The Morrow--Withdrawal of the Indian Army--At Fort Hall--In the
Blackfoot Country--The Ambush--The Trappers Decide to Withdraw--Trapping
in Other Localities--Carson Decides to Abandon the Business--Visits
Bent's Fort Where He Serves as Hunter for Eight Years.
Having gone through what the red men consider the 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 Blackfeet 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 tantalizing gestures to the Blackfeet, 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 other 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 red men made several reconnaissances, 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 up stream, 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 halt 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 enabled 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 Utahs 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 forcing 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 plainer, 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
Timbers. Messrs. Bent and St. Vrain, 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 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
tramped 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.
Inasmuch 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 Arapahoes, Kiowas, Cheyennes,
Comanches and others, looked upon the great hunter with affectionate
admiration and no guest was more welcome and honored in their lodges
than he.