For a trader to refuse one of these free and flourishing
blades a credit, whatever unpaid scores might stare him in the face,
would be a flagrant affront scarcely to be forgiven.
Now succeeded another outbreak of revelry and extravagance. The trappers
were newly fitted out and arrayed, and dashed about with their horses
caparisoned in Indian style. The Shoshonie beauties also flaunted
about in all the colors of the rainbow. Every freak of prodigality
was indulged to its fullest extent, and in a little while most of
the trappers, having squandered away all their wages, and perhaps
run knee-deep in debt, were ready for another hard campaign in the
wilderness.
During this season of folly and frolic, there was an alarm of mad wolves
in the two lower camps. One or more of these animals entered the camps
for three nights successively, and bit several of the people.
Captain Bonneville relates the case of an Indian, who was a universal
favorite in the lower camp. He had been bitten by one of these animals.
Being out with a party shortly afterwards, he grew silent and gloomy,
and lagged behind the rest as if he wished to leave them. They halted
and urged him to move faster, but he entreated them not to approach him,
and, leaping from his horse, began to roll frantically on the earth,
gnashing his teeth and foaming at the mouth. Still he retained his
senses, and warned his companions not to come near him, as he should not
be able to restrain himself from biting them.
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