CHAPTER XVII.
The Morrow--Withdrawal of the Indian Army--At Fort Hall--In the Blackfoot Country--The Ambush--The Trappers Decide to Withdraw--Trapping in Other Localities--Carson Decides to Abandon the Business--Visits Bent's Fort Where He Serves as Hunter for Eight Years.
Having gone through what the red men consider the necessarypreliminaries of such a grand campaign, the vast number of warriorsawaited the dawn that was to witness the annihilation of the entireforce that had dared to venture upon their hunting grounds without somuch as asking permission.
It was scarcely light when the imposing array advanced upon themountaineers, who coolly awaited their approach. When the Blackfeet cameclose enough to see the fortifications thrown up by the whites, theywere astonished. They knew from previous experience the strength of suchmeans of defence and suddenly lost their eagerness to make the attack.
After a full survey of the work before them, they concluded the taskwas beyond accomplishment. The magnificent force, therefore, beganwithdrawing. It was the turn of the trappers to feel disappointed. Theyhad not thought of any such issue and were enraged. They shouted andmade tantalizing gestures to the Blackfeet, in the hope of goading themto stand their ground, but they were too wise to do so. They retreatedto a safe point where a council of war was held. It was not to beexpected that after such an abrupt withdrawal, they could summon enoughcourage to make the assault.
When the conference was over, the Indian army, as it may be called,broke into two divisions, one of which went back toward their ownvillage while the other set their faces toward the Crow country.Uncertain whether they would not reappear when they believed therewas hope of surprising the mountaineers, the latter maintained theirvigilance day and night.
It may have been that the red men made several reconnaissances, but, ifso, they concluded it would be imprudent to attack the mountaineerswho held their position and continued trapping as opportunity presentedthrough the winter.
After trapping in various localities, Kit Carson and several friendsvisited Fort Hall, where they joined a party in the employ of theNorthwest Fur Company. They trapped around the head of Salmon River andother streams, and finally returned to Fort Hall, where the peltrieswere sold for a fair valuation. Then Carson and a few others set out tojoin a party which he knew was trapping in the Blackfoot country.Upon coming up with them, he was told that they had had several sharpskirmishes with the Indians, in one of which a trapper was severelywounded. The following morning, Carson and his comrades parted from therest and were trapping slowly up stream, when they were fired upon byBlackfeet and compelled to retreat. They hurried back and succeededin escaping a serious danger; but the pursuit was so close that Carsonhastily stationed his men in ambush. A hot fire dropped several of thewarriors and caused the others to hesitate.
The halt was just long enough to allow the trappers to reload theirpieces, when the Blackfeet made a fiercer rush than before; but withthat pertinacious courage for which the tribe is noted, they kept up thefight through the rest of the day, determined to throw away no advantagethey might gain. Had Carson chosen his position with less judgment,he and his command must have been overwhelmed, for nothing could haveexceeded the daring of their assailants, who in their desperation setfire to the thicket in which the mountaineers had ensconced themselves;but the shrubbery was too green to burn well, and, after a little while,it died out. Then it must have been the red men concluded it was uselessto strive further, and, learning that the main body of the trappers werenot far off, they departed.
The annoyance from these Indians was so great that it was decidedto leave the country. While the trappers were able to hold their ownagainst them, yet it was impossible to make much progress in takingfurs, when their attention was mainly taken up in fighting the warriors,who varied their shooting by destroying the traps that were set for thebeavers.
The next scene of operations was the North Fork of the Missouri wherethey had been engaged only a short time when they came upon an extensivevillage of Flathead Indians. These showed their friendliness to thetrappers by sending one of their chiefs and a number of warriors whohelped them hunt along the different streams.
The following spring Carson and a single companion set their trapsin the vicinity of Big Snake River. This was the country of the UtahIndians, who were well disposed towards the whites. Thus, while furswere plenty, the couple were enabled to devote their whole time totaking them, without fear of being fired upon every time they venturedout of sight of camp. As a consequence, they succeeded beyond their ownexpectations, and, making their way to the nearest post, sold the stockfor a fair sum.
The peltries were scarcely disposed of, when Carson organized anotherexpedition which visited the Grand River, over which they trapped untilwinter, when they returned to Brown's Hole, where Carson remained untilspring. Then he trapped once more in the land of the Utahs and at NewPark, taking their furs to the post where he was obliged to sell themfor a much less sum than he had ever received before.
The transaction had an important bearing on the fortunes of Kit Carson,for it was proof of an unpleasant truth that had been forcing itselffor a number of months upon him: the days of remunerative trapping wereended.
For years, the demand had been growing steadily less both in Europe andAmerica. The ingenuity of the manufacturer showed itself in the makeof cheaper substitutes, while the beavers that had been hunted sopersistently were becoming scarce: there were few regions in whichtrapping could be pursued with any success.
Nothing could be plainer, therefore, to Carson than the fact that hemust soon give up the business and engage in something else to gain alivelihood. What should it be?
Carson and several veteran trappers started for Bent's Fort, located onthe Arkansas, near an immense forest of cottonwoods, known as the BigTimbers. Messrs. Bent and St. Vrain, the proprietors, no sooner learnedthat Carson contemplated a change of occupation, than they offeredhim the position of hunter for the fort, his duties being to keep itsupplied with all the game that was required.
Carson was more willing to accept the offer than he would have beenunder other circumstances. He agreed that the large number of men shouldnever want for animal food, and, having given his promise, he kept itmost faithfully for a period of eight years.
This statement includes a great deal, for it means that his wonderfulrifle brought down thousands of deer, antelope, elk and bisons; that hetramped over hundreds of leagues of wilderness; that his splendidhealth never failed him, and that his knowledge of the woods and itsinhabitants was as full and complete as it could be.
Furthermore, it is stated by Dr. Peters, that during that entire period,not a single impatient word passed between Carson and his employers. Heattended to his duties with such regularity, promptness and skill thatthe only comments they could make on his work were in the nature ofstrong compliments.
Inasmuch as we have claimed that Carson was the superior in everyrespect of those with whom he was associated, we must dwell for a momenton this fact. Let the reader ask himself how many cases he knows wherethe term of service has been so long, in which not a single unkind wordhas passed between employer and employee.
His occupation as hunter was not monotonous, for where there were somany to provide for, difficult and dangerous work was required and thejourneys which he often made through the long stretches of wildernesswere sometimes attended with much personal danger.
But the surrounding tribes, including the Arapahoes, Kiowas, Cheyennes,Comanches and others, looked upon the great hunter with affectionateadmiration and no guest was more welcome and honored in their lodgesthan he.
The Life of Kit Carson: Hunter, Trapper, Guide, Indian Agent and Colonel U.S.A. Page 17
