CHAPTER XXXII.
The Wounded Herder--A Successful Pursuit--An Atrocious Plot--How it was Frustrated--Gratitude of the Gentlemen Whom Carson was the Means of Saving From Death.
Carson returned to his ranche where he spent the winter. One day inspring a wounded herder managed to reach the place with the news thathe and his companion, stationed a few miles away, had been attacked byApaches, who wounded both, and ran off all the horses and mules.
A squad of ten dragoons and a sergeant were on guard near Carson'sranche. They and three settlers, including Carson, started at once inpursuit. It was so late in the day that when they came to the placewhere the outrage had been committed, it was dark and they went intocamp; but they were astir at the earliest dawn, and soon striking thetrail of the thieves, put their animals to a keen gallop. Some twentymiles further, the Apaches were described a long distance away. As itwas upon the open prairie the contest at once resolved itself into anopen chase.
It was no time to spare the animals, whose rapid gait was increaseduntil it became a killing pace. The pursuers were steadily gaining, whenfour of their horses succumbed and their riders, much to their chagrin,were shut out from the impending fray. The others had no time to stop:they could simply shout goodbye to them and spur their steeds togreater exertions. Fortunately the pursuers were better mounted than thefugitives who numbered a full score. With a bravery characteristicof their tribe, they clung to their stolen property, preferring to beovertaken and forced into a fight rather than abandon it.
As soon as the parties were within rifle range, the battle beganand became of the most exciting character. The Apaches were splendidhorsemen and displayed great skill. They threw themselves on the farside of their steeds, firing from under the neck, and keeping theirbodies so well concealed that it was a difficult task to bring themdown.
But the white men were accustomed to that sort of work, and the Apacheslearned a lesson they never forgot. Five of their best warriors werekilled, several badly wounded and nearly all the animals recaptured. KitCarson directed every movement of his men and to that fact their greatsuccess was due.
The mountaineer was favored with prosperous times on his ranche. He anda companion drove fifty head of mules and horses to Fort Laramie,where they were disposed of at a liberal profit. The round journey ofa thousand miles was attended with much danger, but it was accomplishedwithout mishap.
He reached home just in time to learn that the Apaches had visited thelittle settlement and run off all the animals. But as enough soldierswere within call, a pursuit was soon organized and very nearly all thestock was recovered.
Some months later an officer of the United States Army in Taos learnedof a most atrocious plot that was on foot. Two wealthy gentlemen,travelling leisurely through that section of the country, had engaged anAmerican named Fox to hire enough men to escort them across the plains.This Fox was one of the most conscienceless wretches and desperadoesthat ever lived. He formed a scheme to murder the two gentlemen at acertain point on the plains and to divide their money among him and hiscompanions. Those whom he secured were taken into his confidence andagreed to the crime before hand.
Among those to whom he applied was a miscreant in Taos, who, for somereason, refused to go with him. However, he kept the secret untilsure the entire party were so far out on the plains that nothing couldprevent the perpetration of the crime. He then told it to severalassociates, one of whom made it known to the officer of whom we havespoken.
This gentleman was horrified, and uncertain what could be done, ifindeed he could do anything, hastened to Kit Carson, to whom he madeknown the story. The mountaineer listened eagerly, and, as soon as hegrasped the whole plot, declared there was reason to believe it was nottoo late to frustrate it. With that wonderful intuition which was such amarked characteristic of his nature, he fixed upon the very place whereit had been decided the crime was to be committed. Knowing the entireroute, it was easy to determine the spot most likely to be selected,which was more than two hundred miles distant. Instead, therefore, offollowing the trail, he struck directly across the open prairie by themost direct course to his destination.
Ten finely mounted dragoons accompanied, all ready for any deed ofdaring. The route led through a country where the Indians were veryhostile, but they were avoided with little difficulty. The second nightout, they came upon the encampment of a detachment of United Statestroops, whose captain volunteered to take twenty of his soldiers andhelp bring the desperadoes to justice.
The expedition was a complete success. They overtook the party at thevery spot fixed upon, and Fox was arrested before he suspected thebusiness of the strangers in camp. When the overthrow of the wretcheswas complete, the gentlemen were told the story. They were speechlessfor a moment and could not believe it; but the proof was complete, andthey turned pale at the thought of the fate they had escaped.
Their gratitude was unbounded. Taking the hand of Carson they begged himto name some reward he would accept, but the mountaineer shook his head.
"I am more than repaid in being able to help frustrate such a crime aswas contemplated; I cannot think of accepting anything of the kind youname."
The gentlemen, however, could not forget that under heaven, they owedtheir lives to Kit Carson. The following spring a couple of splendidrevolvers arrived at the mountaineer's ranche addressed to him.Beautifully engraved on them were a few sentences expressive of thefeelings of the donors and the special occasion which called forth thegift.
It is easy to understand how much more acceptable such anacknowledgement was to Kit Carson than any sum of money could have been.
Fox was lodged in jail, but though there was no doubt of his guilt inthe minds of every one, yet the meditated crime was so difficult toestablish that ultimately he was set free.
The Life of Kit Carson: Hunter, Trapper, Guide, Indian Agent and Colonel U.S.A. Page 32
