him speedily to recover from his severe wound. He again became the
active, vigilant, keen witted guide and hunter who was looked up
to by all as the most consummate master of woodcraft that had ever
been known in the west.

Such a large party as were gathered at the summer rendezvous was
certain to include many varieties of people. The frank, brave and
open hearted, the sly and treacherous, the considerate and courteous,
the quarrelsome and overbearing -- indeed the temperaments of the
individuals composing the company were as varied as it is possible
to imagine.

Among them was a powerful Frenchman known as Captain Shunan. He had
won his title by hard fighting, possessed a magnificent physique,
was brave and skilled in the use of arms, and was the most quarrelsome
individual in camp. It is impossible to picture a more irascible
and disagreeable personage than Captain Shunan, who appeared to
spend all his spare time in trying to provoke quarrels with those
around him. Sometimes he succeeded, but more often his insolence
was submitted to by men as brave as he, but who wished to avoid
trouble with him.

The activity and strength of the Frenchman were so great that a
skilful pugilist would have found difficulty in handling him. The
only ground upon which he could be met with anything like fairness
was where firearms were used.

On one of these occasions, the bully became unbearable in his
behavior. He knocked down several weak and inoffensive persons,
and swaggered back and forth through camp, boasting that he could