The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-07-25
FRONTIER SKETCHES. mo. 8.
BY y. o. 5. REnSA-

About month after the departure of
the luekless Boggs a Creole trader ar
rived at the village, bringing with him
a number Of horses and a gaiIv-bedecked
{. squaw, the former heavily laden with
goods. His selection attested his expe-
rienee in that hazardous vocation. for
by far the larger portion Of his invoice
was calculated to crafty the whims.
rather than supply the wants of the
proud sons and daughters Of nature. In
fact, with the exception of few dozen
knives and half as many hatchets, he
brought but little that this interesting
people really needed, yet his advent
was hailed by old and young as an event
marking a prominent epoch in their
history. All their boarded pelts were
eagerly brought out to exchange for
| bright-colored cloth, cheap beads and
| pinchbeck jewelry, at a rate to have ex-
cited an Astor to the highest possible
pitch. I had now enjoyed the genuine
nearly two months, and, determining to
avail myself of the opportunity of ac-
cOmpanying the trader on his return to
the settlements, I thought of expressing
my gratitude to the Tabeaus by making
some of its representatives appropriate
presents. accordingly invited the two
daughters to walk over with me to
where the tempting display was on ex-
hibition, there to select, each for her
self, a souvenir of my gratitude and
munifieence. I had previously arranged
with the peripatetic knight Of the yard
stick that he was to become owner in
fee Of my notorious cur, to which his
squsw had taken a peculiar liking, in
consideration of allowing these two
young ladies to choose each any article
that her judgment or caprice might die
tate. And now l saw exemplified the
fact that "blood will tell" for, instead
of yielding to the passion for personal
adOrnment that is universally displayed
by the full-east Indian belle, one of
them chose a butcher-kniie, and the
other hatchet What other articles
could they have chosen to so perfectly
symbolic their halfway position be-
tween civilization and barbaIism?
But the time was approaching when
I must bid adieu to my kind entertain
ers and again attempt the unfrequented
wilderness, and the nearer it came, the
less felt inclined to do so. The wild,
unrestrained freedom of savage life had
begun to develop charms to my ardent
nature that had not dreamed Of before,
and only for pair OF blue eyes near the
shore of Lake Erie that had followed
me like guardian angels wherever I had
wandered, am not certain that should
not have resigned myself cheerfully to a
home with this family, for had never
seen home where all, except the pa
ternal head, seemed so cOntented and
completely care-free prior to my max
ing known my intention of leaving
them, to return, perhaps no more.
Since then, alas the deep-drawn sigh
oft chased away the merry ringing
laugh, and l saw that trouble is the
common lot Of all mankind. When I
say that Lueille-she of the Ratchet
took my leaving most to heart, the theme
will require no further elucidation.
The reader will not wonder if I state
that by this time my wardrobe was
sadly in need Of repairs. But the femi-
nine part OF the Tabeau household were
equal to the emergency, for they went
to work with a will, and the evening
before my departure they presented me
with an outfit Of character not only to
assure my comfort, but to attract atten-
tion to me from all eyes, whether civil
lied or savage. My pants were made of
red calico, my frilled and rutIled shirt
Of yellow, while mOceasius Of the most
exquisite workmanship enveloped my
feet. But the most beautiful part of
my dress Sas my beaded aud fringed
tobacco-pOuch, without which no
mountain man is thought presentable.
II attested the patient industry and
studied skill Of poor Lucille, and was
given me by that artless maiden "with
| eyes that spoke, with lips that moved
not" On it she had traced with silk
and beads the significant words: "TI
Ualtt H1ieliE aimer personue que Uous ne
POwrez jamais espOuser, que despouser
une PersOHne que Uous ne Pourres jamais
Gimer" It is better to love a person
whom you cannot marry, than to marry
one whom you can never Iove.) I gave
them the parting hand-reluctantIy,
shall I say-and four weeks thereafter
reached the frontier settlements Of Ar
kansas, where parted with my Creole
friend, the trader, and at the same time
the interesting features of my dog were
forever lost to my view. I hastened TO
st. Louis, took steamboat for Cincin-
natl, thence by stage-cOach home to
Norwalk, where I learned that the
angel I was so eager to meet and to
greet in my dashing costume had given
me up for dead, and had already applied
the balm Of matrimony to her wounded
heart.
frHE END.l