"It would be premature, and reason forbids it," he answered. "Leave
me, venerable venator, to the council of my own thoughts, and when my
plans are properly classed, I will advise you of my resolutions."
"Resolutions!" repeated the old man, shaking his head a little
contemptuously as he gave the rein to his horse, and allowed him to
mingle with the steeds of the savages. "Resolution is a word that is
talked of in the settlements, and felt on the borders. Does my brother
know the beast on which the Pale-face rides?" he continued, addressing
a gloomy looking warrior in his own tongue, and making a motion with
his arm that at the same time directed his attention to the naturalist
and the meek Asinus.
The Teton turned his eyes for a minute on the animal, but disdained to
manifest the smallest portion of that wonder he had felt, in common
with all his companions, on first viewing so rare a quadruped. The
trapper was not ignorant, that while asses and mules were beginning to
be known to those tribes who dwelt nearest the Mexicos, they were not
usually encountered so far north as the waters of La Platte.
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