The Sierra citizen., 1854-02-25

with suitable bait and proceeds to set his
traps. AS the senses of the beaver are
exceedingly keen, the business of the
trapper requires experience and great eau
tion and he glides through that forests almost
with the silence of ghost; butwhen master
of his calling, he seldom leaves beaver
village until, by his cunning arts, it has
become depopulated. The war of extermi-
nation, as already intimated, begins at the
mouth of the river, and with our friend
will only cease when he has reached the
fountain-head, or the season for trapping
comes to an end. The coolest of winds
may blow and the woods may be completely
blocked with snow, but the trapped has
mounted his snow-shoes, and day after day
does he revisit and re-arrange his traps
If night overtake him when far removed
from his shanty (Which may be the case
more than half the time) he digs himself a
hole in some sheltered show bank, and,
wrapped up in his blanket by the side of
his solitary fire, spends strangely comfor-
table night. When not engaged with his
traps, he employs his time in drying and
pressing his furs; or, as fancy may dictate,
he shoulders his gun and starts out for the
purpose of capturing deer, bear or some
of the beasts which are wont to howl him
to sleep at the midnight hour. Venison and
bear meat constitute his principal food,
but he is particularly partial to the tail of
his favorite beaver. The only human beings
with which he has any social intercourse
during the long winter, are the poor wan-
dering Indians who chance to visit him in
his cabin; and at such times many are the
wild adventures and strange legends which
they relate to each other around the huge
fire of the trapper. And he now enjoys
to perfection the companionship of his dogs.
Companions, it is true, of another sort
sometimes gather around his lonely habita-
ton to relieve his solitude, for the snowy
owl boots and screams at night from the
AuSC piIC OIduCH tuul lCdCllCS Wv C1 AlS OdU1u,
or perhaps an unmolested deer manifests
its love of cOmpanionship by browsing the
twigs in broad daylight almost at his very
threshold. But now fair weather cometh
out of the NORTH and the trapper begins to
think that he has secured such supply
of furs as will guaranty him comfortable
support during the coming summer, and
one by one he gathers in his traps. The
crack of his rife is now heard more fire.
quently echoing through the woods for
he cares not to obtain more beaver skins
even if he could, and he would obtain a
sufficient number of miscellaneous furs to
render his assortment complete. Heavy
spring rains have set in, the water courses
are nearly released from their icy fetters,
and on issuing from his cabin, after night of
conflicting dreams, he finds that the neigh
boring stream has become unusually full.
A single glance at it's turbid waters is
enough. He cuts down a suitable tree and
builds him canoe, and in this does he stow
away his furs and all his other plunder;
and, seizing his paddle, he jumps into his
seat, and with light heart starts for his
distant home.
The rains are over and gone, and al
though our voyager has already been ten
days upon the waters, he has yet at least a
| thousand additional miles to travel. Rapids
| without number are to be passed, many a
| labOrious portage must be made around
huge waterfalls, and at least two months
must elapse before he can moor his little
barge in the haven where he would be-
Day follows day, and his course is onward.
All along his route the forest trees are
bursting their buds and decking themselves
with the livery of the vernal season, while
| the grasses and flowers of the prairies are
striving to overreach each other as they
loom into the pleasant sunshine. And then
too, the heart of our voyager is cheered by
the singing of birds When night comes.
and he has lain himself down by his watch
fire on he shore, in some little cove, he is
lulled to sleep by the murmuring music of
the streams If, on pleasant day when he
is fatigued, he happen upon an Indian en-
campment and finds that an extensive ball
play or an Indian horse-race, or any i'm
portant medicine ceremony is about to occur,
he tarries there for a few hours, and then
as his mind dwells upon the grotesque and
iaughable scenes he has witnessed, resumes
MS voyage in more cheerful mood. Day
loliows day, and the stream upon which he
is now floating is broad and deep, and
sweeps onward as if rejoicing with pride
for having triumphed over the obstacles Of
the wilderness, and is rapidly approaching
the fields and the abodes Of civilization