The Pirates of the Prairies

commencing his adventurous journey, and we are in the

the poetic and mysterious name of the Far West? That is to say, the truly unknown region, with its scenes at once grand and striking, soft and ter

es on them a vast carpet of verdure embossed with flowers, furrowed by large streams; and

e and there rather lofty hills, the escarped sides of the water courses, and a thousand unexpected accidents which agreeably break th

lacement, describing majestic curves, producing grand arcades, and offering, in a word, the most splendid

wide leaves are shaped like a fan, the pirijao, from which hang enormous clusters of golden fruit, the royal palm whose stem is denuded of foliage, and balances its majestic and tufted head

g round the stems of trees and vines overflowing with sap; and in the midst of this inextricable chaos fly, run, and crawl, in every direction, animals of all sorts and siz

ess chase; the alligator, with its body in the mud, and sleeping in the sun; the hideous iguana carelessly climbing up a tree; the puma, that maneless lion; the panther and jaguar cunningly watch their prey as it passes; the brown bear, that gluttonous honey-hunter; the grizzly, the most formidable denizen

haras, the flycatcher, the toucans, with their enormous beaks, the pigeons, the trogons, the elegant rose flamingos, the swans balancing and

the eagle of the Sierra Madre, with wide-spread wings, and the bald-headed

g like new copper, robust limbs, gestures stamped with majesty and grace, and a commanding eye; a Navajo, Pawnee, Comanche, Apache or Sioux, who, whirling his lasso or lakki

ings, is truly the king of this strange country, which he alone can traverse night and day, and whose countless dangers he does not fear. He struggle

e prairies alone! His bones will bleach on the plain, and his sca

nd terrible spectacle the Far We

ul silence brooding over the desert was suddenly troubled by a slight sound, which was heard in

nd creepers a man displayed his face dripping with perspir

e watch, slowly disengaged his body from the grass and shrubs that conceal it, walked a

th a cross of the wolf and Newfoundland, boun

xpectedly on the banks of t

ions. We say without weapons, for the long knife passed through his deerskin girdle was almost

assing, and only await a favourable moment to catch him. Red Cedar was deprived of

does not believe himself abandoned. In his heart there remains a vague hope

he feeling of his weakness is then revealed to him; he comprehends how insignificant he is before these colossal works of nature, and how insensate is the strug

rairies, he had found himself in almost desperate situations, and he had alw

been so denuded of everythi

emained faithful in his misfortunes, he set out, not even taking the trouble to find out his direction. In fact, what nee

ssed, and looked at him with their large melancholy eyes, as if comprehending that their implacable foe was disarmed, and they had nothing to fear from him. The elks, balanced on the

on the sand, exhausted by fatigue and hunger. The sun had disappeared, and the darkness was already invading the prairie. The howling of the wild beasts cou

unfortunate man, urged him to seek a shelter. He climbed up a tree, and after tying himself securely, through fear of a fall, if, as was very improbable, he fell a

rienced it, can imagine the horror of a sleepless night in the desert! The darkness is peopled with mournful spectres, the wild beast

this nightmare, during which the sickly mind creates the most monstrous lucubrations. Especially when t

inning of a day of intolerable suffering and frightful torture? But, at any rate, he could see, he could notice, what went on around him; t

o reach, although he was perfectly well aware he had no help to expect from anyone

s up; he struggles to the last moment, and if he cannot trust to Prov

crossed the squatter's brain while, with uncertain step he

for roots and herbs which might lull the hunger that gnawed his vitals. His search was long in vain, but at last he found a species of yucca, a pasty root somewhat like manioc, which he devoured with delight. He laid in a stock of this root, which he shared wit

e it wa

chanically around him, he fancied he noticed at a certain spot that the grass was closer and taller than

the game, are necessitated to abandon a large portion of their plunder or merchandise they carry with them for tradin

ed in the fo

p enough, the sides are lined with buffalo hides, for fear of damp, and the articles are laid in it: the soil is then put in again, and the grass laid over it, which is watered to make it grow, and the rest of the earth is carried to the river, into which

ow many things concealed in this way have been lost through the death of their owners who

inestimable value to him: it might offer him articles of primary necessity he wanted, and restore him, as i

carefully laid his blanket and buffalo robe by the cache to hold the earth, with that honesty innate in men accustomed to a prairie life, who, though they may be bandits and plunder the property of others unscrup

ved all the turf that seemed to him to form the outline of the cache. This first task ended, he rested for a moment to take breath, and

ing it with his hands to the blanket. It was really a rude task, especially for a man exhausted by fatigue and weakened by privations. Several tim

if he succeeded, would he find the means to become once more a wood ranger: hence he clung to this last plank of sa

cess; hence, in spite of the invincible energy of his character, he felt despair invading his mind once again. A tear of impotent rage br

nd; the squatter seized it and examined i

any longer, and he soon laid bare a buffalo hide. Instead of lifting this skin at once, which doubtle

d it contain? Perhaps it had already been ransacked, and was empty. When he had o

so many chimeras, that he instinctively feared to see them vanish suddenly, an

h emotion, palpitating heart and bloodshot eye, he tore away the buffalo skin, with a movement rapid as

and single pistols, powder horns, bags filled with bullets,

and indomitable being he had been prior to the catastrophe, without fear or remorse, ready to recomme

s for a horse; two powder horns, a bag of bullets, and an elk skin game pouch richly embroidered in the Indian fashion, containing a tinderbox and all

moved the traces which might have revealed to others the cache which had been so useful to himself. This duty of an ho

d the boar in its lair; we shall s

, whom we saw enter the desert at the head of a numerous a

the Trai