In the spring of 1832, Mr. Gaunt's party had been unsuccessful, and were
now upon a stream where there was no beaver, therefore Carson announced
his intention of hunting on his own account. Two of his companions
joined him, and the three for the whole season pursued their work
successfully, high up in the mountain streams, while the Indians were
down in the plains hunting buffalo; and taking their fur to Taos,
disposed of them at a remunerative price. While the two former spent
their money in the usual way, Carson saved his hard earnings which his
companions were so recklessly throwing away. This self-discipline, and
schooling himself to virtue and temperance, was not without effort on
the part of Kit Carson, for he loved the good will and kindly civilities
of his companions; but he knew also that he could not have his cake and
eat it too, and chose to save his money and his strength for future use.
While remaining at Taos, Captain Lee, formerly of the United States
army, now a partner of Bent and St. Vrain, at Bent's Fort, invited
Carson to join an expedition which he was arranging. Carson accepted his
offer, starting in October. Going northward they came up with a party of
twenty traders and trappers, upon a branch of the Green River, and all
entered winter quarters here together.
Mr. Robideau had in his employ a Californian Indian, very skillful in
the chase--whether for game or for human prey--very courageous, and able
to endure the greatest hardships, and whose conduct hitherto had won the
confidence of all. This Indian had left clandestinely, taking with him
six of Mr. Robideau's most valuable horses, which were worth at least
twelve hundred dollars. Mr. Robideau, determined to recover them if
possible, solicited Carson to pursue and overtake the Indian. Kit asked
his employer, Mr. Lees', permission to serve Mr. Robideau, which was
readily granted, when he at once prepared himself for hard riding and
sturdy resistance.
From a Utah village near he obtained an intelligent and brave young
warrior to join him--for Carson's reputation for courage, skill, and
efficiency, were known to the tribes, and many of its braves were
attached to him, and afterwards proved that they cherished a lasting
friendship for him.
For a time the blindness of the trail compelled them to go slowly, but
once sure of its direction, they pursued it with the utmost speed, down
Green river, Carson concluding the Indian was directing his course
toward California. When they had gone a hundred miles on their way, the
Indian's horse was suddenly taken sick. The Indian would not consent to
continue the pursuit, as Carson suggested, on foot, and he therefore
determined to go on alone, and putting spurs to his horse revolved not
to return until he had succeeded in recovering Mr. Robideau's property.
With practiced eye ever upon the trail, he revolved in his mind the
expert skill he might need to exercise in encountering the wily savage.
This desperate expedition Carson had boldly entered into, not with
rashness, but he had accepted it as an occasion that demanded the
hazard. At the distance of thirty miles from where he left his Utah
companion, he discovered the object of his chase. The Indian too had
discovered him, and to prepare himself for the attack, turned to seek a
shelter whence he might fire and reload without exposure to the shot
from Carson's rifle--which he had unslung when first he discovered the
Indian.
With his horse at full speed, at the moment the Indian reached his
cover, Carson fired with aim so true that the Indian gave one bound and
fell dead beside his horse, while his gun went off at the same instant.
No further particulars of description or speculation can add to the
interest of this picture. We leave it to the imagination of the reader,
as an illustration of the daring and fidelity of Kit Carson. Collecting
the horses, he soon had the pleasure, after a few minor difficulties, of
presenting to Mr. Robideau, the six animals he had lost, in as good
condition as when they were stolen, and of announcing to him the fact
that there lived one less rogue.
Soon after Carson's return to camp, some trappers brought them news that
Messrs. Fitzpatrick and Bridger were camped fifteen miles from them.
Captain Lee and Carson at once concluded that to them they might sell
their goods. They started for their camp and were as successful as they
had hoped, for they sold their whole stock of goods to this party, and
took their pay in furs. Their contract being now completed, Carson
joined Mr. Fitzpatrick again in a trapping expedition, but did not
remain long with him, because the party was too large to make it pay, or
even to work harmoniously together. With three men whom he chose from
the many who wished to join him, Carson again commenced trapping on his
own account. They trapped all summer on the Laramie, with unusual
success. It was while Carson was out on this tramp that he had the
adventure with the grizzly bears,[D] which he considered the most
perilous that he ever passed through. He had gone out from the camp on
foot to shoot game for supper, and had just brought down an elk, when
two grizzly bears came suddenly upon him. His rifle being empty, there
was no way of escape from instant death but to run with his utmost speed
for the nearest tree. He reached a sapling with the bears just at his
heels. Cutting off a limb of the tree with his knife, he used that as
his only weapon of defence. When the bears climbed so as nearly to reach
him, he gave them smart raps on the nose, which sent them away growling;
but when the pain ceased they would return again only to have the raps
repeated. In this way nearly the whole night was spent, when finally
the bears became discouraged, and retired from the contest. Waiting
until they were well out of sight, Carson descended from his unenviable
position, and made the best of his way into camp, which he reached about
daylight. The elk had been devoured by wolves before it could be found,
and his three companions were only too glad to see him, to be troubled
about breakfasting on beaver, as they had supped the night before; for
trappers in camp engaged in their business had this resort for food when
all others failed.
Laramie river flows into the North Platte, upon the south side. The
country through which it flows is open, yet the stream is bordered with
a variety of shrubbery, and in many spots the cottonwood grows
luxuriantly, and for this reason, the locality is favorable for the
grizzly bear.
[Illustration: "WHEN THE BEARS CLIMBED SO NEAR AS TO REACH HIM, HE GAVE
THEM SMART RAPS ON THE NOSE."]
Baird says of this bear: "While the black bear is the bear of the
forest, the grizzly is the bear of the chapparal, the latter choosing an
open country, whether plain or mountain, whose surface is covered with
dense thickets of manzanita or shrub oak, which furnish him with his
favorite food, and clumps of service bushes, and low cherry; and whose
streams are lined with tangled thickets of low grape vine and wild
plumb." The grizzly is not so good at climbing as the black bear, and
can best manage by resting upon his haunches and mounting with his fore
arms upon the bushes that he cannot pull over, to gather the berries, of
which he is very fond.
"Only in a condition of hunger will he attack a man unprovoked, but when
he does, the energy with which he fights, prevents the Indians from
seeking the sport of a hunt for the grizzly bear. He is monarch of the
plain, with only their opposition, and has departed only before the
rifle of the white hunter. An Indian, who would, alone, undertake to
conquer a dozen braves of another tribe, would shrink from attacking a
grizzly bear; and to have killed one, furnishes a story for a life time,
and gives a reputation that descends to posterity. The mounted hunter
can rarely bring his horse to approach him near enough for a shot."
Soon after his encounter with the bears, Carson and his men were
rejoiced by the arrival of Capt. Bridger, so long a mountaineer of note,
and with him his whole band. Carson and his three companions joined with
them, and were safe; and now for the first time he attended the summer
rendezvous of trappers on the Green River, where they assembled for the
disposal of their furs, and the purchase of such outfit as they needed.
Carson for the Fall hunt joined a company of fifty, and went to the
country of the Blackfeet, at the head waters of the Missouri; but the
Indians were so numerous, and so determined upon hostility, that a white
man could not leave his camp without danger of being shot down;
therefore, quitting the Blackfeet country, they camped on the Big Snake
River for winter quarters.
During the winter months, the Blackfeet had in the night run off
eighteen of their horses, and Kit Carson, with eleven men, was sent to
recover them, and chastise their temerity. They rode fifty miles through
the snow before coming up with the Indians, and instantly made an
attempt to recover their animals, which were loose and quietly grazing.
The Indians, wearing snow shoes, had the advantage, and Carson readily
granted the parley they asked. One man from each party advanced, and
between the contending ranks had a talk. The Indians informed them that
they supposed they had been robbing the Snake Indians, and did not
desire to steal from white men. Of course this tale was false, and
Carson asked why they did not lay down their arms and ask for a smoke,
but to this they had no reply to make. However, both parties laid aside
their weapons and prepared for the smoke; and the lighted calumet was
puffed by every one of the savages and the whites alternately, and the
head men of the savages made several long non-committal speeches, to
which, in reply, the trappers came directly to the point, and said they
would hear nothing of conciliation from them until their property was
returned.
After much talk, the Indians brought in five of the poorest horses. The
whites at once started for their guns, which the Indians did at the same
time, and the fight at once commenced. Carson and a comrade named
Markland having seized their rifles first, were at the lead, and
selected for their mark two Indians who were near each other and behind
different trees; but as Kit was about to fire, he perceived Markland's
antagonist aiming at him with death-like precision, while Markland had
not noticed him, and on the instant, neglecting his own adversary, he
sent a bullet through the heart of the other savage, but at the moment
saw that his own enemy's rifle was aimed at his breast. He was not
quite quick enough to dodge the ball, and it struck the side of his
neck, and passed through his shoulder, shattering the bone.
Carson was thenceforward only a spectator of the fight, which continued
until night, when both parties retired from the field of battle and went
into camp.
Carson's wound was very painful, and bled freely, till the cold checked
the flow of blood. They dared not light a fire, and in the cold and
darkness, Carson uttered not a word of complaint, nor did even a groan
escape him. His companions were earnest in their sympathy, but he was
too brave to need it, or to allow his wound to influence the course they
should pursue. In a council of war which they held, it was decided that,
as they had slain several Indians, and had themselves only one wounded,
they had best return to camp, as they were in unfit condition to
continue the pursuit. Arriving at camp, another council was held, at
which it was decided to send thirty men under Capt. Bridger, to pursue
and chastise these Blackfeet thieves. This party followed the Indian
trail several days, but finally returned, concluding it was useless to
search further, as they had failed to overtake them.