grease and good-humor. In the course of his
repast, his attention was caught by the figure of the gastronome, who,
as usual, was gorging himself in dogged silence. A droll cut of the
eye showed either that he knew him of old, or perceived at once his
characteristics. He immediately made him the butt of his pleasantries;
and cracked off two or three good hits, that caused the sluggish dolt
to prick up his ears, and delighted all the company. From this time, the
uninvited guest was taken into favor; his jokes began to be relished;
his careless, free and easy air, to be considered singularly amusing;
and in the end, he was pronounced by the travellers one of the merriest
companions and most entertaining vagabonds they had met with in the
wilderness.

Supper being over, the redoubtable Shee-wee-she-ouaiter, for such was
the simple name by which he announced himself, declared his intention
of keeping company with the party for a day or two, if they had no
objection; and by way of backing his self-invitation, presented the
carcass of the buck as an earnest of his hunting abilities. By this
time, he had so completely effaced the unfavorable impression made by
his first appearance, that he was made welcome to the camp, and the
Nez Perce guide undertook to give him lodging for the night. The next
morning, at break of day, he borrowed a gun, and was off among the
hills, nor was anything more seen of him until a few minutes after the
party had encamped for the evening, when he again made his appearance,
in his usual frank, careless manner, and threw down the carcass of
another noble deer, which he had borne on his back for a considerable
distance.

This evening he was the life of the party, and his open communicative
disposition, free from all disguise, soon put them in possession of
his history. He had been a kind of prodigal son in his native village;
living a loose, heedless life, and disregarding the precepts and
imperative commands of the chiefs. He had, in consequence, been expelled
from the village, but, in nowise disheartened at this banishment, had
betaken himself to the society of the border Indians, and had led a
careless, haphazard, vagabond life, perfectly consonant to his humors;
heedless of the future, so long as he had wherewithal for the present;
and fearing no lack of food, so long as he had the implements of the
chase, and a fair hunting ground.

Finding him very expert as a hunter, and being pleased with his