relate and after each had spun his yarn,
Harding, who up to the present had been silent, drawled out, "Wal, I
'spect as how yer have had some tol'rable bad jints in yer time, but I
think I kin jest lay over anything in this yer party in the way o'
supper. Howsumever, I will give yer a chance to hear how this nigger
once got his supper up on the Yallerstone, last season.

"Yer see, I had been in them parts arter beaver, which war plenty, an'
no mistake; an' one day, when I had gone to _cache_ some skins, I left
my rifle in the grass near my traps, like a gosh darned fool. Who should
came along but a party of them black niggers, the Crows; and the first
thing they sot eyes upon was my shootin' iron. In course, I seed it all,
and jist had to lay low and cuss my tarnal stupidity, while them 'ere
Crows hopped around like mad at finding my rifle and things. They was so
pleased, 'peared like they forgot theirselves, and didn't foller up my
trail, but galloped off, carryin' my plunder along with them. He! he!
they mount a did as well, and let ole Harding alone."

"I reckon that, too," remarked one; "'taint like they made much out of
that spekalashun."

"Yer see, I war cleaned out, an' left with jest a pair o' leggins,
better than two hunderd miles from anywhur. The company's post war the
nearest, so I jest took down the river in that direcshun. I never seed
varmint so shy. They wouldn't a been, blast 'em, if I had er had my
traps, but there wa'n't a critter, from the minners to the buffler, that
didn't take on as if they knowed how this nigger war fixed. I could get
nothing for two days but lizard, an' scarce at that. I chewed up the old
leggings, until I was as naked as Pike's Peak."

"Golly! was it winter?"

"No, 'twur calf time, and warm enuff for that matter. I didn't mind the
want o' garments in that way, but I kud a eat more o' it. I soon struck
a town of sand rats, and I made snares of my hair, and trapped some on
'em, but _they_ grow shy, too, cuss 'em, and I had to give up that
claim. This war the third day, and I wur gettin' powerful weak. I 'gin
to think this child's time had come, and I would have ter pass in my
chips. 'Twur a little arter sun up, an' I war sittin' on the bank, when
I seed something cur'ous like floatin' down stream. When it kim closer,
I seed it wur the karkidge of a buffler, and a couple of buzzards
floppin' about on the thing, pickin' its peepers out. 'Twur far out,
an' the water deep; but I