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Show 364 THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON TRAIL. sailor, who had come in a trading vessel to California, and taken the fancy to return across the continent. The journey had already made him an expert ' mountain-man,' and he pre. sented the extraordinary phenomenon of a sailor who under. stood how to manage a horse. The third of our visitors, named Ellis, was a Missourian, who had come out with a party of Oregon emigrants, but having got as far as Bridge's Fort, he had fallen home-sick, or as Jim averred, love-sick,-and Ellis was just the man to be balked in a love adventure. He thought proper therefore to join the California men, and return homeward in their company. They now requested that they might unite with our party, and make the journey to the settlements in company with us. We readily assented, for we liked the appearance of the first two men, and were very glad to gain so efficient a reinforce. ment. We told them to meet us on the next evening at a spot on the river side, about six miles below the Fort. Having smoked a pipe together, our new allies left us, and we lay down to sleep. • CHAPTER XXII. TETE ROUGE, THE VOLUNTEER. '' Ah me! what evils do environ The man that meddles with cold iron." HUDIBRAS. THE next morning having directed Delorier to repair with his cart to the place of meeting, we came again to the Fort to make some arrangements for the journey. After completing these we sat down under a sort of porch, to smoke with some Shienne Indians whom we found there. In a few minutes we saw an extraordinary little figure approach us. in a military dress. He had a small, round countenance, garnished about the eyes with the kind of wrinkles commonly known as crow's feet, and surmounted by an abundant crop of red curls, with a little cap resting on the top of them. Altogether, he had the look of a man more conversant with mint-juleps and oyster suppers than with the hardships of prairie-service. He came up to us and entreated that we would take him home to the settlements, saying that unless he went with us he should have to stay all winter at the Fort. We liked our petitioner's appearance so little, that we excused ourselves from complying I |