Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1860-02-24
aslistella
From Putnam Monthly.
The Trail, the Trace and the
WagOn-Road;
Being Sketches of Wild Lifo West Of the
NJ Missouri.

The half-5rcel had ridden through the
+ day with more than the usual reckless
ness OF his class. He had pushed his
gallant gray horse down the slopes Of
f deep rlyiurs, AMI URGED him against the
steep hi.l-idc> Of the winiiug trail, uatil
the les vigorous animals Of the travellers
were beaten to i wax.
The taIl pjne-tree5 threw long shadows
across the narrow mountain path, when
kaya suddenly rcjHed up " Behold tn
df,t water Of the western slope he said ],
have kept my taith!' What docs
the Wild man mean" cried Wilson.
,. You are thoroughly vcrsed III the eccen-
;ricit.es os the-e worthy sayaees; it Is
SILL long way to the Mission; ask him
to explain himself" Thus addressed, the
I New EugIandcr turned to their euidc,and
requested HIM 10 tell them why he had
halted. 1t is not night he said =" l.
/ kaya afraid to ride further into the couu-
try Of the FIatheads 90 When kaya
was boy, he sold fear for sc2lps, rcpli-
cd the mountaincer -" and he is now 4
grown-up man; but he has crossed the
mouu,ains-has he not kept his faith 2'
and, receiving no answer TO his inquiry.
he coolly ulishtcd, lifted the light pack
from the back Of his tired horse, knelt,
and tied broad decr-skin thong above
the pa,tcrus Of the animal, and then
drove him forth to move, step by step,
along the rich pasturage OF bunch-grass
I J. ~ ,h.u l.I
He then sat quictlydown onh, saddle,
and, taking cut i bag OF kiui kinlk,. fill
cd his stone pipe. lighted it, and, first OF
terng il 10 his companions, smoked a.
composelly as if still in the commodou>
lodge where they sought him, on the
banks Of the Missouri The hot blood OF
Wilson fired at the supposed insult. Are
We to be bought ana ,oid by this crazy
voyagcur in this manner he said " he
has rAllopcd his hai,.wild horse through
out the day, broken down both our po-
nie>, and now, when the evening air be-
glns to recruit them, aul there is a rcA-
sonablc hope of reaching the Mission, he
turns his daredevil nag loose, and sit
down to ENJOY a comfortable pipe. "llal-
/ loo sirrah ~ he continued, what does
all this mean? Get up and saddle your
horse, or FL sound your SENSES with a
revolver bullet"
The hali-breed had taken from his buck
skin pouch a number OF bullets, and was
attentlyely counting thcm-telling them
Oft in sections of ten, anl breaking Il
! blade of grass for each little heap of lead
which he thus enumerated. Speak to
the yellow hound, +" said Wilson; Il yer-
lily believe him crazy; he is muttering 10
himself, and counting his bullets. =
Hush, replied Gardner; the man Is
in trouble Something has occurred Of
which We know nothing, and the pride OF
kaya does not permit hun to explain it,.
We engaged him, you know, only to cross
the mountains, and here We are, We
must sit down and smoke with him, and
wait until the spirit moves. These men
of the mountlin are red Quakcro-they
l have the moroscness Of the Indian, with
all the evil pride of the white race to give
it character. kaya appears more grlev-
ed than angry, and is evidently deeply
moved. Come, seat yourself and make
the best of it," The friend, threw them
selves upon the ground. Wilson subdu-
ing his yexation, as for the first time, he
marked the troubled look in the stern,
dark eye of the celebrated guide OF whom
he had heard so much, and became more
anxious to learn the cause of his strange
behavior.
The pipe passed slowly round the little
circle, and short interval OF silence
elapsed then kaya stood up and faced
the friends with his hand extended. He
was splendid type Of humanity, full six
feet in height, deep-chested, broad.shoul-
4. The leaf Of the mountain cranberry, used by
the northern half breeds substitute for tobac-
60. The same term is applied to tho inner bark
Of the red WILLOW