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Show 432 THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON THAIL. bustling camp. Tete Rouge went over to visit them, and soon came ba<.;k with half a dozen biscuits in one hand, and a bottle of brandy in the other. I inquired where he got them. 'Oh,' said Tete Rouge, ' I know some of the traders. Dr. Dobbs is there besides.' I asked who Dr. Dobbs might be. 'One of our St. Louis doctors,' replied Tete Rouge. For two days past I had been severely attacked by the same disorder which had so greatly reduced my strength when at the mountains; at this time I was suffering not a little from the sudden pain and weakness which it occasioned. T ete Rouge, in answer to my inquiries, declared that Dr. Dobbs was a physician of the first standing. Without at all believing him, I resolved to consult this eminent pract.iLioner. Walking over to the camp, I found him lying sound asleep under one of the wagons. He offered in his own person but an indifferent specimen of his skill, for jt was five months since I had seen so cadaverous a face. His hat had fallen off: and his yellow hair was all in disorder; one of his arm supplied the place of a pillow; his pantaloons were wrinkl ed half way up to his knees, and he 'Yas covered with liltle bits of grass and straw, upon which he had rol,led in his uneasy slumber. A l\1exican stoorl near, and I made him a sign that he should touch the doctor. Up sprang the learned Dobbs, and sitting upright, rubbeu his eyes and looked about him in great be wild rmen t. I regretted the necessity of disturbing him, and said I had come to ask professional advice. ' Your system, sir, is in a disordered state,' said he, solemnly, after a short examination. I inquired what might be the particular species of disorder. ' Evidently a morbid action of the liver,' replied the medical man ; ' I will give you a prescription.' DOWN THE ARKANSAS. 433 Repairing to the back of one of the covered wagons, he scrambled in; for a moment I could see nothing of him but his boots. At length he produced a box which he had extracted from - some dark recess within, and opening it, he presented me with • a folded paper of some size. ' What is it 1' said I. 'Calomel,' said the doctor. Under the circumstances I would have taken almost any thing. There was not enough to do me much harm, and it might possibly do good ; so at camp that night I took the poison instead of supper. That camp is worthy of notice. The traders warned us not to follow the main trail along the river, ' unless,' as one of them observed, 'you want to have your throats cut!' The river at this place makes a bend ; and a smaller trail, known as 'the Ridge-path,' leads directly across the prairie from point to point, a distance of sixty or seventy miles. We followed this trail, and after travelling seven or eight miles, we came to a small stream, where we encamped. Our position 'vas not chosen with much forethought or military skill. The water was in a deep hollow, with steep, high banks ; on the grassy bottom of this hollow we picketed our horses, while we ourselves encamped upon the barren prairie just above. The opportunity was admirable either for driving off our horses or attacking us. After dark, as Tete Rouge was sitting at supper, we observed him pointing with a face of speechless horror over the shoulder of Henry, who was opposite to him. Aloof amid the darkness appeared a gigantic black apparition, solemnly swaying to and fro as it advanced steadily upon us. Henry, half vexed and half amused, jumped up, spread out his arms, and shouted. The invader was an old buffalo- 19 |