But his employers having
discovered that he was almost always tipsy, and not at all backward in
appropriating to himself that to which he had no right, dismissed him
from their service, and Overton returned to his former life. By-and-by,
some Yankees made him proposals, which he accepted; what was the nature
of them no one can exactly say, but every body may well fancy, knowing
that nothing is considered more praiseworthy than cheating the Indians
in their transactions with them, through the agency of some rascally
interpreter, who, of course, receives his _tantum quantum_ of the
profits of his treachery. For some time the employers and employed
agreed amazingly well, and as nothing is cheaper than military titles in
the United States, the half-breed became Colonel Overton, with boots and
spurs, a laced coat, and a long sword.

Cunning as were the Yankees, Overton was still more so; cheating them as
he had cheated the Indians. The holy alliance was broken up; he then
retired to the mountains, protected by the Mexican government, and
commenced a system of general depredation, which for some time proved
successful. His most ordinary method was to preside over a barter
betwixt the savages and the traders. When both parties had agreed, they
were of course in good humour, and drank freely. Now was the time for
the Colonel. To the Indians he would affirm that the traders only
waited till they were asleep, to butcher them and take back their goods.
The same story was told to the traders, and a fight ensued, the more
terrible as the whole party was more or less tipsy. Then, with some
rogues in his own employ, the Colonel, under the pretext of making all
safe, would load the mules with the furs and goods, proceed to Santa Fe,
and dispose of his booty for one-third of its value. None cared how it
had been obtained; it was cheap, consequently it was welcome.

His open robberies and tricks of this description were so numerous, that
Overton became the terror of the mountains. The savages swore they
would scalp him; the Canadians vowed that they would make him dance to
death; the English declared that they would hang him; and the Yankees,
they would put him to Indian torture. The Mexicans, not being able any
more to protect their favourite, put a price upon his head. Under these
circumstances, Overton took an aversion to society, concealed himself,
and during two years nothing was heard of him; when, one day, as a party