The Life of Kit Carson: Hunter, Trapper, Guide, Indian Agent and Colonel U.S.A.
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CHAPTER VIII.
Carson and two Companions set out on a Trapping Expedition of Their Own--They Meet With Great Success--Is Engaged by Captain Lee--Carson's Pursuit of an Indian Thief.
Kit Carson finally grew tired of wandering over the country withoutgaining sight of a beaver. He proposed to two of his companions thatthey start on a private expedition of their own. They were as disgustedas he and eagerly agreed to the proposition.
The employers of the men commended the enterprise of the little companyand gave them their best wishes. Cordial farewells were exchanged allaround, and Kit and his comrades left the camp on their perilous errand.
On this occasion, as on innumerable other ones, Carson showed mostexcellent judgment. His scheme was to keep entirely to the streams neveronce venturing upon the plains. Several advantages were likely toflow from this course. During the summer season the mountain Indiansgenerally placed their women and children in charge of the old men anda few warriors and came down from their retreats to engage in huntingbison or in marching on the war path. Occasionally they are at peacewith the Indians of the plains, which was a bad thing for the Mexicansettlements, for they left a track of desolation among them.
Few of the trappers ventured far into the mountains, where game wasabundant, so that Carson was confident of finding plenty of beavers.In this he was not mistaken. The fur bearing animals seemed to beoverrunning the country, while the Indians acted not only as if unawareof the fact but as if entirely ignorant of the little party ofvisitors, who, making hay while the sun shines, were not long in findingthemselves with as large a supply as they could carry home.
This was the ordeal more to be dreaded than all the others. While ontheir way to the beaver runs, they had nothing to do beyond takingcare of themselves; but now their valuable peltries were liable to becaptured by the Indians, who could compel their abandonment by pressingthe owners hard.
But extreme and altogether unexpected good fortune attended them, andthey reached Taos, without receiving a scratch or losing a fur. Theyfound on arriving at that quaint town, that there was great demand forpeltries and prices were correspondingly high. They sold out their stockfor a very liberal price, and Kit's friend, despite his advice, wenton a carousal which soon squandered all their hard earned wages. Kithimself, however, had not lost the lesson he learned under somewhatsimilar circumstances, and he laid away his funds, against theproverbial rainy day.
By this time the character of Carson was fairly formed. He was resolute,self reliant, sober, thoughtful, cool headed, wonderfully quick to graspall the points of a situation, chivalrous, agile as a panther, a perfectmaster of woodcraft, and withal, charmingly modest.
While Carson was in Taos, waiting for some favorable opening to presentitself, he met Captain Lee, formerly of the United States Army, but whowas then a member of the firm of Bent and St. Vrain, engaged for somany years in furnishing supplies to those who visited the mountains andplains. Captain Lee at that time was thus employed and knowing the valueof a man like Carson, he made him so liberal an offer that he acceptedit on the spot.
In the Autumn of 1832, with a train of mules loaded with such goods aswere needed by trappers, Captain Lee, Carson and a number of men startednorthward to find their purchasers. They followed the well worn mulepath leading from New Mexico to California and which had been known foryears as the "Old Spanish Trail."
They reached White River without mishap, and made their way down ituntil Green River was forded, when they struck across the country toWinty River, where they came upon a party of twenty hunters, who wereengaged in trading and trapping as opportunity offered. They affiliatedat once, for there is something in the presence of a common danger whichdraws men closely together.
The weather became very cold and snow began to fall. It was decided,therefore, to go into winter quarters near the mouth of Winty River.There they erected skin lodges, such as are used by many tribes ofAmerican Indians, and were content to wait the coming of spring.
The skill and address of Carson seemed to create a call for hisservices, no matter where he happened to be, and it was not long beforehe became involved in a most remarkable adventure.
Among the employees of the other party, was a shrewd civilized Indian,who was held in high regard by the whites on account of his nativekeenness, and who stood well in the confidence of his employer; but oneday he disappeared, simultaneously with several of the very besthorses. The circumstances were such that there could be no doubt the twooccurrences were inseparably connected.
The loss was too serious to be borne, and the angered leader of theother company (though he had not the least claim upon young Carson),appealed to him to help him to recover his property. Carson said he wasperfectly willing, provided Captain Lee would give his consent, and asthe Captain was more willing to help his friend, he directed Carson todo as he saw fit.
The matchless hunter made sure his weapons were in the best order, and,mounting one of the fleetest horses in camp, he waved a merry farewellto his friends and galloped off. He had not ridden far when he turnedoff toward an Indian village, whose people were on friendly terms withthe hunters, and, riding directly among the red men, whose lingo heunderstood, he asked for one of their bravest warriors to join himin hunting down a California Indian that had run off with their besthorses.
Such a request coming from any other hunter would have received littlenotice; but those dusky barbarians not only knew Carson by name, butlooked upon him as the greatest white warrior they had ever seen. Hecould have secured a score of braves had he wanted them, but he desiredonly one--a sinewy, daring fellow whom he knew could be relied on in anyemergency. This Indian required no more time than Carson himself to makeready, and, shortly after Kit's arrival in the village, he rode forthagain with his faithful friend at his elbow.
It was impossible for the thief to conceal the trail of the stolenhorses and he made no attempt to do so. A slight examination showed thepursuers that it led down the Green River, the general course being suchthat Carson was confident the thief was making for California--a longdistance away.
As the fugitive was well mounted and all his horses were fleet, and ashe must have been quite certain he would be pursued, he lost no time onthe road. The trail showed he was going at a full gallop, and, under themost favorable circumstances, the chase was sure to be a long one.