Red Plume — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

A FRONTIER DANDY. 35 of beaver-skin, turned up at the edges, and surmounted by a circlet of eagle’s feathers. His black hair was allowed to grow to great length, and those portions immediately behind his ears were Carefully plaited and adorned’ with ribbons, When it is added that his rifle was also highly ornamented, and that his black horse was strangely streaked with white, and covered witha profusion of feathers, gewgaws, and other grotesqué trappings, we have a tolerably accurate picture of this dandy of the wilderness, who was also a perfectly finished trapper and hunter. It is not to be supposed that he did not sometimes moult his fine feathers during his long and solitary trapping excursions ; but it is certain that he always renewed them during the summer seasons, when he. visited trading camps for the purpose of selling his peltries, procuring sup-- plies, making a display of himself,. _ having a grand carouse. | Billy Bush had noticed, with reamnde of envy, as well as of admiration, the wives of the free trappers, most of them quite good-looking, who, splendidly attired in their fine robes, and covered with a great variety of dazzling ornaments, were gracefully prancing and dashing about on their gayly capari- soned steeds, the long braids of'their hair streaming out on the breeze “with a perfect looseness.” He admired these belles of the wilderness, who looked and acted as if they owned their lords and all the rest of creation, and regretfully thought of the time when he had called himself the proprietor of such a red-skinned beauty, who loved and ruled him, and whom he was glad and proud to supply with all articles of personal adornment that suited her wayward fancy, and that he could possibly procure in the wilderness. When he was full of eat- ing and drinking, he felt that he could not be satisfied, unless he procured another wife very soon. With this idea upper- most in his head, he sought Captain Steele, and stated his in- tention. Ae . “ All right,” said the captain, “ if you can find a wife to suit you. There are plenty of Néz Percé girls, and you have only to speak to the chief, who will deliver to you whichever one you may take a fancy to. If you want any presents, for the girl or her folks, just call on me, and I'll fit you out.” “’Tain’t that, cap’n,” replied the trapper. “ Ef a gal takes connicloooks.com