Jim jumped up and clapped his hands together and said, "Good, good, we will not have any more trouble with these Indians, and I don't believe we will have any more fights with the Indians this side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, for the news of our scalping so many of the Indians will fly from tribe to tribe faster than we can travel, and you may be sure they all will be on the lookout to avoid meeting us."
Everything moved quietly for the next three days, and we made good progress on our journey.
The night before we reached the sink of the Humboldt, while we were at supper about a dozen ladies came to Jim and me. One of them said with a smile, "Mr. Drannan, we have two favors to ask of you."
Jim looked up at them, and seeing that there was mischief in their eyes, he said, "Say, gals, can't I have one of them?"
The lady that had spoken to me said, "I am afraid neither of them would suit you, Mr. Bridger."
I then asked her what I could do for them. She answered that they would like to have some more fresh meat, but that they did not want any more such music as had accompanied all that they had had before, but if I could supply the meat without the music it would be a great favor as well as a treat. I said, "What kind of meat do you prefer, ladies?" She answered that they were not particular, any kind that was good.
Jim said, "Well, how will Coyote do you? That kind of meat will answer a double purpose. I-t will satisfy your hunger, and then you can howl the same as they do."
She answered, "Now Mr. Bridger, you know that Coyotes are not fit to eat. Are they not a species of a dog?"
Jim replied, "Yes, they are, and dog is the Indians' favorite meat, and that is the kind of meat you will have to eat when you go to live with them, so you had better learn to eat it now."
She said she was pretty sure that she didn't want to neighbor with the
Indians, and she didn't want any dog meat either.