Red Plume — page 33: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE FREE TRAPPERS. 88 themselves a head and shoulders above the “ pork-eaters” from the States. They were dressed in great variety of costume, all of them imitating the Indian style to a great extent, or ex- aggverating upon it most outrageously. They were extremely free and easy with Captain Steele, and with all the members of his command to whom they considered it worth their while ® speak, All were ready to purchase any thing and every thing, and the captain, who was well supplied with the proper goods for such traffic, opened his bales, and was soon busy, with his assistants, in supplying their manifold wants.. Money or no money, it made no difference to them; they were bound to have what they wanted, and the captain was glad enough to supply them,.in consideration of securing their services for the coming. trapping season. They purchased largely, articles ‘that were useful, articles that were ornamental, and. articles that were neither, and scattered their purchases lavishly among the Indian women of the neighboring camp, who, learning that a party of these gay and festive sons of the mountain had arrived, came thronging over to see them, and to pick up some of thé prizes that they were always ready to distribute... Some of the trappers had their Indian wives with them, and .it was noticeable that they made very few .presents to the other wo- men, and the few that they made were given very slyly and fearfully. Could it be possible that “ sateen of the wilderness were henpecked’? The trappers brought with them. isles of Indian « sign ? that they had seen at several points along their route, and re- ports of large bodies of Blackfeet that were gathering at the westward and southward, for the purpose of molesting the trappers, trading parties, and Indians friendly to the whites. The new-comers, however; were not themselves troubled or excited by: the reports that they had brought; they had joined themselves to a strong party, and had no fear/of any attack ; it was yet some time before the trapping season would ¢com- mence, and it was one of their mottoes that. “ sufficient for the day isthe evil thereof.” Captain Steele did not feel as easy on the subject as his new allies did, and his son, Frank, shar- ing the apprehensions of his father, judged it best to under- take a reconnoitering expedition, for the purpose of Visiting a cache, and learning whether it had been disturbed, and. of comicboolks. com