to be.Raymond had never heard of the Pope.A certain bishop, who lived at Taos or at Santa Fe, embodied his loftiest idea of an ecclesiastical dignitary.

Reynal observed that a priest had been at Fort Laramie two years ago, on his way to the Nez Perce mission, and that he had confessed all the men there and given them absolution."I got a good clearing out myself that time," said Reynal, "and I reckon that will do for me till I go down to the settlements again."Here he interrupted himself with an oath and exclaimed: "Look! look!

The Panther is running an antelope!"

The Panther, on his black and white horse, one of the best in the village, came at full speed over the hill in hot pursuit of an antelope that darted away like lightning before him.The attempt was made in mere sport and bravado, for very few are the horses that can for a moment compete in swiftness with this little animal.The antelope ran down the hill toward the main body of the Indians who were moving over the plain below.Sharp yells were given and horsemen galloped out to intercept his flight.At this he turned sharply to the left and scoured away with such incredible speed that he distanced all his pursuers and even the vaunted horse of the Panther himself.A few moments after we witnessed a more serious sport.A shaggy buffalo bull bounded out from a neighboring hollow, and close behind him came a slender Indian boy, riding without stirrups or saddle and lashing his eager little horse to full speed.

Yard after yard he drew closer to his gigantic victim, though the bull, with his short tail erect and his tongue lolling out a foot from his foaming jaws, was straining his unwieldy strength to the utmost.A moment more and the boy was close alongside of him.It was our friend the Hail-Storm.He dropped the rein on his horse's neck and jerked an arrow like lightning from the quiver at his shoulder.

"I tell you," said Reynal, "that in a year's time that boy will match the best hunter in the village.There he has given it to him! and there goes another! You feel well, now, old bull, don't you, with two arrows stuck in your lights? There, he has given him another!

Hear how the Hail-Storm yells when he shoots! Yes, jump at him; try it again, old fellow! You may jump all day before you get your horns into that pony!"The bull sprang again and again at his assailant, but the horse kept dodging with wonderful celerity.At length the bull followed up his attack with a furious rush, and the Hail-Storm was put to flight, the shaggy monster following close behind.The boy clung in his seat like a leech, and secure in the speed of his little pony, looked round toward us and laughed.In a moment he was again alongside of the bull, who was now driven to complete desperation.His eyeballs glared through his tangled mane, and the blood flew from his mouth and nostrils.Thus, still battling with each other, the two enemies disappeared over the hill.

Many of the Indians rode at full gallop toward the spot.We followed at a more moderate pace, and soon saw the bull lying dead on the side of the hill.The Indians were gathered around him, and several knives were already at work.These little instruments were plied with such wonderful address that the twisted sinews were cut apart, the ponderous bones fell asunder as if by magic, and in a moment the vast carcass was reduced to a heap of bloody ruins.The surrounding group of savages offered no very attractive spectacle to a civilized eye.Some were cracking the huge thigh-bones and devouring the marrow within; others were cutting away pieces of the liver and other approved morsels, and swallowing them on the spot with the appetite of wolves.The faces of most of them, besmeared with blood from ear to ear, looked grim and horrible enough.My friend the White Shield proffered me a marrowbone, so skillfully laid open that all the rich substance within was exposed to view at once.Another Indian held out a large piece of the delicate lining of the paunch; but these courteous offerings I begged leave to decline.I noticed one little boy who was very busy with his knife about the jaws and throat of the buffalo, from which he extracted some morsel of peculiar delicacy.

It is but fair to say that only certain parts of the animal are considered eligible in these extempore banquets.The Indians would look with abhorrence on anyone who should partake indiscriminately of the newly killed carcass.

We encamped that night, and marched westward through the greater part of the following day.On the next morning we again resumed our journey.It was the 17th of July, unless my notebook misleads me.