t
would be worth while to live always on the plan of missing our meals
each alternate day, in order to enjoy them more thoroughly on the other
days."

"If city men would go on that plan," observed the trapper, gravely
tearing the flesh from a rib with his teeth, and speaking at the same
time, "there would be no use for doctors."

"Ah, then, think of that now; wouldn't it be a rail hard case for the
poor doctors?" said Larry, with a sly glance at Will.

Bunco grinned at this, and observed that it was "time for hims be go
sleep." Whereupon he rolled his blanket about him and lay down with his
feet to the fire. Will Osten also lay down and fell asleep almost
immediately. Larry, too, stretched himself out in repose, leaving Big
Ben still engaged with the buffalo beef.

The night was rather cold. In course of time Will Osten awoke, and
called to the trapper to mend the fire, which he did, and then resumed
his former occupation. Once or twice after that, one and another of the
slumberers awoke, and, looking up sleepily for a few seconds, beheld the
enduring man still hard at work. The last to lift his head that night
was Larry. The puzzled Irishman gazed in mute amazement during the
unusually long period of half a minute, for Benjamin Hicks still sat
there, glittering in the light of the camp-fire, grave as a Redskin, and
busy as ever with the bones!

CHAPTER THREE.

RELATES HOW BIG BEN BECAME A TRAVELLING COMPANION, AND HOW A BIG BEAR
WAS CAPTURED--DISCUSSIONS AND MISFORTUNES.

To the great satisfaction of Will Osten and his friends, it was
discovered that Benjamin Hicks was a wandering trapper, whose avocations
led him to whatever part of the wilderness was most likely to produce
furs, and who had no particular objection to take a trip across the
mountains with our adventurers. Indeed Big Ben thought no more of a
ride of several hundreds of miles than most men do of an afternoon walk,
and, if particular business did not prevent him, he was always ready to
undertake a "venture" so long as it was, in his opinion, justifiable and
likely to pay.

"You see, sir," he said, as he and Will cantered together along the base
of a low hill one evening, "it's not that I'm of an unsettled natur',
but I've bin born to this sort o' life, an' it would be no manner o' use
in me tryin' to change it. Once upon a time I used to think o' settlin'
in one of the back settlements--that was when my poor old mother was
alive.