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Show 60 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF O'ular men I ever met. I do not know what to think ~f him ; he never speaks to me except when absolutely unavoidable; still, he is th~ first and ?nly man to encounter peril on my behalf. Three times he has now saved my life when not another man attem~ted to succor me. He is a problem I can not possibly so I ve. " . Agreeably to previous arrangemen_t, on th~ fol_Iowing morning our company proposed to disperse In different directions. While preparing to lea':e o~r comfortable camp to take our chance in the mountains~ I ~appening to be out among the stock, ~he generalinquu-ed for me, and I was pointed out to him where I stood. " He is a sixgular being," he exclaimed ; " he knows we are about to separate, yet he does not trouble himself to come and bid me good-by. I must go to him." Approaching me, he said, "James, we are now ab?ut to part ; these toilsome enterprises in the mountains are extremely hazardous ; although I hope to see you again, perhaps we may never meet more. I am under great obligations to you. You have several times rescued me from certain death, and, by your skill in hunting, you have done great service to my camp. When my mind was irritated and harassed, I was betrayed into the use of language toward you which I regretted immediately after, and still regret. I wish you to forgive me, and desire to part in friendship. So long as you continue to use the same precaution you have hitherto used, I can securely hope you will escape all accident, and look forward· to meeting you again under more auspicious circumstances;" and he concluded by bidding m~ good-by. I bade him good-by, and we separated. .. JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 61 Previous to this, and after his rescue from the ' ' Suck," he mentioned to Fitzpatrick that I ought to have the lead of a party, and that he believed I was as capable as any one in the company for it. Fitzpatrick told him he did not believe I would accept the respons .. ibility. The general bade him ask me. He came and communicated to me our general's wish, and asked me if I would take the leadership of one of our detached parties. I declined the offer, assigning as my reason that I was too young to undertake the responsibilities of the charge; that this was my first trip to the mountains, and I had but little experience in trapping, and that there were older men better qualified for the duty. The leadership of a party of a fur company is a very responsible post. Placed similarly to a captain of a whaling vessel, where all depends upon his success, if a captain is fortunate, and returns from a profitable voyage, of course, in the eyes of the owners, he is a first-rate officer, and stands well for the future. But if he has experienced unusual hardships, and returns more or less unsuccessful, he is disgraced in his command, and is thrust aside for a more fortunate man. It is just similar with trappers in the mountains; whatever is their fortune, good or bad, the leader is the person on whom the praise or blame falls . • • |