mesas
extending to the high ridges towering above, one facing the north, the
other the south, the former bleak and covered with deep snow, the
latter, warm and sun-kissed, furnishing feed for horses. The building of
a cabin occupied a few days, which, when equipped with a fireplace, a
bunk having about eighteen inches of spruce boughs as a mattress, and
other frontier conveniences, made a trapper's home.

Deer were abundant. In an evening or in the early morning hundreds of
the great muleheaded species could be seen winding their way to and from
the feeding grounds, or wandering aimlessly about. Traps were set out,
bait doctored with "dead medicine" or poison tacked to trees and stumps
where foxes, wolves and lions were likely to find it, and the regular
life of "catching fur" was commenced.

A band of Ute Indians that had left the White River Agency established
their village two miles below the cabin at a point where Rock Creek
joined another stream--Toponas, or "Pony"--and then flowed on to its
confluence with the Grand River. These Indians became visitors to the
cabin and among them Jack found one, Yamanatz, a friendly and peaceable
savage.

The village was destitute of food and ammunition, in fact, no means were
at their command for obtaining game, therefore they heralded the
trappers' arrival with gladness, for they expected to be able to obtain
powder and bullets with which to obtain venison.

The second visit Yamanatz made to the Rock Creek camp, he was
accompanied by his beautiful daughter Chiquita, a girl of seventeen,
richly attired in beaded skirt, leggings and moccasins. She rode astride
of a magnificent chestnut brown, full-blooded Ute pony, a large Navajo
blanket drawn tightly about her, Indian fashion. She carried a bow and
from her back hung a quiver of arrows. Her well molded face was set in
its frame of straight, black hair, braided in two long strands into
which were interwoven pieces of lion skin, beaver fur and other bits of
"medicine" charms to drive away evil spirits. A string of elk teeth
adorned her neck and bands of heavy silver ornaments bedecked her arms.

Indians are similar to other folks in many respects. A proper
introduction generally puts them on a gracious footing. It did not take
long for Jack and Chiquita to strike up a fast friendship, and the old
adage of "feed the brute" held good with both Indian buck and maiden.

The cabin was but partly "chinked" when the old trapper ann