The confusion among the trappers instantly was almost overwhelming. The
affection which every member of the party had for the brave little
scout was strong, and all the men were fearful now that with the fall
of Kit Carson the destruction of the band might follow. There was no
one to take his place as leader.
It was the wounded leader himself, however, who in his quiet tones
reassured his comrades as soon as they had carried him to a place of
safety. “Don’t be scared,” he urged them, when they had placed him upon
the blankets which they spread upon the ground.
“Where were you hit?” inquired Reuben, his voice breaking as he spoke.
“The fellow got me in the shoulder,” replied Kit Carson. In a moment
his hunting shirt was torn away by his excited friends. The weather was
intensely cold and the blood from his wound had quickly frozen on his
clothing.
After one or two attempts had been made to lay bare the wound, the
young scout, who was suffering intensely, said: “It will be better if
only one of you tries to help me.” His face was drawn and colourless,
but his courage in the midst of his suffering appealed so strongly to
his friends that his directions were instantly followed.
“Go down to the brook,” suggested Kit Carson to Reuben, “and bring back
your cap full of water.”
At his utmost speed Reuben ran down the slope of the valley to the
noisy brook at its base. In his excitement he dashed into the stream
unmindful of the fact that he might obtain the water he desired without
wetting his own clothing.
He was still unaware, however, of his condition when he rushed back to
the place where his friend was lying, and in a brief time the trapper
that had been designated for the task was washing the leader’s wound.
Once during the operation the face of the patient became deadly white.
He did not lose consciousness, however, and although he was suffering
intense pain not a murmur escaped his lips. This heroic endurance of
suffering was one of the cardinal requirements of the hardy men of the
frontier. No one was surprised at their leader’s power of endurance,
but the fact that he still directed his friends in their efforts to aid
him, sending Reuben several times to the stream for fresh supplies of
water, nevertheless impressed them all. Throughout this time guards had
taken their places to make sure that the horde of Indians did not break
through and attack them again while they were unprepared. In a brief
time it became manifest that the Indians were unaware of the damage
they had wrought, for they did not offer to advance from the rocks
behind which they had been concealed.
When at last the wound had been bathed and bandaged as best the men
were able, and a hunting shirt from one of the trappers had been tied
about the shoulders of the suffering man, preparations for the return
to camp were speedily made.
“The best thing to do is to make a litter and take me home on it,” said
Kit Carson in a low voice. “Cut some poles and swing two of the
blankets on them. I think that will be the best way to carry me.”
In accordance with these directions a rough hammock-like litter was
soon made and the wounded trapper was tenderly placed upon it. His
friends gently lifted the poles to their shoulders and then, after
advance and rear guards had been established for the little line, they
proceeded on their way back to the camp. Fortunately they were not
molested on their way. Once in the camp, the men no longer were afraid,
and quickly a bed was made for their leader upon which he soon was
placed.
The clean life and the strong constitution of the young trapper now
came to his assistance. In spite of the fact that the wound was painful
the precautions which his friends had taken had prevented the
development of serious trouble and not many days had elapsed before Kit
Carson declared that he was as well as ever. Indeed, only a few weeks
had passed before Kit Carson’s activities in visiting his traps were as
great as they had been before his unfortunate adventure with the
Indians. It was upon one of his daily rounds, in which Reuben
accompanied him, that the lad gained a fresh insight into the character
of the man of whom now he was intensely fond.
Meat was needed in the camp, and Kit Carson, whose skill as a hunter
was acknowledged by all, promised to provide fresh game. His traps
already had been visited and much of the day’s work had been done when
he turned to Reuben and said: “Lad, would you like to go with me?”
“Where are you going?” inquired Reuben.
“I want to get some game.”
“Yes, I’ll have my rifle in a minute.”
Hastening into the tent he occupied, Reuben soon returned with his
rifle, powder-horn, and bullet-pouch. Together the two men started on
their hunt among the mountains. They had not gone far before they
discovered that they would be able to obtain as many rabbits as they
might desire.
“I want bigger game than that,” said Kit Carson dryly. “If you want to
turn back you may go, Reuben, but I’m going on a little farther. I have
seen some signs that make me think there are some elk not far away.”
“Have you seen their tracks?”
“Yes, there are some now,” replied the scout, pointing, as he spoke, to
some spots in the ground before him.
Reuben was unable to discover any resemblance to the track of an elk,
even after he had carefully inspected the places indicated, but his
confidence in his companion was supreme and he quickly said, “I’ll go
on with you.”
He was rejoiced when not long after the advance was resumed they saw
near a clump of trees in the distance a small herd of the animals they
were seeking.
“The thing for us to do,” whispered Kit Carson, “is to try to get
closer to those trees. If we once get under cover there I think we can
bag two or three.”
Cautiously and slowly the two eager hunters worked their way toward the
trees in the distance. Both were aware how keenly alert the elk were
and how difficult it would be for the hunters to obtain the shelter
they were seeking. Frequently the animals lifted their heads and gazed
in their direction. Less than a half-hour had elapsed before Kit Carson
said abruptly in a low voice: “They have seen us! The only thing to do
now is to try to bring down one of them. Be quick, Reuben!”
Both men knelt and aimed at the animals, which already had turned to
flee from the place where they were feeding. Together the reports of
the two guns rang out and a moment later one of the running elk fell to
the ground.
“I missed him,” said Reuben dolefully.
“You don’t know whether you did or not,” laughed Kit Carson. “Only one
was hit, that’s plain, but whether it was by your gun or mine no one
can say. Come on, we’ll get this one anyway.”
Advancing rapidly, the two hunters ran toward the place where the body
of the elk was lying. They had approached within a few yards of the
body when both young hunters were startled by the sound of branches
snapping in the bushes nearby. As they looked up they saw two immense
grizzly bears advancing upon them. It was instantly clear that the
bears were as hungry as the men and that they, too, had been doing
their utmost to obtain fresh meat. Perhaps also the huge bears were
angry that unexpected rivals had appeared in the hunt. At all events,
the only safety for the two young hunters was to seek flight instantly.
Neither had stopped to reload his rifle, so eager had both been to make
sure that the elk which had fallen was killed.
Without a word to his companion Kit Carson instantly ran for a nearby
tree, leaving Reuben to use his own devices. And Reuben was not slow in
following the example of his friend. In spite of his fear he recalled
the conversation which he had had with the scout not long before this
time. Kit Carson at that time had declared that it was much better when
a man was hunting for him to go alone. In response to the protests of
Reuben he had said: “If two go together and something comes up that
makes it absolutely necessary for quick action, if there are two
hunters they will stop and talk before they decide what to do. The
result will be not only that much valuable time will be lost, but the
plan they will follow will probably be neither that of one nor of the
other, but a sort of compromise. The only way is for a man not to stop
to discuss things when he must make up his mind in a hurry. If he’s
alone, there won’t be any trouble, and he will not only do what he
wants to, but probably will do what was the best thing for him to do
under the circumstances.”
Recollections of this conversation were in Reuben’s mind as he ran at
his utmost speed toward a sapling he saw not far before him.
Fortunately the boy was able to gain the shelter up which he was
confident the bears would not attempt to climb. It is true they were
able to climb almost any tree which a man could use, but the one in
which Reuben had sought shelter was so small that he did not believe
the lumbering bears would attempt to climb it. He was satisfied, when
at last he rested in a crotch of the tree, that he was twelve feet from
the ground and beyond the swing of the paws of the angry beasts.
Assured of his safety, Reuben excitedly turned to see what had befallen
his companion. His own gun he had dropped at the base of the tree when
he had made his ascent. He was therefore without any means of defense
or of aiding his comrade.
Not far away he saw the scout just as he arrived at the base of a tree.
Without hesitating a moment Kit Carson nimbly seized a branch and swung
himself up into the tree, while the two bears—for both had started in
the pursuit of the fleeing scout—were several yards behind him.
Excitedly Reuben watched the grizzlies as they bounded forward. The
steady swing from side to side which marked their course while they
were running had disappeared. Reuben’s heart almost stopped beating
while he gazed at the awkward and yet swift animals. Would they be able
to reach the tree before the scout could climb higher among the
branches? Reuben speedily was aware that the bears had by no means
abandoned the chase. As soon as they arrived at the base of the tree
one of them quickly began its ascent.
The trembling boy was able to see the scout as he drew his knife after
he had ascended as far up the tree as evidently he had planned to go.
Quickly a sturdy branch was cut and trimmed. The grizzly was steadily
mounting, but the victim that he was seeking now held a stout club in
his hands and was preparing to defend himself.
“And yet,” thought Reuben, “what can Kit Carson do with only a club to
protect himself against the savage brutes?”
The bear which had remained on the ground several times threatened to
climb the tree after its companion. Apparently, however, it was
satisfied to leave to the other bear the task of securing their dinner,
or else it was fearful that the tree would not bear the weight of both.
At that moment the climbing bear had approached close to the crotch in
which Kit Carson was standing. With one arm around the branch the
hunter leaned forward in such a way that he was able to lift his club
and look directly down into the face of the savage animal. Suddenly
drawing back with all his force Kit Carson brought his club down
directly upon the nose of the grizzly.
[Illustration: “The trembling boy was able to see the scout as he drew
his knife”]
The hunter was aware of the fact that there is no part of the body of
the grizzly bear quite as tender as its nose. Reuben laughed excitedly
when a roar of pain came from the animal as soon as the blow had been
struck, and he saw the brute slowly make its way backward down the
tree, shaking its head and occasionally roaring with pain in the
descent.
When the bear at last had regained the ground, as if by a mutual
understanding, the second bear at once began to climb the tree. Kit
Carson meanwhile had obtained shelter in a crotch somewhat lower than
the one in which he had first stood. In the place he now occupied he
was able to obtain a greater sweep for his club, while his foothold was
equally safe.
Rapidly the climbing bear came to the place where the hunter was
waiting. Again Kit Carson drew back his club and with the fuller sweep
which now he was able to obtain he dealt a still more savage blow
directly upon the nose of the approaching bear.
Again there was a roar of mingled pain and rage, and the grizzly, like
its companion, quickly decided to retreat. As soon as the lumbering
animal, still roaring with pain and shaking its head, regained the
ground at the base of the tree, its companion, having somewhat
recovered from the results of its former attempt, once more began to
climb.
But Kit Carson, now more confident, met the ascending bear with a
second resounding blow upon its nose. Evidently the spot was somewhat
tender, for the grizzly emitted a loud roar of pain and with still
greater haste started to the ground.
Once more the second bear attempted the ascent, but the result which
had followed its former efforts speedily compelled the attack to be
abandoned. Both bears now were steadily shaking their heads, growling
and in pain, and yet neither apparently was inclined to withdraw from
the spot where they had trapped the scout.