SETTING UP IN TRADE.



of the fort before he yielded to the feeling of exhaustion,
and laid down beside the trail to rest. Whether he would
ever have finished the journey alone he could not tell; but
fortunately for him, he was discovered by Jo Walker, and
Gordon, another acquaintance, who chanced to pass that
way toward the fort.
  Meek answered their hail, and inquired if they had any-
thing to eat. Walker replied in the affirmative, and get-
ting down from his horse, produced some dried buffalo
meat which he gave to the famishing trapper. But seeing
the ravenous manner in which he began to eat, Walker
inquired how long it had been since he had eaten any-
thing.
  "Five days since I had a bite."
  "Then, my man, you can't have any more just now," said
Walker, seizing the meat in alarm lest Meek should kill
himself.
  "It was hard to see that meat packed away again," says
Meek in relating his sufferings, " I told Walker that if my
gun had a hammer I'd shoot and eat him. But he talked
very kindly, and helped me on my horse, and we all went
on to the Fort."
  At Fort Crockett were Newell and his party, the remain-
der of Farnham's party, a trading party under St. Clair, who
owned the fort, Kit Carson, and a number of Meek's former
associates, including Craig and Wilkins.  Most of these
men, Othello-like, had lost their occupation since the dis-
banding of the American Fur Company, and were much at
a loss concerning the future. It was agreed betwen Newell
and Meek to take what beaver they had to Fort Hall, to
trade for goods, and return to Fort Crockett, where they
would commence business on their own account with the
Indians.
  Accordingly they set out, with one other man belonging



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