 CHAPTER XIII. OF THE LIFE OF KIT CARSON by EDWARD S. ELLIS. This Libervox recording is in the public domain. With the approach of cool weather, preparations were made for the fall hunt. When all was ready the trappers headed for the Yellowstone, which was reached without mishap, and they immediately set their traps. The country, as a rule, was a good one for those valuable animals. But the visitors were disappointed to learn they were unusually scarce. When it became evident that it was useless to work on the Yellowstone, they gathered up their traps and made their way to the big horn. But failing again, tried their fortunes on other rivers in the vicinity, with no better results. It was while engaged in this discouraging work that they met a trader belonging to the Hudson Bay Company. He had been pushing operations in every direction, but the stories he told were of the same general tenor as those of the larger party. He had been as unsuccessful in the way of trade as they had been in catching the fur-bearing animals. The Hudson Bay trader, however, was confident he could succeed where they had failed, and he made such liberal offers to Carson that he and several of his companions accepted them on the spot. The first point which they visited was the Humboldt River, from which had come reports of the abundance of beavers. They began near the headwaters of the stream, and carefully trapped down the Great Basin. Meeting with only moderate success, they made their way to the Big Snake River. After remaining there a considerable time, the party divided, the Hudson Bay trader and his friends going northward toward Fort Walla Walla, while Carson and the larger number set out for Fort Hall. The journey thither was one of the most distressing which Kit Carson ever undertook. The country through which most of the march led is one of the most dismal wastes on the American continent. Except in extent, a journey across it is similar to that of the parched caravans across the flaming sands of the Sahara. Carson and his companions were accustomed to all manner of privations, but more than once their endurance was tried to the utmost point. The trappers had gathered some nutritious routes upon which they managed to subsist for a time, but these soon gave out, and their situation grew desperate. When almost famishing, they bled their mules and drank the warm current. They would have killed one of the animals, but for the fact that they could not spare it, and as there was no calculating how long the others would last, they were afraid to take the step, which was likely to cripple them fatally. This strange source of nourishment served them for the time, but a repetition would endanger the lives of their animals, who were also in sore straits, and as much as the grass was not only poor, but very scanty. Matters rapidly grew worse, and soon became so desperate that Carson said they would have to kill one of their animals, or else lie down and perish themselves. At this trying crisis they discovered a band of Indians approaching. Perhaps the hapless situation in which all were placed left no room for enmity, for the red men showed a friendly disposition. The high hopes of Carson and his friends were chilled, when it was found that the Indians were in about as bad a plight as themselves. They had barely a mouthful of food among them, and when besought to barter with the whites they shook their heads. They had nothing to trade, and while they felt no hostility toward the suffering trappers, they gave them to understand they could not afford any help at all. But Carson had fixed his eyes on a plump old horse, and never did a shrewd new Englander apply himself more persistently to secure a prize than did he. Kitt's companions put forth all their powers of persuasion, but in vain, and they advised Carson that he was throwing away his efforts in attempting the impossible. But Carson succeeded, and when the equine was slaughtered and broiled, the trappers enjoyed one of the most delicious feasts of their lives. They filled themselves to repletion, and felt that the enjoyment it brought was almost worth the suffering they had undergone to obtain it. When their strength was recruited they resumed their journey, and a few days later reached Fort Hall. There they found abundance of food and received a cordial welcome. In a brief while they were as strong as ever and eager for any new enterprise. Hundreds of bison were in the neighborhood of the fort and Carson and his friends slew them by the score. Indeed they kept the post well supplied with fresh meat as long as they remained there. The animal almost universally known as the buffalo is miscalled, his correct name being the bison, of which there are droves numbering, it is said, as high as a hundred thousand. The flesh is held in high repute by hunters, and not only is nourishing but possesses the valuable quality of not cloying the appetite. The most delicate portion of the animal is the hump which gives the peculiar appearance to his back. That and the tongue and marrow bones are frequently the only portions made use of by the hunter. The hide answers many useful purposes. I'll know how much a buffalo robe is appreciated in wintry weather by those exposed to cold. It serves to form the Indians' tents, his bed, parts of his dress, and is sometimes made into a shield which will turn aside a rifle-ball that does not strike it fairly. Hundreds of thousands of bisons are killed annually, myriads of them in pure wantonness, and yet enormous droves may be encountered today in many portions of the West, where it is hard for the experienced hunters to detect any decrease in their numbers. Some of the methods employed to slay bisons are cruel in the extreme. Many a time a large herd has been stampeded in the direction of some precipice. When the leaders found themselves on the edge they have endeavored to recoil, but there was no stimming the tide behind them. The terrified animals literally pushed the leaders over the rocks and then tumbled upon them. In a little while the gully or stream would be choked with the furiously struggling creatures and hundreds would be killed within a few minutes. The bison is as fond as the hog of wallowing in mud. When he comes upon a marshy spot he lies down and rolls about until he has worn out a large and shallow excavation into which the water oozes through the damp soil. Lying down again he rolls and turns until he is plastered from head to tail with mud. Though it cannot be said that it adds to his attractiveness yet the coating no doubt serves well as a protection against the swarms of insects which are sometimes terrible enough to sting animals to death. Those who have viewed the scraggie specimens in the menageries and zoological gardens would scarcely suspect the activity and power of running possessed by them. The body is covered with such an abundance of hair that it looks larger than it really is while the legs appear smaller. But the bison not only can run swiftly but possess great endurance. They will often dash at full speed over ground so rough that the more graceful horse will stumble. When wounded by the hunters a bull will sometimes turn in desperation on his persecutor. Then unless the horse is well trained serious consequences are likely to follow. The plunging thrust of his stumpy horns perhaps rips open the steed sending the rider flying over the back of the furious bison who may turn upon him and slay him before he can escape. This rarely happens, however, the bison being a huge cowardly creature which prefers to run rather than fight. And a hunt of the game in these days often takes the character of wholesale butchery in which no true sportsmen would engage. CHAPTER XIV. OF THE LIFE OF KIT CARSON by Edward S. Ellis. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. A singular occurrence took place a few nights after the return of Carson and his friends from an extended bison hunt. Their horses and mules were corralled near the post and a sentinel was on duty at all hours of the night to prevent the animals being stolen by the Indians who were always prowling through the neighborhood. In the dim, uncertain light, just beyond midnight, the sentinel saw two men walk forward from the darkness and without any appearance of haste let down the bars and drive out the stock. Very naturally he concluded they were his friends who intended to take out the animals to graze. As there was nothing more for him to do, he sought his quarters, lay down, and went to sleep. In the morning not a horse or a mule was to be found. The two individuals who had let down the bars and driven them out were black-feet Indians whose complete success was due to their amazing audacity. Had they shown any hesitation or haste the suspicions of the sentinel would have been aroused. But when the truth became known he was the most astonished man at the fort. The hunters were in a most sorry plight, for the black-feet having made a clean sweep they were without the means of pursuing and recovering their property. The parties who belonged at the fort had suffered a somewhat similar trick a short time before from the same tribe so that only a few rickety horses remained in their possession. Under the circumstances the trappers were compelled to accept their misfortune with grim philosophy and await the arrival of the rest of the party who had promised to rejoin them after completing their business at Fort Walla Walla. Sure enough a few weeks later their friends appeared and providentially, indeed, they brought with them an extra supply of excellent horses. The trappers were in overflowing spirits once more and soon started for the general rendezvous on Green River. Other trappers continued to arrive for a number of days until about all that were expected had come. Trade and barter had began and lasted some three weeks. The scene was picturesque and stirring and there was much handshaking and pleasant wishes when the time came to separate. Kit Carson left the employee of the Hudson Bay Company trader and attached himself to a party numbering fully a hundred who had determined to trap along the Yellowstone. It will be recalled that Carson once quit a company of trappers because it was too large and it may be wondered why he should join one that was still more numerous. The reason he did so was because they were going into the very heart of the Black Foot country. They had suffered so much from these daring marauders that they knew there would be no safety unless they went in strong force. Furthermore, the Whites had so many old scores to settle with those redskins that they meant to invite attack from them. If the Black Feet would only offer the opportunity for battle, the trappers meant to give them their fill. The formidable company arranged matters according to a system, dividing into equal parties the duty of one was made to trap beaver while the other furnished food and guarded the property. By this means they would always be in shape to meet their sworn foes while the real business which brought them into the country would not be neglected. The hunters were confident they would not be left alone very long. The Black Feet would resent the invasion of their hunting grounds and to say the least would take measures to prevent the time hanging heavily on the hands of the palefaces. But to the astonishment of the trappers the days passed without bringing a glimpse of the savages. No hostile shot awoke the impressive stillness of the wilderness. Could it be the Black Feet were seeking to throw the Whites off their guard? Did they expect to induce a degree of carelessness that would enable the Black Feet to gather their warriors and overwhelm them before they could reply? It was not reasonable to suppose that the sagacious tribe held any such belief, for they could not have failed to know that any such hope was idle. But the explanation came one day by a party of friendly Crow Indians who stated that the smallpox was raging with such awful virulence among the Black Feet that they were dying by hundreds and thousands. Indeed the havoc was so dreadful that there was reason to believe the whole tribe would be swept away. It would not be the first time that such an annihilation had taken place among the American Indians. The treatment required by that frightful disease is precisely the opposite of that which the Red Man, in his ignorance, pursues. When smallpox breaks out among them therefore the mortality becomes appalling. The Crow Indians affiliated with the trappers and guided them to a secluded valley where they established themselves for the winter. The lodges were made strong and substantial, and it was fortunate that such precautions were taken, for the winter proved one of the severest known for many years. With their abundance of fuel they kept enormous fires going and passed the days and nights in comparative comfort. But it was far different with their stock. During the severe weather the only food that could be obtained was the bark of the cottonwood. The inner lining of this is quite palatable to animals and in cases of extremity it affords temporary sustenance to men. With its help actual starvation was kept away, though it came very close. Unusual weather always brings unusual experience and the intense cold developed an annoyance to the trappers upon which they had not counted. The difficulty of finding food was felt by the wild animals as well as domestic, and the bison's became desperate. When they saw the horses eating their fodder they rushed forward and with lowered heads drove them away. If a horse or mule refused he was likely to be gored to death. The beasts finally became so numerous and fierce they would have killed all the stock of our friends if they had not kindled large fires and mounted constant guard. When the weather moderated those annoyances ended. Had any explorer of the West found his way to the secluded valley where the trappers were in winter quarters he would have looked upon a striking scene. The Crow Indians and white men engaged in numerous athletic sports and friendly rivalry. They maintained the best of terms and when the bison's departed the strange community enjoyed themselves far better than would be supposed. In truth where they were favored with such rugged health and where they had plenty of food and comfortable quarters it would have been remarkable had they not been comparatively happy. They were not disturbed by political discussions or diversity of views on any public questions and were satisfied that the glorious union was safe without any worryment on their part. When spring came two of their party were sent to Fort Laramie to procure needed supplies. They went off well-mounted and armed and were never heard of again. Somewhere in the recesses of the forest or mountain the Black Feet had probably killed them as they had done with many a brave man before and as they have done with multitudes since. When it became certain the messengers had been slain the company began the spring hunt without them. After trapping a brief while on the Yellowstone they worked their way to the headwaters of the Missouri. They met with fair success and while engaged in that section learned that the reports of the ravages of the smallpox among the Black Feet had been greatly exaggerated. Instead of being decimated the tribe had not suffered to any serious extent and were as strong and aggressive as ever. The trappers were not displeased to learn that such was the case for they desired a settlement of accounts with them. Under such circumstances it was impossible that hostilities should be long delayed. CHAPTER XV of the Life of Kit Carson by Edward S. Ellis This Libervox recording is in the public domain. When near the headwaters of the Missouri the trappers discovered they were approaching the principal village of the Black Feet. They determined to attack and punish the Indians who had caused them so much trouble and suffering. But the Whites were so numerous and powerful that extreme care was necessary to prevent their presence becoming known. When a number of miles from the village the trappers came to a halt and Kit Carson with several men was sent forward to recon order. With extreme caution they made their way to a point from which they could overlook the village. A glance showed the Indians hurriedly making ready to move elsewhere. The shrewd red men had discovered their danger before their enemies caught sight of them. Carson galloped back as rapidly as he could and made known what he had seen. A council was hastily called, and about half the company advanced to give the Black Feet battle. Kit Carson, as might be supposed, was made the leader. The others were to guard the property, advance slowly, and act as reserve which could be hurried forward should it become necessary. As agreed upon Kit Carson galloped ahead and the moment his men came inside of the village they dashed through it, killing a number of warriors. The others slowly fell back, fighting as they went, and without showing the least panic. They received charge after charge of the White Men, with the steadiness of veterans. By and by the eagerness of the trappers reduced their ammunition and their firing became less destructive. The Black Feet were quick to perceive the cause, and in turn they charged upon their assailants, who became immediately involved in a desperate hand-to-hand fight. It was then the small arms in the possession of the Whites played their part. They were used with such effect that the fierce warriors were compelled once more to retreat. But the courageous red men recoiled a short distance only when they halted and then with exultant yells dash toward the trappers, who despite all they could do were forced back until it looked as if the whole party would be overwhelmed and destroyed. On this retreat one of the horses belonging to the hunters was shot and plunged to the ground so suddenly that his rider was caught before he could spring from the saddle. Several of the warriors were quick to perceive his sore straits and dash toward him eager to secure his scalp. The poor fellow struggled desperately but could not extricate himself, and his expression of horrified despair when he perceived the fierce red men running a race with each other to reach him would have melted the heart of almost any one. Carson was several rods distant, but seeing the danger of his friend he bounded out of his saddle and shouted to the others to rally to the defense of their imperiled comrade. Kit raced his rifle while on the run and shot the leading warrior dead. The other Whites were so close behind that the remaining black feet whirled and ran for their lives. Several of them were shot down before they could reach the shelter off the rocks from behind which they sprang after the fallen white man. Carson's devotion to his friend now placed him in an unpleasant, if not dangerous situation. His steed being without restraint galloped off beyond his reach, and the commander was thus left on foot when there was urgent need that he should be mounted. Meanwhile the Mountaineer who was caught under the body of his horse was struggling desperately to withdraw his imprisoned leg for there was no saying when the black feet would be upon him again. He succeeded at last and standing upon his feet shook himself together as may be said and he found that though pretty badly bruised no bones were broken and he was able to do his full part in the serious duty before him. The exciting episode benefited the trappers in one respect. It served to check the seemingly resistless rush of the black feet and gave the others a chance to rally and fix upon some course of action. Carson ran rapidly toward the nearest horseman and sprang upon the back of his animal behind him. The steed was forced to his best and speedily joined the main body a short distance off. It was fortunate that just at that moment there came a lull in the furious fighting else Carson could scarcely have escaped so well. The runaway horse was pursued by one of the Mountaineers who finally cornered and brought him back to their leader. The black feet did not follow the whites nor did the latter return to their charge against them. Both parties had gained a thorough taste of each other's medal and the conclusion reached was like that of two trained pugilists. Their strength was so nearly equal that neither could afford to throw away his advantage by leading in the assault. Undoubtedly Carson and his men would have withdrawn but for the hope that the reserves were close at hand. The trappers had fought valiantly but not more so than the Indians who still possessed plenty ammunition while that of the whites was nearly exhausted. Had they advanced and encountered the warriors again the latter would have swept everything before them. As it was the Mountaineers were by no means safe even when acting on the defensive. If the Redmen should charge upon them with their old-time fierceness it was by no means certain they would not destroy the whites. The fight would necessarily be of the most sanguinary nature but when guns and small arms were useless for lack of ammunition nothing short of a miracle could save them from annihilation. The battle hours had gone and Carson and his men wondered what could delay the reserves. Time always passes slowly to those in waiting and to some of the hunters the tardiness of their friends was unaccountable. Carson was on the point of sending messengers back to hurry them forward when the whole party appeared and the situation changed. But those who expected the Blackfeet to flee and panic when they observed the doubling of the assailing forces were much mistaken. The feeling among the Indians could not be described as in the least panicky. They quietly surveyed the new arrivals and prepared with the coolness of veterans for the conflict that was sure to come within the next few minutes. The powder was distributed among the trappers who were more eager than ever to attack their old enemies who were as ready as they for the conflict. Nearly two hundred yards separated the combatants when the Mountaineers, leaving their horses behind, advanced on foot. The Blackfeet stationed themselves behind rocks and trees and defiantly awaited the attack. In a few minutes the most savage fight of the day was raging. A hundred rifles were flashing in every direction and the yells of the Redmen mingled with the shouts of the excited Mountaineers. As the warriors had used every means to shelter themselves it was necessary to dislodge them before they could be driven back. Without remaining together in a compact mass the trappers made for them with the fierceness of tigers. The result of this charge were a number of remarkable combats. A hunter would dash at a warrior crouching behind some rock and the two would begin dodging, advancing, retreating, firing, striking, and maneuvering against each other. Sometimes one would succeed and sometimes the other. The Blackfeet finding the situation becoming too hot would break for other cover and probably would be shot on the run or would escape altogether. Again it would be the white man who would be just a second too late in discharging his gun and would pay the penalty with his life. At last the Indians began falling back and the Mountaineers pushing them hard they finally broke and fled in a wild panic, leaving many dead behind them. On the part of the trappers three had been killed and quite a number badly wounded. CHAPTER XVI. The fight between the Blackfeet and trappers was one of the most important in which Kit Carson, previous to the late war, was ever engaged. The forces must have included several hundred and the lesson administered to the aggressive red men was remembered by them a long time. After burying their dead, licking after the wounded and setting matters to right, the hunters resumed trapping through the Blackfeet country. They were scarcely disturbed by their old enemies who dreaded rousing the resentment of such a formidable body of daring and unerring marksmen. Our friends were very successful and when they made their way to the rendezvous a week's journey away they carried with them any mint stock of peltries. When the trading was finished the parties made new combinations and departed in different directions. Instead of attaching himself to a large company Kit Carson and Seven Choice Spirits started for a trading post known at that time as Brown's Hole. They reached there just in time for the leader to join an expedition numbering only two beside himself which went into the Navajo country for purposes of barter. The venture proved a great success and Carson drifted back again to Brown's Hole. There such liberal offers were made him to serve as hunter for the fort that he accepted and entered upon his rather singular but exceedingly congenial duties. These, as the reader must know, simply consisted of keeping the garrison supplied with all the meat they needed. Though the country was noted for its fine game it required much time, skill, and patience for Carson to make sure that none of the vigorous appetites at the post suffered. No one could have done better and very few as well as he. When Spring came and he gave up his position he was complimented by those whom he left behind on the admirable manner in which he had met all requirements. During those years there was much similarity in the life and experience of Kit Carson. He had become known all through the West and Southwest as the most daring, sagacious, and brilliant leader in that country. His services were in demand wherever he went, and as he was in the enjoyment of perfect health, overrunning with life and activity, he made money rapidly and showed his wisdom by laying aside a respectable sum for a rainy day. In the Spring following his engagement at Brown's Hole he went with a small party to the Black Hills where they were quite successful in hunting. Later in the summer they joined the main body of trappers on Green River, all meeting at the General Rendezvous on a branch of the Wind River. Still later the majority of the trappers went into winter quarters on the Yellowstone. They were again in the country of their bitter enemies, the Blackfeet, and were certain of a fight with them, but several months passed without molestation. One day, however, several of the trappers who were making the rounds off the traps came upon signs which showed they were close to a strong force of the Blackfeet. The men lost no time in hurrying back to camp with the news where it was agreed that trouble was at hand. Forty men were selected at once to hunt out the Indians and engage them in battle. It goes without saying that Kit Carson was made the leader and there was not a moment's unnecessary delay in starting out to find the enemy. They were successful in their search. They suddenly found themselves in the presence of a scouting party who were undoubtedly looking for them. But perceiving the strength of the Whites they began retreating. Carson and his men pressed them hotly when, as anticipated, they fell back on the main body and one of the old-fashioned battles between trappers and Indians began. The Blackfeet always fight bravely and for a time they held their ground well, but they were forced to give way and retire to a small island in the Yellowstone where they had thrown up rude fortifications and fell able to hold their own against a much superior force. Darkness closed in upon the contending forces and the assailant ceased firing and encamped for the night on the bank of the river. They were on the key-vieve through the still hours and so eager for the attack that with the earliest streakings of light in the east they plunged into the stream and made for the barricades. It was not to be supposed that the Blackfeet would be taken off their guard and the trappers expected to reach the defenses through a hot fuselage from the dusky defenders. To their surprise, however, not a single gun was discharged and they rushed pale-mell over the rugged fortifications to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand conflict. To their chagrin, however, not a solitary Blackfoot was visible. Despite the watchfulness of the Whitemen, the entire Indian force had withdrawn during the night without arousing the least suspicion on the part of the watchers. But the trappers were too wise to misconstrue the action of the Blackfeet. Their withdrawal was a strategic movement and did not by any means signify they were afraid of the large force or that they would prefer not to molest them. The signs around the fortifications showed that the Indians had suffered severely and they would never content themselves until full retaliation had been made. The trappers returned to camp where a long council was held. The conclusion was that the Blackfoot village was nearby and when they learned of the severe punishment received by the scouting party they would lose no time in entering upon a campaign of revenge. As the Blackfeet nation included several thousand warriors there was reason to fear they would overwhelm the trappers despite their bravery and skill. Barricades were thrown up and the best men stationed as sentinels. One of them hastened to the top of an adjoining hill which commanded an extensive view of the surrounding country. The sentinel had been in position but a short time when he signaled to his friends the approach of a large body of Indians. The hunters immediately began strengthening their defenses and before the Redskin arrived they had rendered their position almost impregnable against any force that could be gathered in the country. As the Blackfeet approached the sentinel hurried down from the hill and joined the main body. Shortly after the advanced party of Blackfeet came in sight and made a reconnaissance which apprised them of the nature of the defenses. They did not fire a shot but waited until the arrival of the main band. When that came in sight it was enough to strike dismay into every heart. There were few if any less than a thousand warriors. Dr. Peters, the biographer of Carson, says, it was a night which few white men of the American nation have looked upon. Arrayed in their fantastic war costume and bedobbed with paint, armed with lances, bows, and arrows, rifles, tomahawks, knives, et cetera, some mounted and some on foot, they presented a wild and fearful scene of barbaric fancy. Soon after their last company had reported the frightful war dance, peculiar to the American savages, was enacted inside of the trappers' position. The battle-songs and shouts which accompanied the dance reached the ears of the whites with fearful distinctness. Any other than hearts of oak with courage of steel would have quailed before this terrible display of savage enmity and ferocity. This dance, to men well skilled in the ways of the Indian warrior, was a sure signal that the next day would be certain to have a fearful history for one party or the other, and doubtless for both. The odds most assuredly were apparently greatly in favour of the savage host and against the little band of hardy mountaineers. CHAPTER 17 OF THE LIFE OF KIT CARSON by EDWARD S. ELLIS Having gone through what the red men consider the necessary preliminaries of such a grand campaign, the vast number of warriors awaited the dawn that was to witness the annihilation of the entire force that had dared to venture upon their hunting grounds without so much as asking permission. It was scarcely light when the imposing array advanced upon the mountaineers who coolly awaited their approach. When the black feet came close enough to see the fortifications thrown up by the whites they were astonished. They knew from previous experience the strength of such means of defence and suddenly lost their eagerness to make the attack. After a full survey of the work before them they concluded the task was beyond accomplishment. The magnificent force therefore began withdrawing. It was the turn of the trappers to feel disappointed. They had not thought of any such issue and were enraged. They shouted and made tantalising gestures to the black feet in the hope of goading them to stand their ground, but they were too wise to do so. They retreated to a safe point where a council of war was held. It was not to be expected that after such an abrupt withdrawal they could summon enough courage 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 own village while the others set their faces toward the Crow country. Uncertain whether they would not reappear when they believed there was hope of surprising the mountaineers, the latter maintained their vigilance day and night. It may have been that the Redmen made several reconnances, but if so they concluded it would be imprudent to attack the mountaineers, who held their position and continued trapping as opportunity presented through the winter. After trapping in various localities, Kit Carson and several friends visited Fort Hall, where they joined a party in the employ of the Northwest Fur Company. They trapped around the head of Salmon River and other streams and finally returned to Fort Hall where the peltries were sold for a fair valuation. Then Carson and a few others set out to join a party which he knew was trapping in the Blackfoot country. Upon coming up with them he was told that they had had several sharp skirmishes with the Indians, in one of which a trapper was severely wounded. The following morning Carson and his comrades parted from the rest and were trapping slowly upstream, when they were fired upon by Blackfeet and compelled to retreat. They hurried back and succeeded in escaping a serious danger, but the pursuit was so close that Carson hastily stationed his men in ambush. A hot fire dropped several of the warriors and caused the others to hesitate. The hot was just long enough to allow the trappers to reload their pieces, when the Blackfeet made a fiercer rush than before. But with that pertinacious courage for which the tribe is noted, they kept up the fight through the rest of the day, determined to throw away no advantage they might gain. Had Carson chosen his position with less judgment, he and his command must have been overwhelmed, for nothing could have exceeded the daring of their assailants, who in their desperation set fire 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 useless to strive further, and learning that the main body of the trappers were not far off, they departed. The annoyance from these Indians was so great that it was decided to leave the country. While the trappers were able to hold their own against them, yet it was impossible to make much progress in taking furs when their attention was mainly taken up in fighting the warriors, who varied their shooting by destroying the traps that were set for the beavers. The next scene of operations was the North Fork of the Missouri where they had been engaged only a short time when they came upon an extensive village of flathead Indians. These showed their friendliness to the trappers by sending one of their chiefs and a number of warriors who helped them hunt along the different streams. The following spring, Carson and a single companion set their traps in the vicinity of Big Snake River. This was the country of the Utah Indians who were well-disposed towards the Whites. Thus, while furs were plenty, the couple were unable to devote their whole time to taking them, without fear of being fired upon every time they ventured out of sight of camp. As a consequence, they succeeded beyond their own expectations and, making their way to the nearest post, sold the stock for a fair sum. The peltries were scarcely disposed of when Carson organized another expedition which visited the Grand River, over which they trapped until winter when they returned to Brown's Hole where Carson remained until spring. Then he trapped once more in the land of the Utas and at New Park, taking their furs to the post where he was obliged to sell them for 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 enforcing itself for a number of months upon him. The days of remunerative trapping were ended. For years the demand had been growing steadily less, both in Europe and America. The ingenuity of the manufacturer showed itself in the make of cheaper substitutes, while the beavers that had been hunted so persistently were becoming scarce. There were few regions in which trapping could be pursued with any success. Nothing could be planer therefore to Carson than the fact that he must soon give up the business and engage in something else to gain a livelihood. What should it be? Carson and several veteran trappers started for Bent's Fort, located on the Arkansas, near an immense forest of cottonwoods, known as the Big Tempers. Missures Bent and St. Rain, the proprietors, no sooner learned that Carson contemplated a change of occupation than they offered him the position of hunter for the fort, his duties being to keep it supplied with all the game that was required. Carson was more than willing to accept the offer than he would have been under other circumstances. He agreed that the large number of men should never want for animal food, and having given his promise he kept it most faithfully for a period of eight years. This statement includes a great deal, for it means that his wonderful rifle brought down thousands of deer, antelope, elk, and bisons, that he trumped over hundreds of leagues of wilderness, that his splendid health never failed him, and that his knowledge of the woods and its inhabitants 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, he attended to his duties with such regularity, promptness, and skill, that the only comments they could make on his work were in the nature of strong compliments. In as much as we have claimed that Carson was the superior in every respect of those with whom he was associated, we must dwell for a moment on this fact. Let the reader ask himself how many cases he knows where the term of service has been so long, in which not a single unkind word has passed between employer and employee. His occupation as hunter was not monotonous, for where there were so many to provide for, difficult and dangerous work was required, and the journeys which he often made through the long stretches of wilderness were sometimes attended with much personal danger. But the surrounding tribes, including the Arapahos, Kiowas, Cheyennes, Comanches, and others, looked upon the great hunter with affectionate admiration, and no guest was more welcome and honoured in their lodges than he. CHAPTER XVIII of the Life of Kit Carson by Edward S. Ellis Kit Carson had left his home in Missouri when only a boy, and he was now in the prime of a vigorous young manhood. The years since he turned his back upon his old home had been busy and eventful ones, and now, as is often the case with those placed as he was, he longed to visit the scenes of his childhood and to meet and shake the hands of those of his old friends who were still among the living. In the spring of 1842 Carson went eastward with a train of wagons carrying goods to the States. When the borders of Missouri were reached he bade his companions goodbye and made his way back to his old home. His experience was touching. His parents were dead. The old building which would ever linger in his memory had tumbled down, and nearly everyone he met was a stranger. The cheeks of the hearty mountaineer were wet with tears, and with a sigh he turned his face away forever. Carson had never seen a large city, and he made his way to St. Louis where he spent more than a week in sightseeing. Before the end of that time the old yearning for the mountains, prairies, and streams of the West came back to him, and he engaged passage on a steamer up the Missouri. On the same boat John C. Fremont was a passenger. He was two years younger than Carson and had been commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Topographical Engineers in 1838. Four years later he projected a geographical survey of the entire territory of the United States from the Missouri to the Pacific. Carson was attracted by the fine, manly, and intellectual appearance of Fremont, and learning he was in search of a skillful mountaineer he introduced himself, referring in a modest fashion to his experience in the West, and expressing the belief that he could be of service to the explorer. Fremont was an excellent judge of character, and was favorably impressed with Carson from the first. The answers to the inquiries which he made concerning the famous guide and mountaineer were satisfactory in the highest degree. He engaged Carson as his guide, agreeing to pay him a salary of one hundred dollars a month. The party of explorers were mainly gathered in St. Louis. It was composed mostly of Creole and Canadian voyagers, Charles Proust, a learned German, a young son of Colonel Benton, which statesman was the father-in-law of Fremont. Several other friends, including a noted mountaineer named Maxwell, who was employed as the hunter of the party. Including the commander, the entire company numbered twenty-eight. With this party of explorers, Fremont ascended the Missouri until the mouth of the Kansas was reached, when they disembarked and made their preparations for the long and dangerous journey before them. The march westward began June 10, 1842. The course lay along the banks of the Kansas. All the party were well armed and well mounted, accepting eight men, each of whom drove a cart drawn by two mules. These carts contained the stores, baggage, and instruments of the expedition. A number of spare horses were taken along so as to provide against loss in that respect. In addition, they had four oxen intended to serve as a reserve in the event of provisions running short. It was the custom to arouse the camp at daybreak and turn out the animals to graze. Breakfast followed and the march was begun. The noon-hot lasted from one to two hours and the afternoon's march ended a short time before sunset. The tents were then pitched, horses hobbled and turned out to graze, and the evening meal prepared. When it became dark all the animals were brought in and picketed. The carts arranged so as to serve as barricades and guard-mounted. An Indian guy conducted the expedition for the first forty miles along the Kansas when he departed and the responsibility was turned over to Carson. The pilot had guided the steamer out of the harbor and upon the great ocean and henceforth the hand of Carson was to be at the helm. The soil over which they journeyed for many miles was of the most fertile character. Numbers of Indian farms were seen and one could not but reflect on the possibilities of the future for the red man who should abandon war and give his energies to the cultivation of the ground. Such an expedition could not go far without a taste of the trials that awaited them. On the second night the four spare horses seemed to become disgusted with the whole enterprise and turning their heads eastward started on a rapid gallop for the states. Their loss was too serious to be born and a number of men were dispatched in pursuit. The chase was a long one and the animals were not recovered for several hours. One of the men lost his way and was forced to spend the night on the open prairie. At midnight it began to rain and then the exceedingly unpleasant discovery was made that the tents on which the explorers relied for protection and shelter were so thin that they were drenched as if the water came through a sieve. The morning however brought clear weather and bright sunlight and all were in high spirits. The scenery for a time was of a pleasing and picturesque character and they pushed contentedly forward until they reached the fort of the Kansas, one hundred miles from the point where it emptied into the Missouri. The stream was found so swollen from recent rains that it could not be forwarded. Accordingly several of the mounted men forced their animals into the stream and swam them across to serve as guides for the rest. They succeeded quite well, accepting the oxen which after floundering a while landed on the same side from which they started. The following morning they succeeded in crossing. Among the useful articles with which Fremont had provided himself was an India rubber boat, twenty feet long and five feet wide. This was very buoyant and the carts and baggage were carried over piecemeal in it, with the exception of the last two carts. Layed in with these the boat left the shore but had not gone far when the man at the helm who was exceedingly nervous managed to capsize the craft with all its precious cargo. The hunters were so dismayed over the prospect of losing their stores that nearly all plunged into the stream and made frantic efforts to save what they could. Several did not stop to remember that they could not swim so that the principal efforts of some of the others were directed to saving them. Most of the goods were recovered but nearly all the sugar dissolved and every grain of coffee was lost. It would be hard to imagine any deprivation greater than that to which this misfortune condemned the explorers. Carson and one of the others made such strenuous efforts in the water that they were ill the next day and Fremont remained in camp for twenty-four hours with the view of giving them time to recruit. The journey westward progressed without any special incident. A large party of immigrants on their way to Oregon were several weeks in advance of the explorers. Bad fortune seemed to have followed them from the start and numerous freshly made graves were seen. One of the immigrants who had been peculiarly unfortunate came into camp with a hunter on his way home. He took charge of the letters which the explorers desired to send to their families. The party soon reached the Pawnee country where they were forced to unusual villagents for those Indians have long been noted as most persistent horse thieves. Game was abundant. Large flocks of wild turkeys were found roosting in the trees along the streams. Elk, antelope, and deer were plentiful and as for bison they were beyond all computation. One day a member of the company happened to be riding at the rear galloped up in hot haste shouting, Indians. He declared that he had seen them distinctly and counted twenty-seven. An immediate halt was called and Carson leaping on one of the fleetiest horses crossed the river and galloped over the prairie. Mounted on a fine horse without a saddle, says Fremont, and scouring bareheaded over the prairies, Kitt was one of the finest pictures of a horseman I have ever seen. He soon returned quite leisurely and informed them that the party of twenty-seven Indians had resolved itself into a herd of six elk who having discovered us had scampered off at full speed. Fremont and his party, after travelling something over three hundred miles from the mouth of the Kansas, reached the Platte River, where they encamped in a charming place near Grand Island. The country was most beautiful, though they suffered somewhat from the violent storms which frequently broke over them. The noon halt was made and all were lounging about the camp when one of the men on guard called an alarm. Everybody sprang to his feet and grasped his rifle, expecting an attack from Indians. A strange, wild-looking company were seen approaching, but as they came closer they were discovered to be white men. They were a striking sight, numbering fourteen, in the most ragged and woe-begone condition imaginable. They had been on a trapping expedition, but having met with nothing but disasters from the beginning were now straggling back to St. Louis on foot. The explorers proceeded at a leisurely pace that day and having gone into camp observed three Indians drawing near, one of whom was a boy about a dozen years of age. They were Cheyennes that had been out among the Poneese to still horses, but having met with no success were returning home. Catching sight of the white men they unhesitatingly entered camp, confident of being treated well, as, of course, proof to be the case. After supper one of the warriors drew a rude but correct map of the country around them and gave it to Fremont. On the first of July, while riding over a delightful prairie country, on the right bank of the river a herd of buffaloes numbering nearly a thousand came up from the water and began slowly crossing the plain, cropping the grass as they went. As the prairie was three miles broad only, a fine opportunity was given the hunters to charge before the animals could scatter among the hills. The fleetiest horses were quickly saddled and Carson, Fremont, and Maxwell prepared for the chase. By that time the herd was a half mile away and they did not notice the hunters until they were within three hundred yards. Then followed an agitation of the animals, quickly followed by their precipitate flight. The horses dashed after them. A crowd of bulls brought up the rear, they having stationed themselves there to defend the females. Every once in a while they would whirl about and stare, snorting at the horsemen, as if they had made up their minds to fight. But when the hunters came nigher they turned about and plunged after the herd. Describing the exciting incident Fremont wrote, quote, in a few moments during which we had been quickening our pace we were going over the ground like a hurricane. When at about thirty yards we gave the usual shout and broke into the herd. We entered on the side, the mass giving away in every direction in their heedless course. Many of the bulls less fleet than the cows paying no heed to the ground and occupied solely with the hunters were precipitated to the earth with great force, rolling over and over with the violence of the shock, and hardly distinguishable in the dust. We separated on entering, each singling out his game. My horse was a trained hunter, famous in the west under the name of Pravo, and with his eyes flashing and the foam flying from his mouth he sprang on after the cow like a tiger. In a few moments he brought me alongside her. Rising in the stirrups I fired at the distance of a yard, the ball entering at the determination of the long hair passing near the heart. She fell head long at the report of the gun. Checking my horse I looked around for my companions. At a little distance Kitt was on the ground engaged in tying his horse to the horns of a cow which he was preparing to cut up. Among the scattered band at some distance I caught a glimpse of Maxwell. While I was looking a light wreath of white smoke curled away from his gun, from which I was too far to hear the report. Near and between me and the hills toward which they were directing their course was the body of the herd. Giving my horse the rain we dashed after them. A thick cloud of dust hung upon their rear which filled my mouth and eyes and nearly smothered me. In the midst of this I could see nothing and the buffaloes were not distinguishable until within thirty feet. They crowded together more densely still as I came upon them and rushed along in such a compact body that I could not obtain an entrance, the horse almost leaping upon them. In a few moments the mass divided to the right and left, the horns clattering with the noise heard above everything else, and my horse started into the opening. Five or six bulls charged on us as we dashed along the line, but were left far behind. Singling out a cow I gave her my fire, but struck too high. She gave a tremendous leap and scoured on swifter than before. I rained up my horse and the band swept on like a torrent and left the place quiet and clear. Our chase had led us into dangerous ground. A prairie dog village, so thickly settled that there were three or four holes in twenty yards square, occupied the whole bottom for nearly two miles in length. The stirring buffalo hunt ended, the company advanced over the prairie for more than twenty miles and encamped on the banks of a stream where they enjoyed a fine feast on choice bison steaks. While they were thus employed the wolves were attracted thither by the smell of broiling meat and proud around camp, licking their chops, impatient for the time when they would be permitted to gorge themselves upon what should be left. For several days there was little variation in the experience of the explorers and no special incident took place. At the junction of the north and south fork of the plat, Fremont, who wished to explore the south branch and to secure some astronomical observations, set out with nine men intending to advance to St. Brains Fort, where he was hopeful of obtaining some mules. The rest of the party followed the north fort to Fort Laramie where it was agreed they would wait for the others to join them. Fremont's experience in going up the south branch was in strong contrast to the pleasant scenes of the previous. It was mid-summer and the weather was suffocatingly hot, fierce storms of wind and gusts of rain swept the country, while the bison were everywhere. They literally numbered hundreds of thousands and looking whatsoever direction the men chose they were sure to see the huge creatures cropping the grass or lumbering across the prairie. On the fourth day a band of three hundred mounted Indians suddenly appeared. The chief proved to be an old acquaintance of Maxwell and showed genuine pleasure in meeting him. They shook hands and the sachem conducted the little party to his village where they received most hospitable treatment. Resuming their journey they encamped in a cottonwood grove in a chilly drizzling rain. The next morning dawned bright and clear and they caught their first glimpse of the rocky mountains. They gazed long on the snowy peaks outlined in the far distance like fleecy clouds against the blue sky. St. Brain's fort was reached on the tenth day. They were made welcome by Mr. St. Brain who was much interested in the expedition westward and did everything he could to assist Lieutenant Fremont in the enterprise. The needed horses and mules were secured and three men were hired to accompany them across the country of Fort Laramie. This station was a hundred and twenty-five miles distant and the new hands engaged as a matter of course were so familiar with it that there was no possibility of going astray. The journey was resumed on the second day after reaching the fort and without meeting with any particular incident they arrived at their destination three days later. Fort Laramie at that time was one of the most important posts of the far west. It had large bastions at the corners and its high walls were whitewashed and picketed. Several lodges of suit Indians were pitched close by and the division under charge of Kit Carson having arrived several days before had also gone into camp with the appearance of the commander of the expedition. End of Chapter 19 Chapter 20 of the Life of Kit Carson by Edward S. Ellis This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Alarming news awaited Fremont at Fort Laramie. A number of trappers informed them that the Sioux, through whose country their route lay, were excited to exasperation by several recent conflicts with hunters in which the red men were worsted. The Sioux warriors were gathered in large numbers and would attack any white men who ventured beyond the fort. They had already massacred a number and it was impossible for Fremont and his party to get through without a battle in which they were likely to be overwhelmed. Carson looked upon the situation as so serious that he made his will and left it at the fort. When consulted by Fremont he said he considered the prospect full of peril but he was ready to go the moment required. The commander was confident, the danger was greatly exaggerated, and without much misgiving he resumed his journey westward, following up the north fork of the Platte. Game and water were found and at the end of three weeks they arrived at the south pass of the Rocky Mountains without having exchanged a shot with the red men on the way. They had now reached their destination and Lieutenant Fremont at once began his observations. When they were concluded he undertook the ascent of the highest mountain peak. The situation was anything but encouraging. They were in the country of the hostile black feet, some of whom were observed hovering in the vicinity. Men and animals were worn out and it was hard to procure a game. But the ascent was begun, Fremont taking fourteen men with him. Those who were left in camp erected a rude but strong fort behind which they were confident they could sustain themselves against any force the Indians were likely to muster. The ascent of the mountain was laborious in the extreme. Kit Carson climbed to one of the loftiest peaks from which he gained a full view of the very highest elevation. The next day Fremont sent Carson and several of the men back. He unquestionably intended that no one should share with him the honour of climbing the most elevated point. This exploit is worthy of description at the hands of the Pathfinder himself. At intervals we reached places where a number of springs gushed from the rocks and about eighteen hundred feet above the lakes came the snow line. From this point our progress was uninterrupted climbing. Hitherto I had worn a pair of thick moccasins with soles of parflesh, but here I put on a light thin pair which I had brought for the purpose as now the use of our toes became necessary to a further advance. I availed myself of a sort of comb of the mountain which stood against the wall like a buttress, and which the wind and solar radiation joined to the steepness of the smooth rock had kept almost entirely free from snow. Up this I made my way rapidly. Our cautious method of advancing in the outset had spared my strength, and with the exception of a slight disposition to headache I felt no remains of yesterday's illness. In a few minutes we reached a point where the buttress was overhanging and there was no other way of surmounting the difficulty than by passing around one side of it, which was the face of a vertical precipice of several hundred feet. End quote. Parflesh is the name given to buffalo hide. The Indian women prepare it by scraping and drying. It is exceedingly tough and hard, and receives its name from the circumstance that it cannot be pierced by arrows or spears. The entire dress of Fremont and his party, on their ascent to the top of America, consisted of a blue flannel shirt, free and open at the neck. The collar turning down over a black silk handkerchief tied loosely, blue cloth pantaloons, a slouched broad brimmed hat, and moccasins as above described. It was well adapted to climbing, quite light, and at the same time warm, and every way comfortable. Quote. Putting hands and feet in the crevices between the blocks I succeeded in getting over it, and when I reached the top found my companions in a small valley below. Descending to them we continued climbing, and in a short time reached the crest. I sprang upon the summit, and another step would have precipitated me into an immense snow-field five hundred feet below. To the edge of this field was a sheer icy precipice, and then, with a gradual fall, the field sloped off for about a mile, until it struck the foot of another lower ridge. I stood on a narrow crest about three feet in width, with an inclination of about twenty degrees north, fifty-one degrees east. As soon as I had gratified the first feelings of curiosity I descended, and each man ascended in turn, for I would only allow one at a time to mount the unstable and precarious slab, which it seemed a breath would hurl into the abyss below. We mounted the barometer in the snow of the summit, and fixing a ramrod in a crevice unfurled the national flag to wave in the breeze, where never flag waved before. During our morning's ascent we met no sign of animal life except a small bird having the appearance of a sparrow. A stillness the most profound, and a terrible solitude forced themselves constantly on the mind as the great features of the place. Here on the summit where the stillness was absolute, unbroken by any sound, and the solitude complete, we thought ourselves beyond the region of animated life. But while we were sitting on the rock a solitary bee, Bombus terrestris, the Bumblebee, came winging his flight from the eastern valley and lit on the knee of one of the men. Around us the whole scene had one main striking feature, which was that of terrible convulsion. Parallel to its length, the ridge was split into chasms and fissures, between which rose the thin, lofty was, terminated with slender minarets and columns, which are correctly represented in the view from the camp on island lake. According to the barometer, the little crest of the wall on which we stood was 3,570 feet above that place, and 2,780 feet above the little lakes at the bottom, immediately at our feet. Our camp at the two hills, an astronomical station, bore south 30 east, which with a bearing afterward obtained from a fixed position, enabled us to locate the peak. The bearing of the Tua Tetons was north 50 degrees west, and the direction of the central ridge of the Wind River Mountains, south 39 degrees east. The summit rock was nice. Sinite and felspar succeeded in our descent to the snowline, where we found a felspathic granite. I had remarked that the noise produced by the explosion of our pistols had the usual degree of loudness, but was not in the least prolonged, expiring almost instantaneously. Having now made what observations our means afforded, we proceeded to descend. We had accomplished an object of laudable ambition and beyond the strict order of our instructions. We had climbed the loftiest peak of the Rocky Mountains and looked down upon the snow a thousand feet below, and standing where human foot had never stood before, felt the exaltation of first explorers. It was about two o'clock when we left the summit, and when we reached the bottom the sun had already sunk behind the wall, and the day was drawing to a close. It would have been pleasant to linger here and on the summit longer, but we hurried away as rapidly as the ground would permit, for it was an object to regain our party as soon as possible, not knowing what accident the next hour might bring forth. End of quote. This mountain which bears the name of Fremont's Peak in honor of the Great Pathfinder was found to be thirteen thousand five hundred seventy feet above the Gulf of Mexico. The object of the expedition was accomplished, and preparations were made for the return to the States. No accident worth a mention had be fallen the explorers, and the black feet, from whom so much was feared, did not molest them. It may have been that when their scouts reconordered the camp they found the barricades so strong and the garrisons so watchful that they decided it would be too costly to make an attack upon them. It is not impossible that some one, or more of them, recognized the daring mountaineer whom more than once, years before, had given their warriors such severe defeat and punishment. If such was the truth we cannot but respect the discretion they showed. Fort Laramie was reached in the month of September eighteen forty-two. There as Kit Carson's labors were ended he bade his commander and friends good-bye and started for New Mexico. Fremont and his men reached the States in safety and thus ended his first exploring expedition. End of chapter twenty. Chapter twenty-one of the Life of Kit Carson by Edward S. Ellis. This Libervox recording is in the public domain. Early in the year eighteen forty-three Kit Carson married his second wife and shortly after agreed to accompany an expedition of bent and St. Prane's wagons to the States. When partway across the plains they struck the old Santa Fe trail and came upon an encampment of Captain Cook with four companies of United States dragoons. They were engaged in escorting a train of Mexican wagons to the boundary line between New Mexico and the United States. The train was a very valuable one and an escort of a hundred men were hired to accompany it through the Indian country. The situation of this train was an alarming one. It was the duty of Captain Cook and his soldiers to guard it as far as the fording of the Arkansas. At that time the boundary line between the two countries. There was good reason for believing that a strong band of Texan Rangers were waiting beyond with the intention of attacking and plundering the train. Indeed the Mexican who had it in charge had received information that left no possible doubt of the fact. His face lit up when he recognized Kit Carson. Hardly waiting until they had greeted each other he offered him a liberal reward if he would ride post-haste to Santa Fe and deliver a letter to the Governor containing an urgent request to send a strong force to escort the train thither. Carson unhesitatingly accepted the offer and with his usual promptness started almost immediately on his delicate and dangerous business. The journey was one of several hundred miles through a country swarming with Indians, and all the skill, cunning, and vigilance of the great scout would be required to succeed, but he never faltered in the face of peril. A veteran Mountaineer agreed to keep him company, but when Bent's fort was reached he refused to go further, and Carson, as he had done before in critical situations, went on alone. The news which he heard at the fort was of a startling nature. The Utah Indians were hostile and his long journey led him directly through their country. He could not censure his friend for declining to go further, nor could he blame the mothers whom he asked to accompany him when they shook their heads. Mr. Bent understood the peculiar danger in which Kit would be placed, and though he was splendidly mounted, he loaned him a magnificent steed which he led, ready to mount whenever the necessity should arise for doing so. That journey was one of the most remarkable of the many made by Kit Carson. It would have been less so had he possessed a companion of experience, for they could have counseled together, and one would have kept watch while the other slept. As it was, Carson was compelled to scan every portion off the plane before him on the constant lookout for Indians, who would have spared no effort to circumvent and slay him had they known of his presence in their country. He was so placed, indeed, that only by the most consummate skill could he hope to run the continuous gauntlet hundreds of miles in length. He had gone but a short distance when he detected the trails off his enemies, showing they were numerous and liable to be encountered at any moment. When night came he picketed his horses and lay down on the prairie or in some grove, ready to leap to his feet, bound upon one of his steeds and gallop away on a dead run. Where the hunter has no friend to mount guard he is often compelled to depend upon his horses, who frequently prove the best kind of sentinels. They are quick to detect the approach of strangers, and a slight nay or stamp off the foot is enough to give the saving warning. A large portion of the country ever which he rode was a treeless plane, and the keen blue eyes of the matchless mountaineer were kept on a continual strain. A moving speck in the distant horizon, the faint column of thin smoke rising from the far off grove, or a faint yellow dust against the blue sky, could only mean one thing, the presence of enemies, for he was in a region which contained not a single friend. One afternoon Carson discovered an Indian village directly ahead of him, and on the trail which he was following. He instantly withdrew beyond sight of any who might be on guard, and hunting as far as grove of timber kept within it until dark. Then he made a long circuit, and came back to the trail far beyond it. He traveled a long distance that night, and by daylight was in no danger of detection. By using such extreme caution and watchfulness he succeeded in passing the entire distance without exchanging a hostile shot with anyone. He reached Tau's, where he waited as agreed upon, until his message could be sent to the governor at Santa Fe. While in Tau's he learned that one hundred men had been sent out to meet the caravan, and the governor himself was about ready to follow with six hundred more. It may be stated in this place that the smaller company, while looking for the train, was attacked by the Texan Rangers, and with a single exception every man was killed. But venturing into American territory the Rangers were disarmed by Captain Cook and his Dragoons, and the wealthy wagon train, with its valuable cargo, reached its destination in safety. Having accomplished his mission, Carson set out on his return to Bent's Fort. This time he took a Mexican boy with him. The mountaineer had become strongly attached to the youth, who was a noble, high-minded lad, the fit companion of the Prince among Plainsmen. Two days out from Tau's, both were surprised to find themselves confronted by four Utah Indians on the warpath. They appeared so suddenly that the two friends were given little time to make preparation. But at some distance separated the parties, Kit and the lad hastily consulted over what was best to do. It is you whom they are seeking, said the youth, and your life is worth a great deal more than mine. You have a swift horse, mount him and dash off. Perhaps they will spare me, but you cannot help me by staying. Your offer is a kind one, said Carson, much touched by the words of his young friend. But nothing in the world would induce me to leave you. We will stick together, and if we must die, why let's each take a warrior with us. The leading warrior sauntered toward the couple, while they were hastily consulting together, after the manner of one who felt he was master of the situation. A broad grin stretched across his painted face as he extended one hand to salute Carson, while he reached for his rifle with the other. Just as his fingers were closing around the weapon off the mountaineer, the latter struck him a violent blow in the face, which sent him staggering several paces backward. The other Utahes instantly ran forward to the help of their comrade. When they were within a few rods, Carson brought his gun to his shoulder and preemptorily ordered them to halt. They hesitated, as if uncertain what to do. When he told them that if they advanced another step or made any hostile demonstration, both he and his companion would fire. They would be sure of hitting two of the warriors, when it would become something like an even fight, with two on each side, and with the prospect that the red men might suffer still further. But the Indians were not to be bluffed in such an easy fashion. They brandished their guns, shook powder in the pans, and talked boastingly of what they meant to do. They were double the number of their enemies, and they would teach them how brave Utah warriors were. Neither Carson nor the lad was disturbed by these demonstrations, which meant to intimidate them. The mountaineer whispered to his brave young companion to keep on his guard against any sudden rush or demonstration. But the lad scarcely needed the warning. He was as alert and vigilant as his friend. Had the red men attempted anything hostile the two would have fired instantly, and then drawn their pistols and been ready for the others. The Utah's finally saw it was useless to attempt to bluff the man and the boy, and they rode away without offering them the least harm. Carson and his young companion instantly resumed their journey, still watchful and alert. But they reached Bent's Fort without molestation, and the dangerous venture was over. CHAPTER XXII of the Life of Kit Carson by Edward S. Ellis. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Kit Carson was astonished on reaching Bent's Fort to learn that Lieutenant Fremont had gone by on his second exploring expedition but a few days before. Carson felt a strong attachment for his old leader and galloped nearly a hundred miles to overtake him. Fremont gave the mountaineer his most cordial greeting and insisted so strongly on his accompanying him that Carson could not refuse. The object of Fremont's second exploration was to connect the survey of the previous year with those of Commander Wilkes on the Pacific Coast. The first objective point was the Great Salt Lake of Utah, of which very little was known at that time. Carson was sent back to the Fort to procure a number of mules. He did as directed and rejoined Fremont at St. Vrain's Fort. The region traversed by these explorers is so well known to-day that it is hard to realize what a terra incognita it was but a short time sense. Perhaps it would be most instructive at this point to quote the words of the Great Pathfinder himself. The party arrived on the twenty-first of August on the Bear River, one of the principal tributaries of Great Salt Lake. The narrative of Fremont proceeds, We are now entering a region which for us possessed a strange and extraordinary interest. We were upon the waters of the famous lake which forms a salient point among the remarkable geographical features of the country, and around which the vague and superstitious accounts of the trappers had thrown a delightful obscurity, which we anticipated pleasure in dispelling, but which, in the meantime, left a crowded field for the exercise of our imagination. In our occasional conversations with the few old hunters who had visited the region it had been a subject of frequent speculation, and the wonders which they related were not the less agreeable because they were highly exaggerated and impossible. Hither, too, this lake had been seen only by trappers who were wandering through the country in search of new beaver streams, carrying very little for geography. Its islands had never been visited, and none were to be found who had entirely made the circuit of its shores, and no instrumental observations or geographical survey of any description had ever been made anywhere in the neighboring region. It was generally supposed that it had no visible outlet, but among the trappers, including those in my own camp, were many who believed that somewhere on its surface was a terrible whirlpool, through which its waters found their way to the ocean by some subterranean communication. All these things had been made a frequent subject of discussion in our desultory conversations around the fires at night, and my own mind had become tolerably well filled with their indefinite pictures, and insensibly colored with their romantic descriptions, which in the pleasure of excitement I was well disposed to believe and half expected to realize. In about six miles' travel from our encampment we reached one of the points in our journey to which we had always looked forward with great interest. The famous beer springs, which on account of the ever-vessing gas and acid taste, had received their name from the voyagers and trappers of the country, who in the midst of their rude and hard lives are fond of finding some fancied resemblance to the luxuries they rarely have the good fortune to enjoy. Although somewhat disappointed in the expectations, which various descriptions had led me to form of unusual beauty of situation and scenery, I found it altogether a place of very great interest, and a traveller for the first time in a volcanic region remains in a constant excitement, and at every step is arrested by something remarkable and new. There is a confusion of interesting objects gathered together in a small space. Around the place of encampment the beer springs were numerous, but as far as we could ascertain were entirely confined to that locality in the bottom. In the bed of the river in front, for a space of several hundred yards they were very abundant. The ever-vessing gas rising up and agitating the water in countless bubbling columns. In the vicinity round about were numerous springs of an entirely different and equally marked mineral character. In a rather picturesque spot about thirteen hundred yards below our encampment and immediately on the river bank is the most remarkable spring of the place. In an opening on the rock a white column of scattered water is thrown up and form like a jet-dough to a variable height of about three feet, and though it is maintained in a constant supply its great height is attained only at regular intervals according to the action of the force below. It is accompanied by a subterranean noise which together with the motion of the water makes very much the impression of a steamboat in motion, and without knowing that it had been already previously so-called we gave to it the name of the steamboat spring. The rock through which it is forced is slightly raised in a convex manner and gathered at the opening into an urn-mouthed form and is evidently formed by continued deposition from the water and colored bright red by oxide of iron. It is a hot spring and the water has a pungent, disagreeable metallic taste leaving a burning effect upon the tongue. Within perhaps two yards of the jet-dough is a small hole of about an inch in diameter through which at regular intervals escapes a blast of hot air with a light wreath of smoke accompanied by a regular noise. As they approach the lake they passed over a country of bold and striking scenery and through several gates as they called certain narrow valleys. The standing rock is a huge column occupying the center of one of these passes. It fell from a height of perhaps three thousand feet and happened to remain in its present upright position. At last on the sixth of September the object for which their eyes had been long straining was brought to view. September 6. This time we reached the butte without any difficulty and descending to the summit. Immediately at our feet beheld the object of our anxious search, the waters of the inland sea, stretching in still and solitary grandeur far beyond the limit of our vision. It was one of the great points of the exploration, and as we looked eagerly over the lake in the first emotions of excited pleasure I am doubtful if the followers of Balboa felt more enthusiasm when from the heights of the Andes they saw for the first time the great western ocean. It was certainly a magnificent object and a noble terminus to this part of our expedition. And to travellers so long shut up among mountain ranges a sudden view over the expanse of silent waters had in it something sublime. Several large islands raised their high rocky heads out of the waves. But whether or not they were timbered was still left to our imagination as the distance was too great to determine if the dark cues upon them were woodland or naked rock. During the day the clouds had been gathering black over the mountains to the westward and while we were looking a storm burst down with sudden fury upon the lake and entirely hid the islands from our view. On the edge of the stream a favourable spot was selected in a grove and felling the timber we made a strong corral or horse-pin for the animals and a little fort for the people who were to remain. We were now probably in the country of the Utah Indians, though none reside upon the lake. The India rubberboat was repaired with prepared cloth and gum and filled with air in readiness for the next day. The provisions which Carson had brought with him being now exhausted and our stock reduced to a small quantity of roots I determined to retain with me only a sufficient number of men for the execution of our design. And accordingly seven were sent back to Fort Hall under the guidance of Francois Lajeunesse, who having been for many years a trapper in the country was an experienced mountaineer. We form now but a small family, with Mr. Proust and myself, Carson, Bernier and Basil Lajeunesse had been selected for the boat expedition, the first ever attempted on this interior sea, and Badois and DeRosier and Jacob, the coloured men, were to be left in charge of the camp. We were favored with most delightful weather. Tonight there was a brilliant sunset of golden orange and green, which left the western sky clear and beautifully pure. But clouds in the east made me lose an oculation. The summer frogs were singing around us and the evening was very pleasant, with a temperature of sixty degrees, a night of a more southern autumn. For our supper we had yampak, the most agreeably flavoured of the roots, seasoned by a small fat duck, which had come in the way of Jacob's rifle. Around our fire tonight were many speculations on what to-morrow would bring forth, and in our busy conjectures we fancied that we should find every one of the large islands a tangled wilderness of trees and shrubbery, teeming with game of every description that the neighbouring region afforded, and which the foot of a white man or Indian had never violated. Frequently during the day clouds had rested on the summits of their lofty mountains, and we believed that we should find clear streams and springs of fresh water. And we indulged in anticipations of the luxurious repass, with which we were to indemnify ourselves for past prevations. Neither in our discussions were the whirlpool and other mysterious dangers forgotten, which Indian and Hunter's stories attributed to this unexplored lake. The men had discovered that instead of being strongly sowed, like that of the preceding here, which had so triumphantly rode the cannons of the upper great flat, our present boat was only pasted together in a very insecure manner, the maker having been allowed so little time in the construction that he was obliged to crowd the labour of two months into several days. The insecurity of the boat was sensibly felt by us, and mingled with the enthusiasm and excitement that we all felt at the prospect of an undertaking which had never before been accomplished, was a certain impression of danger, sufficient to give a serious character to our conversation. The momentary view which had been had of the lake the day before, its great extent, and rugged islands dimly seen amidst the dark waters in the obscurity of the sudden storm, were well calculated to heighten the idea of undefined danger with which the lake was generally associated. September 8. A calm clear day, with a sunrise temperature of 41 degrees, in view of our present enterprise, a part of the equipment of the boat had been made to consist of three airtight bags, about three feet long and capable each of containing five gallons. These had been filled with water the night before, and were now placed in the boat, with our blankets and instruments, consisting of a sextant, telescope, spy glass, thermometer, and barometer. In the course of the morning we discovered that two of the cylinders leaked so much as to require one man constantly at the bellows to keep them sufficiently full of air to support the boat. Although we had made a very early start, we loitered so much on the way, stopping every now and then, and floating silently along to get a shot at a goose or a duck, that it was late in the day when we reached the outlet. The river here divided into several branches, filled with fluvials, and so very shallow that it was with difficulty we could get the boat along, being obliged to get out and wait. We encamped on a low point among rushes and young willows, where there was a quantity of driftwood which served for our fires. The evening was mild and clear. We made a pleasant bed of the young willows, and geese and ducks enough had been killed for an abundant supper at night, and for breakfast next morning. The stillness of the night was enlivened by millions of waterfowl. September 9. The day was clear and calm. The thermometer at sunrise was forty-nine degrees, as is usual with the trappers on the eve of any enterprise. Our people had made dreams, and theirs happened to be a bad one, one which always preceded evil, and consequently they looked very gloomy this morning. But we hurried through our breakfast in order to make an early start, and have all the day before us for our adventure. The channel, in a short distance, became so shallow that our navigation was at an end, being merely a sheet of soft mud, with a few inches of water, and sometimes none at all, forming the low water shore of the lake. All this place was absolutely covered with flocks of screaming plover. We took off our clothes, and getting overboard commenced dragging the boat, making by this operation a very curious trail, and a very disagreeable smell in stirring up the mud, as we sank above the knee at every step. The water here was still fresh, with only an insipid and disagreeable taste, probably derived from the bed of fetid mud. After proceeding in this way about a mile, we came to a small black ridge on the bottom, beyond which the water became suddenly salt, beginning gradually to deepen, and the bottom was sandy and firm. It was a remarkable division, separating the fresh water of the rivers from the briny water of the lake, which was entirely saturated with common salt. Pushing our little vessel across the narrow boundary, we sprang on board, and at length were afloat on the waters of the unknown sea. We did not steer for the mountainous islands, but directed our course towards a lower one, which had been decided we should first visit, the summit of which was formed like the crater at the upper end of Bear River Valley. So long as we could touch the bottom with our paddles, we were very gay. But gradually, as the water deepened, we became more still and our frail bateau of gumcloth distended with air and with pasted seams. Although the day was very calm, there was a considerable swell on the lake, and there were white patches of foam on the surface which were slowly moving to the southward, indicating the set of a current in that direction, and recalling the recollection of the whirlpool stories. The water continued to deepen as we advanced, the lake becoming almost transparently clear of an extremely beautiful bright green color, and the spray which was thrown into the boat and over our clothes was directly converted into a crust of common salt, which covered also our hands and arms. Captain, said Carson, who for some time had been looking suspiciously at some whitening appearances outside the nearest islands. What are those yonder? Won't you just take a look with the glass? We ceased paddling for a moment and found them to be the caps of the waves that were beginning to break under the force of a strong breeze that was coming up the lake. The form of the boat seemed to be an admirable one, and it rode on the waves like a water bird, but at the same time it was extremely slow in its progress. When we were a little more than halfway across the reach, two of the divisions between the cylinders gave way, and it required the constant use of the bellows to keep in a sufficient quantity of air. For a long time we scarcely seemed to approach our island, but gradually we worked across the rougher sea of the open channel into the smoother water under the lee of the island and began to discover that what we took for a long row of pelicans ranged on the beach were only low cliffs whitened with salt by the spray of the waves. And about noon we reached the shore, the transparency of the water enabling us to see the bottom at a considerable depth. The cliffs and masses of rock along the shore were whitened by an encrustation of salt where the waves dashed up against them, and the evaporating water which had been left in holes and hollows on the surface of the rocks was covered with a crust of salt about one-eighth of an inch in thickness. Carrying with us the barometer and other instruments in the afternoon we ascended to the highest point of the island. A bare, rocky peak, eight hundred feet above the lake. Standing on the summit we enjoyed an extended view of the lake enclosed in a basin of rugged mountains which sometimes left marshy flats and extensive bottoms between them and the shore. And in other places came directly down into the water with bold and precipitous bluffs. As we looked over the vast expanse of water spread out beneath us and strained our eyes along the silent shores over which hung so much doubt and uncertainty and which were so full of interest to us I could hardly repress the almost irresistible desire to continue our exploration. But the lengthening snow on the mountains was a plain indication of the advancing season, and our frail linen boat appeared so insecure that I was unwilling to trust our lives to the uncertainties of the lake. I therefore unwillingly resolved to terminate our survey here and remain satisfied for the present with what we had been able to add to the unknown geography of the region. We felt pleasure also in remembering that we were the first who in the traditionary annals of the country had visited the islands and broken with the cheerful sound of human voices the long solitude of the place. I accidentally left on the summit the brass cover to the object end of my spyglass, and as it will probably remain there undisturbed by Indians, it will furnish matter of speculation to some future traveler. In our excursions about the island we did not meet with any kind of animal. A magpie and another larger bird, probably attracted by the smoke of our fire, paid us a visit from the shore and were the only living things seen during our stay. The rock, constituting the cliffs along the shore, where we were encamped, is a talcus rock, or steatite, with brown spar. At sunset the temperature was seventy degrees. We had arrived just in time to obtain a meridian altitude of the sun, and other observations were obtained this evening, which placed our camp in latitude forty-one degrees ten minutes forty-two seconds, and longitude one hundred twelve degrees twenty-one minutes five seconds from Greenwich. From a discussion of the barometrical observations made during our stay on the shores of the lake, we have adopted forty-two hundred feet for its elevation above the Gulf of Mexico. In the first disappointment we felt from the dissipation of our dreams of the fertile islands, I call this disappointment island. Out of the driftwood we made ourselves pleasant little lodges, open to the water, and after having kindled large fires to excite the wonder of any straggling savage on the lakeshores, lay down for the first time in a long journey in perfect security, no one thinking about his arms. The evening was extremely bright and pleasant, but the wind rose during the night and the waves began to break heavily on the shore, making our island tremble. I had not expected in our inland journey to hear the roar of an ocean-surf, and the strangeness of our situation, and the excitement we felt in the associated interest of the place, made this one of the most interesting nights I remember during our long expedition. In the morning the surf was breaking heavily on the shore, and we were up early. The lake was dark and agitated, and we hurried through our scanty breakfast and embarked, having first filled one of the buckets with water, from which it was intended to make salt. The sun had risen by the time we were ready to start, and it was blowing a strong gale of wind almost directly off the shore and raising a considerable sea in which our boat strained very much. It roughened as we got away from the island, and it required all the efforts of the men to make any head against the wind and sea. The gale rising with the sun, and there was danger of being blown into one of the open reaches beyond the island. At the distance of half a mile from the beach the depth of water was sixteen feet, with a clay bottom. But as the working of the boat was very severe labour, and during the operation of sounding it was necessary to cease paddling, during which the boat lost considerable way. I was unwilling to discourage the men, and reluctantly gave up my intention of ascertaining the depth and character off the bed. There was a general shout in the boat when we found ourselves in one fathom, and we soon after landed on a low point of mud, where we unloaded the boat, and carried the baggage to firmer ground. The explorers remained in camp the next day, and boiled down some of the water from the lake, thereby obtaining considerable salt. The following morning was clear and beautiful, and they returned by the same route as sending the valley of Bear River toward the north. The expected Fitzpatrick and the provisions did not show themselves, and the party began to suffer for food. When their situation became serious, Fremont permitted a horse to be killed, and then all enjoyed one of their old-fashioned feasts. But this supply could not last long, and still they failed to meet their expected friends. After a time they encountered an Indian who had killed an antelope, which they quickly purchased, and another feast made every heart glad. By way of dessert a messenger galloped into camp with the news that Fitzpatrick was close at hand with an abundant supply of provisions. The next morning the two parties united and continued the journey together. After leaving the Bear River Valley they crossed over to Louis' Fork of the Columbia. At night the campfires of the Indian twinkled like so many stars along the mountain side, but they were all friendly, and the tired explorers slept peacefully. Pushing onward they reached the upper waters of Louis' Fork where snow began to fall. However they were quite near Fort Hall, and they therefore went into camp, while Fremont rode to the Fort and procured several horses and oxen. The weather continued severe, but Fremont determined to push on despite the hardships which he knew awaited them all. As a matter of prudence, however, he sent back eleven of his men, leaving about twenty with which he pursued his journey down the river valley in the direction of the Columbia. The dowse was reached in safety where Kit Carson was left in command of the party, while Fremont with a few companions pushed on to Vancouver Island, where he procured some provisions. On his return the whole party united and made their way to Klamath Lake in what was then Oregon Territory. When their observations were completed they took up their march in the direction of California. After a long and weary some journey, attended by much suffering for the lack of food, they came inside of the Sierra Nevada Mountains which were seen to be covered with snow. The men were in a sorry plight. The provisions were nearly gone. They could not turn back, and there seemed but two alternatives before them. To push on through the mountains, or remain where they were and starve to death. Such men were not the ones to fold their hands and lie down in helpless despair. Accordingly they made their preparations for the terrible venture. The snow was so deep that it was impossible to get forward without the aid of snowshoes. Devoting themselves to the manufacture of these indispensable articles, a few were sent ahead to learn how far it was necessary to break a path for the animals. After a laborious passage it was found that nine miles would have to be prepared in that fashion. Carson was with this advance, and when they halted he saw in the distance the green Sacramento Valley. Although nearly twenty years had passed since he visited that section he recognized it at once. Away beyond towered the white peaks of the coast range. Carson was the only man in the party who really knew where they were. This passage of Fremont and his men through the Sierra Nevada Mountains is one of the most extraordinary achievements in American history. Carson himself took such a prominent part in it that it seems only just that Fremont's thrilling accounts should be quoted. The people were unusually silent, for every man knew that our enterprise was hazardous, and the issue doubtful. The snow deepened rapidly and it soon became necessary to break a road. For this service a party of ten was formed, mounted on the strongest horses. Each man in succession opening the road on foot, or on horseback, until himself and his horse became fatigued. When he stepped aside, and the remaining number passing ahead he took his station in the rear. The camp had been all the day occupied in endeavoring to ascend the hill, but only the best horses had succeeded. The animals, generally, not having sufficient strength to bring themselves up without the packs, and all the line of road between this and the springs was strewed with camp-stores and equipage, and horses floundering in snow. I therefore immediately encamped on the ground with my own mess which was in advance and directed Mr. Fitzpatrick to encamp at the springs, and send all the animals in charge of taboe with a strong guard back to the place where they had been pastured the night before. Here was a small spot of level ground, protected on one side by the mountain, and on the other sheltered by a little ridge of rock. It was an open grove of pines which assimilated in size to the grandeur of the mountain, being frequently six feet in diameter. Tonight we had no shelter, but we made a large fire around the trunk of one of the huge pines, and covering the snow with small boughs on which we spread our blankets soon made ourselves comfortable. The night was very bright and clear, though the thermometer was only at ten degrees. A strong wind which sprang up at sundown made it intensely cold, and this was one of the bitterest nights during the journey. Two Indians joined our party here, and one of them, an old man, immediately began to harangue us, saying that ourselves and animals would perish in the snow, and that if we would go back he would show us another and better way across the mountain. He spoke in a very loud voice, and there was a singular repetition of phrases and arrangement of words which rendered his speech striking and not unmusical. We had now begun to understand some words, and with the aid of signs easily comprehended the old man's simple ideas. Rock upon rock, rock upon rock, snow upon snow, snow upon snow, said he. Even if you get over the snow you will not be able to get down from the mountains. He made us the sign of precipices, and showed us how the feet of the horses would slip and throw them off from the narrow trails led along their sides. Our Chinook, who comprehended even more readily than ourselves, and believed our situation hopeless, covered his head with his blanket, and began to weep and lament. I wanted to see the whites, said he. I came away from my own people to see the whites, and I wouldn't care to die among them. But here, and he looked around into the cold night and gloomy forest, and drawing his blanket over his head, began again to lament. Seated around the tree, the fire illuminating the rocks and the tall boils of the pines round about, and the old andy in haranguing, we presented a group of very serious faces. February 5. The night had been too cold to sleep, and we were up very early. Our guide was standing by the fire with all his finery on, and seeing him shiver in the cold I threw on his shoulders one of my blankets. We missed him a few minutes afterwards, and never saw him again. He had deserted. His bad faith and treachery were in perfect keeping with the estimate of Indian character, which a long intercourse with this people had gradually forced upon my mind. While a portion of the camp were occupied in bringing up the baggage to this point, the remainder were busy in making sledges and snowshoes. I had determined to explore the mountain ahead, and the sledges were to be used in transporting the baggage. Crossing the open basin in a march of about ten miles we reached the top of one of the peaks to the left of the pass indicated by our guide. Far below us, dimmed by the distance, was a large, snowless valley bounded on the western side, at the distance of about a hundred miles by a low range of mountains, which Carson recognized with delight as the mountains bordering the coast. There, said he, is the little mountain. It is fifteen years ago since I saw it, but I am just as sure as if I had seen it yesterday. Between us then and this low coast range was the valley of the Sacramento, and no one who had not accompanied us through the last incidents of our life for the last few months could realize the delight with which at last we looked down upon it. At the distance of apparently thirty miles beyond us were distinguished spots of prairie, and a dark line which could be traced with the glass was imagined to be the course of the river, but we were evidently at a great height above the valley, and between us and the plains extended miles of snowy fields and broken ridges of pine-covered mountains. It was late in the day when we turned towards the camp, and it grew rapidly cold as it drew towards night. One of the men became fatigued, and his feet began to freeze, and building a fire in the trunk of a dry old cedar Mr. Fitzpatrick remained with him until his clothes could be dried, and he was in a condition to come on. After a day's march of twenty miles we straggled into camp one after another at nightfall. The greater number excessively fatigued, only two of the party having ever traveled on snowshoes before. All our energies were now directed to getting our animals across the snow, and it was supposed that after all the baggage had been drawn with the sleighs over the trail we had made it would be sufficiently hard to bear our animals. At several places between this point and the ridge we had discovered some grassy spots where the wind and sun had dispersed the snow from the sides of the hills, and these were to form resting place to support the animals for a night in their passage across. On our way across we had set on fire several broken stumps and dry trees to melt holes in the snow for the camp. Its general depth was five feet, but we passed over places where it was twenty feet deep as shown by the trees. With one party drawing sleighs loaded with baggage I advanced to day about four miles along the trail, and encamped at the first grassy spot where we expected to bring our horses. Mr. Fitzpatrick with another party remained behind to form an intermediate station between us and the animals. Putting on our snowshoes we spent an afternoon in exploring a road ahead. The glare of the snow, combined with great fatigue, had rendered many of the people nearly blind, but we were fortunate in having some black silk handkerchiefs which, warrant as fails, very much relieved the eye. In the evening I received a message from Mr. Fitzpatrick, equating me with the utter failure of his attempt to get our mules and horses over the snow. The half- hidden trail had proved entirely too slight to support them, and they had broken through and were plunging about or lying half buried in snow. He was occupied in endeavouring to get them back to his camp, and in the meantime sent to me for further instructions. I wrote to him to send the animals immediately back to their old pastures, and after having made mauls and shovels, turn in all the strength of his party to open and beat a road through the snow, strengthening it with branches and boughs of pine. February 12. We made mauls and worked hard at our end of the road all the day. The wind was high, but the sun bright and the snow thawing. We worked down the face of the hill to meet the people at the other end. Toward sundown it began to grow cold, and we shouldered our mauls and trudged back to camp. February 13. We continued to labour on the road, and in the course of the day had the satisfaction to see the people working down the face of the opposite hill, about three miles distant. During the morning we had the pleasure of a visit from Mr. Fitzpatrick, with the information that all was going on well. A party of Indians had passed on snowshoes, who said they were going to the western side of the mountain, after fish. This was an indication that the salmon were coming up the streams, and we could hardly restrain our impatience as we thought of them, and worked with increased vigor. I was now perfectly satisfied that we had struck the stream on which Mr. Sutter lived, and turned about, made a hard push, and reached the camp at dark. Here we had the pleasure to find all the remaining animals, fifty-seven in number, safely arrived at the grassy hill near the camp. And here also we were agreeably surprised with the sight of an abundance of salt. Some of the horse-guard had gone to a neighbouring hut for pine-nuts, and discovered unexpectedly a large cake of very white, fine-grained salt, which the Indians told them they had brought from the other side of the mountain. They used it to eat with their pine-nuts, and readily sold it for goods. On the nineteenth the people were occupied in making a road and bringing up the baggage, and on the afternoon of the next day, February 20th, 1844, we encamped with all the material of the camp, on the summit of the pass in the dividing ridge, one thousand miles by our travelled road from the dows of the Columbia. February twenty-first. We now considered ourselves victorious over the mountain. Having only the descent before us, and the valley under our eyes, we felt strong hope that we should force our way down. But this was a case in which the descent was not facile. Still deep fields of snow lay between, and there was a large intervening space of rough-licking mountains through which we had yet to wind our way. Carson roused me this morning with an early fire, and we were all up long before day, in order to pass the snow fields before the sun should render the crust soft. We enjoyed this morning a scene at sunrise, which even here was unusually glorious and beautiful. Immediately above the eastern mountains was repeated a cloud-formed mass of purple ranges bordered with bright yellow gold. The peaks shot up into a narrow line of crimson cloud, above which the air was filled with a greenish orange, and overall was the singular beauty of the blue sky. Passing along a ridge which commanded the lake on our right, of which we began to discover an outlet through a chasm on the west, we passed over alternating open ground and hard-crusted snow fields, which supported the animals, and encamped on the ridge after a journey of six miles. The grass was better than we had yet seen, and we were encamped in a clump of trees, twenty or thirty feet high, resembling white pine.