The Boy Hunters

The Boy Hunters
Adventures in Search of a White Buffalo
By Captain Mayne Reid
CHAPTER ONE.
THE HOME OF THE HUNTER-NATURALIST.
Go with me to the great river Mississippi. It is the longest river in the
world. A line that would measure it would just reach to the centre of
the earth,--in other words, it is four thousand miles in length. Go with
me to this majestic river.
I do not wish you to travel to its source; only as far up as Point Coupee,
about three hundred miles from its mouth. There we shall stop for a
while--a very short while--for we have a long journey to make. Our
route lies to the far west--over the great prairies of Texas; and from
Point Coupee we shall take our departure.
There is a village at Point Coupee--a quaint, old, French-looking
village built of wood. In point of fact it is a French village; for it was
one of the earliest settlements of that people, who, with the Spaniards,
were the first colonists of Western America. Hence we find, to this day,
French and Spanish people, with French and Spanish names and
customs, all through the Mississippi valley and the regions that lie west
of it.
We have not much to do with these things at present, and very little to
say of Point Coupee, more than we have already said. Our subject is an
odd-looking house that, many years ago, stood upon the western bank
of the river, about a mile below the village. I say it stood there many
years ago; but it is very likely that it is still standing, as it was a firm,

well-built house, of hewn logs, carefully chinked, and plastered
between the chinks with run-lime. It was roofed with cedar shingles
that projected at the eaves, so as to cast off the rain, and keep the walls
dry. It was what in that country is called a "double house,"-- that is, a
large passage ran across the middle of it, through which you might
have driven a wagon loaded with hay. This passage was roofed and
ceiled, like the rest of the house, and floored with strong planks. The
flooring, elevated a foot above the surface of the ground, projected
several feet in front of the passage, where carved uprights of
cedar-wood supported a light roof, forming a porch or verandah.
Around these uprights, and upon the railing that shut in the verandah,
clung vines, rose-bushes, and convolvulus plants, that at certain seasons
of the year were clustered over with beautiful flowers.
The house faced the river, standing, as I have said, on its western
bank--on the same side with Point Coupee. In front was a lawn, some
two hundred yards in length, that stretched toward the river, and ended
on the low bluff forming its bank. This lawn was enclosed by high
rail-fences, and variegated with clumps of shrubbery and ornamental
trees. Most of them were indigenous to the country; but there were
exotics as well. Among the trees you could not fail to notice the
large-flowered magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), the red mulberry
(Morus rubra), the pale-green leaves of the catalpa, the tall tulip-tree
(liriodendron), and the shining foliage of the orange.
In contrast with the brighter frondage of these were dark cone-shaped
cedars, and spire-like forms of the yew. There were date-trees and
weeping willows growing upon the river bank, and drooping gracefully
over its current. Other plants and trees might be distinguished--the
natives of a southern clime--such as the great Mexican aloe (Agave
Americana), the bayonet blades of the yucca, and the fan-like leaves of
the palmetto. Beautiful birds of many varieties might be seen among
the copses, or moving over the grassy sward of the lawn.
In the great hall or passage, already mentioned, a singular picture
presented itself. Along the walls, on both sides, were suspended various
implements of the chase, such as rifles, shot guns, pouches, flasks,

hunting-knives, and, in short, every species of trap, net, or implement,
that could be devised for capturing the wild denizens of the earth, air,
and water. Horns of the stag and elk were fastened to the hewn logs;
and upon their branching antlers hung hair-bridles, and high-peaked
saddles of the Mexican or Spanish fashion. In addition to these were
skins of rare birds and quadrupeds, artistically preserved by stuffing,
and placed on pedestals around the wooden walls. There were glass
cases, too, containing moths, butterflies, and other insects, impaled
upon pins, and arranged in systematic order. In short, this hall
resembled a little museum.
Were we to enter and examine the inside of the house, we should find
three or four good-sized rooms, comfortably furnished, and all stocked
with subjects of natural history, and implements of the chase. In one of
the rooms