Mountain Democrat., 1857-03-28
Prairie Life.
A TAEE OF REVENGE.

prairie Ilie, many wild adventure and
yet many wilder scene has been left un.
described, Poor Ruxten, who died at
ST. Louis, and whose highly entertaining
and valuable work, "Scencs in the Far
West" IL enriched with many story and
scene which no doubt, to the people of
the Fast, seem like tales of the Arabian
nights. There is so much originality
about the manners and habits of the trap.
perS and irOntirrsman that one il struck
with the peculiar language or mode Of
expressing themselves rs well az their
singular costume. They arc, in fact, AZ
distinct and marked class as sailors.
and have as many odd and quaint say.
ings.
1t is generally the commission of crime.
or some disappointment in life, or q ma
tive love of adventure and peril, that
makes these men- desert the comforts of
civilized society for the wild haunts of
the red man. We can imagine the ter
riblc reaction which takes place when the
storm of passion or wreck Ofe1isappointed
hope sweeps over tho sensitive soul. and
leaves deSolation-a ruin of the former
man. 1t is miSlortuncS like these which
scOrch and dry up tho finest feeling
some mortal wrong or injustice committed
by others toward them in revenging
which they have been compelled TO leave
their homes and become cxIles 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 Pawnce. A party ofEOur,
who had been rowing for many years in
the West, all strangers to each other,
were one day accidentally thrown togcth-
er, when strange and bloody scene en-
sued. These men presented striking
contrast in feature. The youngest was
dclicatcly made, with long hair and light
blue eyes. His exposure had given him
rich brown complexion. lie was one
of the medium stature, and made for
strength and activity. There was q dark
void over his features, which told that
with him the light of hope had gone out.
lie was travelling on mule, with his rifle
in his gun-lcather, at the bow of his sad
die, when he overlook man on foot, with
a gun on his shoulder and pistols in his
belt, who was over six feet in height, and
had deep, wide scar on his right check.
AS day was drawing to close they pro.
posed to camp, and brought up at the
head fork Of the Pawnec. Shortly after
they had campcd man xAa sam recon-
noitcring them with q rife In hand, and
having satisfied himself that the I'm was
friendly he came moodily into tho camp.
and after looking stsTnIy e 1hs 1we 1acS
was asked by Scar Cheek % ''Ca,@e 70
the ground. He was Q aAouN, ,massuaaP
man, much older than the ether t. 4 viii
deep, habitual sCOwI, long, u (, Mt.
ted hair, and very unpgePOGssAslag 6sa-
lures. Some cOmmOn-placsVSaasks were
made, but no questions were aGk6d BY
either party.
1t was near twilight when the young
man, who had gathered some buffalo
chips to make fire to cook with, sudden.
ly perceived man approaching them on
mule. He came steadily and fcarlessly
on to the camp, and casting look at the
three, said: "Took We for Indians :" then
glancing at the dccr-skin dress of the
trio, he observed, "old feathers, some
time out, ehy' The man was about fifty
years old, and his gray hairs contrasted
strangely with his dark, bronxcd features,
upon which care and misfortune were
strongly stamped. lie was only halfclad
in the miserable skins he wore, and as he
dismOuntcd Scar Check asked "whcre
from FROM The KaW," (Kansas) he
replied, throwing down bundle Of otter
skin& AIlsF uasAAAliag end stalking out
his mnlst - hssaHAa hlmoslf to the
ground, Gaa tahiag - Flae. loOked at the
Primlne. aaA dAaklag OAs powder In the
pan, - sAasa Q ~ WMss grains TO it.
then placiag Q Y,isee e thin, dry skin
over Il 10 kssS 4 AoA ths Aaaap, he shut
the pan. Tke Creep watched the old
trapper. whO seelsscd not b notice them,
while Scar Cheek became interested and
showed certain umeasinesA lie looked
towards his own rife, and once or twice
lOOscnCd the pistols in3his belt as If they
incOmmO,lcd him. The young man and
the stout man with Q scOwl exchanged
glanccs, but no word passed. So far no
questions had been asked as to who the
other was; what little conversation pass
cd was very laconic, and not q smile
wreathed the lip Of any one of them.
The little supper was eaten in silence,
each man seeming to be wrapped in his
own thoughts. 1t was agreed that the
watch should be divided equally among
the four, each man standing on guard
two hours-thc old trapper taking the
first watch, the young man next, and
Scar Check and he with the scowl follow
ing.
1t was bright moonlight night, and
over that barren, wild waste of prairie not
n S0und vnc hoard &C Tho fhroo law cIoor
ing on their blankets. The old trappor
paced up and down, ran his eyes around
the wild waste before him. and then
would stop and mutter to himself ut
cannot be" he said half aloud, ''but the
time and that scar may have disguised
him. That boy, tOo-it's strange feel
drawn towards him; then that villain
with scowl, and the muscles of the old
trapper's face worked convulsivcly, which
the mOon-beams falling upon, disclosed
traces ofA by-gone refinement The trap.
per noiseiessly approached the sleeping
men, and kneeling down, gaEed intently
upon the features of each, and scanned
them deeply. Walking of, he muttercd
to himself again, saying-"It shall be-"
and then judging by the stars that his
watch was up, he approached the young
man and woke him, pressing his finger
upon his lips to command silence at the
time, and mOtioned him to follow.
They walked of some distance, when
the trapper, taking the young man by the
shoulders turned his face to the moon
light and after gazing at it wistGGlly,
whispered in his ear, "Are you Perry