ts. Now and then
familiarity was pushed too far, and would effervesce into a brawl, and a
"rough and tumble" fight; but it all ended in cordial reconciliation and
maudlin endearment.

The presence of the Shoshonie tribe contributed occasionally to cause
temporary jealousies and feuds. The Shoshonie beauties became objects
of rivalry among some of the amorous mountaineers. Happy was the trapper
who could muster up a red blanket, a string of gay beads, or a paper
of precious vermilion, with which to win the smiles of a Shoshonie fair
one.

The caravans of supplies arrived at the valley just at this period
of gallantry and good fellowship. Now commenced a scene of eager
competition and wild prodigality at the different encampments. Bales
were hastily ripped open, and their motley contents poured forth.
A mania for purchasing spread itself throughout the several
bands--munitions for war, for hunting, for gallantry, were seized upon
with equal avidity--rifles, hunting knives, traps, scarlet cloth, red
blankets, garish beads, and glittering trinkets, were bought at any
price, and scores run up without any thought how they were ever to be
rubbed off. The free trappers, especially, were extravagant in their
purchases. For a free mountaineer to pause at a paltry consideration of
dollars and cents, in the attainment of any object that might strike his
fancy, would stamp him with the mark of the beast in the estimation of
his comrades. For a trader to refuse one of these free and flourishing
blades a credit, whatever unpaid scores might stare him in the face,
would be a flagrant affront scarcely to be forgiven.

Now succeeded another outbreak of revelry and extravagance. The trappers
were newly fitted out and arrayed, and dashed about with their horses
caparisoned in Indian style. The Shoshonie beauties also flaunted
about in all the colors of the rainbow. Every freak of prodigality
was indulged to its fullest extent, and in a little while most of
the trappers, having squandered away all their wages, and perhaps
run knee-deep in debt, were ready for another hard campaign in the
wilderness.

During this season of folly and frolic, there was an alarm of mad wolves
in the two lower camps. One or more of these animals entered the camps
for three nights successively, and bit several of the people.

Captain Bonneville relates the case of an Indian, who was a universal
favorite in the lower camp. He had been bitten by one of these