Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-04-18
PRAIRIE LIFE.
A TALE OE REVENGE.

Although much has been written on
prairie life. many wild adventure and
yet manc wilder scene has been left
undescibed. Poor Ruxten, who died at
st. Louis, and whose highly entertain
Ing and valuable work, "Secnes in the
Far West" is enriched with many
story snd scene which no doubt, to the
people of the East, seem like tales of
the Arabian nights There is so much
originality about the manners and hab-
its of the trappers and ftontiersman,
that one is struck with the peculiar
language or mode of expressing them
selves as well as their singular costume.
They are in fact as distinct and mark
ed class as sailors, and have as many
odd and quaint saying.
1t is generally the commission Of
crime, or some disappointment in life,
or a native love of adventure and peril
that makes these men desert the com
forts of civilized society for the wild
haunts of the red man. We cannot
imagine the terrible reaction which
takes place when the storm of passion
nr wreck of disappointed hope sweeps
over the sensitive seul, and leaves de-
ISOLATION. ruin of the former man 1t
is m;sfortunes like these which scorch
and dry up the finest feeling, some
mortal wrong or injustice committed
by others toward them in revenging
which they have bsen compelled to
leave their homes and become exiles in
the Far West.
A story Is told of an extraordinary
meeting and an act of revenge said to
have taken place MANY long years ago,
on the fork of the Pawnee. A party
of four, who had been rowing for many
years i'll the West, all strangers to each
ether. were one day accidentally thrown
together, when a strange and bl lDody
scene ensued These men presented
striking contrast in features. The
youngest was delieately made, with long
hair and light blue eyes. His exposure
had given him rich brown complex
ion. He was one Of the medium sta
ture, and made for strength and activ-
ity. There was dark void over his
features, which told that with him the
light Of hope had gone out. He was
travelling on mule, with his rife in
his gun-leather, at the bow Of his sad
die, when he overlook man on foot
with gun on his shoulder anl pistols
in his belt, who was over six feet in
height, and had deep wide scar on
his right cheek. As day was drawing
to close they proposed to camp, and
brought up at the head fork of the
Pawnee. Shortly after they had camp
ed a man was seen accommodating them
with rife in hand, and having salts
fad himself that the sign was friendly
he came moodily into The cemp, and
having looked sternly at the tive men
was asked by Scar Cheek to come to
the ground He was a stout muscular
nan, much older than the other two,
with a deep habtiual scowl, long, black
matted hair, and very unprepossessing
features Some commonplace remarks
were made, but no questions were ask.
ed by either party.
1t was near twilight when the young
man, who had gathered sume buffalo
chips to make fire to cook with, sud-
denly perceived a man approaching
them on a mule. He came steadily
and faarlessly on to the camp, and
casting a leok at the three, said: Took
yc for Indians then glancing at the
deer-skin dress of the trio, he observed,
'old feathers, some time out. eh ? The
men was about fifty years old, and his
gray hairs contrasted strangely with
his dark, bronz d features. upon which
care and misfortune were strongly
stamped. He was only half clad in the
miserable skins he wore, and as he dis
mounted Scar Check asked, where
fromi' From the Kaw,' (Kansas) he
replied, throwing down bundle of OF
ter skins. After unsaddIing and stalk
ing out his mule, he brought himself to
the ground, and taking his rife, looked
at the printing, and shaking the pow
der in the pan, he added a few more
grains to it, then placing piece of
thin, dry skin over it to keep it from
the damp, he shut the pan. The group
watched the old trapper, who seemed
not to notice them, while Scar Cheek
became interested and showed certain
uneasinass. He looked towards his
ewn rifle, and once or twice loosened
the pistols in his belt as if they incom-
,moded him. The young man and the
stout man with a seowl exchanged CLAM
ces, but no word passed. So far no
questions had been asked as to who the
other was, what little conversation pas
sed was very laeonic, and not smile
wreathed the lip of any one of them.
The little supper was eaten in sill
ence, each man seeming to be wrapped
in his own thoughts. 1t was agreed
that the watch should be divided equal
ly among the four, each man standing
on guard two hours, the old trapper
taking the first watch, the yound man
next, and Scar Check and he with the
scowl following.
1t was bright moonlight night,
and ever that barren, wild waste Of
prairie not sound was heard as the
three lay sleeping on their blankets.
The old trapper paced up and down
ran his eyes around the wild waste be-