“Indians,” was the simultaneous cry
which burst from our lips, as each man
grasped his rifle and sprang to his feet.

“Tree, boys,” cried Black George, just
as a series of terrific yells resounded on
all sides, and a host of dusky figures were
seen bearing down upon us from every
direction but one, which seemed providentially
left open for our safety. Toward
this, the only point of compass possible for
us to escape without a personal conflict,
we fled precipitately, and soon reached a
small clump of trees, which afforded us
immediate protection, leaving our dead
comrade in possession of the savages.
With a shout of triumph, a dozen of the
latter rushed up to the unfortunate trapper,
and one of the number instantly tore off
his scalp, while several others buried their
knives in his body, to make sure of their
victim.

Meantime the rest of the party, which
consisted of some thirty in all, made for
our retreat, uttering demoniac yells of
barbarous exultation, doubtless fancying
us an easy prey.

“Now, boys,” cried Black George, in
a stentorian voice, “every man pick a nigger,
and give the — skunks h—!”

His advice did not need a repetition; for
scarcely were the words out of his mouth,
when crack went our six rifles, and, almost
miraculous to record, six of the foremost
assailants rolled howling in the dust—each
man, by a friendly providence, having
selected a separate target with a fatal aim.

This was a result as unlooked for by us,
as alarming to our foes, who suddenly
halted and rent the air with howls of rage
and dismay. While it staggered them, it
gave us courage, and in the moment of
their indecision and our triumph, the voice
of Black George was heard shouting the
inspiring words:

“Well done, boys! Foller me, and let
us bark our pups and butcher at close
quarters!”

Saying this, he sprang forward with a
yell, a proceeding we all imitated, and before
the astonished savages were fully
aware what was taking place, they found
us in their midst, shouting, shooting, and
cutting, with a daring, activity, and ferocity
they had probably never seen equaled.
So suddenly had we become assailants in
turn, and so vigorously did we press upon
them, that they instantly wavered, became
confused, and after a slight resistance, took
to flight, leaving four more of their number
companions to the first unfortunate six.
Being all more or less experienced in
Indian warfare, we were consequently wise
enough not to follow them, well knowing
they would return to the charge as soon as
pressed into cover. Both of Black George's
companions had been wounded in the melee,
but not dangerously, and we now congratulated
ourselves, with a triumphant shout,
on our success.

“Reckon they'll stay put till we ken
butcher and raise these here dogs' hair,”
said the old trapper; and forthwith all set
to work, save myself, in killing the wounded
and scalping the slain. When this bloody
business was over, Black George observed:

“This heyar coon wonders how the
niggers feels now! Maybe they've got a
notion in thar heads that they're some in
a bar-fight. Sarved 'em right, the —
possums! What business'd they to be
pitching into us, when we was tellin stories
and troublin nobody. Augh!”

“By gar! I tink so,” added the Frenchman,
as he gave his olfactory organ an extra
dose, and his shoulders an unusually
vigorous shrug. “Ha, ha, Monsieur Blake
Shorge—you say ver moche true, sarve
him right, Certainment, he got von most
tam ver good exsallent—vot you call him—
drubbing, eh! Ha, ha! certainment.”

“Och, now, but didn't the blaggards
look a wee bit astonished, the spalpeens!”
joined in Teddy. “Faith! but I thought

[figure description] Page 044.[end figure description]

whin they rin, maybe as it was a race they
was rinning for whisky or the likes.”

“Well,” said I, “we have been fortunate
so far, that is certain; and now let us
take care for the future. Load quiek, my
friends, and let us bring our animals together,
or the Indians may rally and dash
upon them, and leave us in a bad condition.”

“Right, boy,” cried Black George, with
a start: “I'd forgot. What a old fool I
is sometimes. Quick! or the skunks will
head us—for I knows 'em of old.”

Fortunately for us, the Indians had not
as yet made a seizure of our horses,
(which, at the time of the attack, were
quietly feeding in the valley, but now
running to and fro and snuffing the air,)
thinking, I suppose, that victory for them
was certain, and well knowing that an
attempt to take the animals first, would
create an alarm, and perhaps defeat their
design of making us their victims. Our
possibles, too, had escaped them, probably
from being concealed under the brushwood
collected for our fire, and also from
their being put to flight so suddenly. All
these were certainly matters for congratulation;
and hurriedly removing our property
from out the fire-light, I ordered
Teddy and Pierre to guard it with their
lives, while the rest of us, having reloaded
our rifles, set off to collect our animals.

We had not been any too soon in this
matter; for the Indians, having recovered
from their first alarm and confusion, we
now espied dodging from tree to tree, with
the evident intention of getting between
us and the beasts, and so capturing the
latter.

“Heyar's a fix,” observed Black George,
making a halt. “Ef we go for'ard, the
cussed varmints will pick us off and make
meat on us; and ef we stay here-a ways,
they'll catch our critters and leave us to
foot it. I'll be dog-gone ef it don't look
like a dilemmer, as I hearn a scholard say
onc't—that's a fact.”

It was a dilemma, sure enough, and
how to act was a matter of great moment.
We could not charge upon the savages as
we had done before, for they had “treed”
in every direction, and, as Black George
observed, would be sure to pick us off
singly. To lose our cavallada was not to
be thought of, for this would in a measure
place us in their power. What was to be
done! Several propositions were made
by one and another, but all as soon rejected
as being impracticable.

Meantime the Indians were not inactive,
and though the night was without moon,
we could occasionally perceive a figure
flitting before us like a shadow, and the
circle they had made around our horses
gradually narrowing. It was a time for
action of some kind, and yet we stood
irresolute. At length the old trapper
suggested that we should separate, and
each shift for himself in the manner best
calculated to annoy our foes. This was
the best plan as yet proposed, and was
instantly adopted. We had already begun
to put it in execution, when, to our
astonishment, a small body of horsemen,
with loud yells, suddenly dashed out from
a distant thicket, aud separating, bore
down upon the rear of our enemies. The
next moment we heard the sharp crack of
fire-arms, mingled with the shouts of the
assailants, and yells of terror from the
surprised Indians, who instantly took to
flight in all directions. In their confusion,
a portion ran toward us, and were received
by a well-directed volley, which wounded
one, killed two, and increased the alarm
of the survivors, who instantly changed
their course and fled toward the western
hills, only to find their flight intercepted
by an occasional horseman.

“Don't know who fights for us,” cried
Black George, “and don't care a kick—
but know they's some—and so let's arter
and disconflumicate the — skunks all
we ken.”

Saying this, the trapper set forward in
eager chase of the flying foe, an example
we all followed, and for the next quarter
of an hour the valley presented an indescribable
scene of confusion and excitement.
Nothing of life could be seen but
flying fugitives, hotly pursued by a bitter
enemy, whose only mercy was instant
death; and nothing heard but shrieks,
yells, groans, and shouts of triumph—
these from victors, those from vanquished—
together with the constant sharp crack
of fire-arms, and the clashing of knives,
as here and there two met in personal and
deadly conflict. To use a military phrase,

[figure description] Page 045.[end figure description]

the rout was total, the enemy badly beaten,
and the victorious skirmishers only withdrew
from the field of conflict for want of
a foe.

During the melee, we had all become
mixed up, and but for the distinguishing
difference of color and equipments, we
might, owing to the darkness, have made
sad havoc with our best friends. But the
new comers were whites, and there was
no difficulty in distinguishing between
them and the savages. But who were
they, and how came they here so opportunely
for us, were enigmas I had no time
nor opportunity to solve till the affray was
over. Whoever they were, they were
brave to a fault—if I may call that courage
a fault which is reckless of self-preservation—
and they fought like demons.
One of their party, whom I took to be
leader, displayed an agility, intrepidity,
and fierceness I had never seen equaled
but once. Mounted on a fiery steed,
which seemed to comprehend his slightest
wish, he rushed among the frightened savages,
and twice, as he passed near me, did
I observe him bend from his saddle, seize
the scalp-lock of an Indian, stab him in
the neck, and then, with a motion quick as
thought, cut around and tear off the
bloody scalp, without scarcely checking
the speed of his horse.

Already I fancy I see the reader smile,
and say such feats are impossible. I do
not blame him; for had I not seen them
myself, I should require more than one
person's evidence to convince me of their
possibility, to say nothing more.

A long, loud shout at last attested our
complete victory, when I, in company with
my companions, approached our deliverers,
to return our sincere thanks for their
timely aid. Moving up to the personage I
supposed to be leader, who now sat quietly
on his horse, surrounded by a dozen stalwart
figures, all mounted, I said:—

“Whom have I the honor to thank for
this invaluable assistance, at a point of
time so critical to us?”

“Why, as to thanks,” answered the
one addressed, in a voice that seemed
familiar to me, “I don't 'spect thar's any
needed; but ef you thank anybody, thank
all—for every man's done his duty, and
nothing more.”

“Methinks, sir, I know your voice,” I
rejoined, “but I cannot see your features.”

“Well, it struck me as I'd heard your's
afore,” returned the intrepid horseman;
and he bent forward in his saddle, for a
closer scrutiny of my person.

At this moment Black George came up,
and casting one glance at the speaker, exclaimed:

“Kit Carson, or I'm a nigger! Reckon
you knows old Black George, don't
ye?” and in an instant the two were
shaking hands with the hearty familiarity
of old friends.

“Kit Carson!” cried I, in surprise.
“Well, sir, I might have known it was
you, from your manner of fighting;” and
in turn I seized his hand with one of my
strongest grips.

“You have a leetle the advantage of
me,” said Kit, when I had done.

“I presume you have not forgotten
Frank Leighton, and the fight at Bitter
Cottonwood?” I replied.

“Good heavens! is it indeed you?
Why, I thought you war rubbed out thar,
and I've never heard anything of you
sence. I'm glad to see you, sir;” and an
extra grip and shake of the hand, convinced
me he meant what he said. “I'll
have a talk with you, by-and-by; but just
now we mountain men hev got a right
smart chance at scalping—arter which I'm
at your service.”

While most were occupied in the barbarous
practice (I can never call it by a
milder term,) of scalping the slain, I called
Teddy, Pierre, and one or two others
to my aid, and proceeded to collect and
picket the frightened animals. This was
no easy task, and it was at least an hour
before order and quiet were again restored.
In the meantime the Indians were scalped,
and rifled of everything valuable, and then
left to feed the wolves, some of which had
already begun their feast, and were fast
being joined by others. Of the slain, we
counted in all twenty-three carcasses; so
that it was evident but few, perhaps only
five or six, escaped—and these, doubtless,
more or less wounded. Of my party, not
one was injured in this last affray; but
several of the horsemen had received cuts
and stabs, though none of a dangerous

[figure description] Page 046.[end figure description]

character. When we had all collected
around the camp-fire, the wounded were
looked to, and their wounds dressed as
well as circumstances would allow. This
done, we proceeded to bury the mountaineer,
who had been killed, as the reader
will remember, at the onset. As soon as
all these matters were arranged, we squatted
down in a circle round the fire, to talk
over the events of the last two hours.

I now had an opportunity of conversing
with Carson, which I eagerly embraced.
I informed him, in brief, of all that had
occurred since we last met, and listened
to a hasty recital of his own adventures,
the principal part of which referred to
Fremont's first expedition, and is already
before the public. He said, that after
parting with Fremont, he had been engaged
to conduct a party to California, and was
on his return to St. Louis, by way of
Uintah Fort, St. Vrains, and Fort Laramie,
when, stopping at the first mentioned, he
found the present party of adventurers
anxious to obtain a guide to Taos, and
thence to Santa Fe, and that they had
induced him to accompany them as far as
Taos. He said that they had been on our
trail for some time, but had not come in
sight of us, until the present evening,
when, camping just the other side of one
of the surrounding hills, he, in a short
ramble, had accidentally discovered our
camp-fire, and had determined on joining
us in the morning. The attack on us by
the Indians had been heard, and as soon
as possible, thereafter, the whole party had
come to our aid, with what result the
reader knows.

He further added, it was rumored that
Fremont had begun his second expedition,
and was even now on his route westward by
way of Bent's Fort—that he was anxious
to join him—and that if an arrangement
could be effected to do without him, he
would in the morning cross over to the
valley of the Arkansas, and take a direct
course for Bent's.

In answer to my inquiries concerning
Prairie Flower and her tribe, he said he
had not met with any of them since the
battle of Bitter Cottonwood; but that he
had heard of their being in this part of the
country quite recently, and was inclined
to believe them somewhere in the neigh
borhood of Taos at the present time.
With regard to my friend, he expressed
much sorrow for his loss, but could give
me no information concerning him.

I was now more than ever anxious to
find the Mysterious Tribe; for something
whispered me that Prairie Flower had
been in search of my friend—or at least
was now with her tribe on that errand—
or, if neither of these surmises should
prove correct, I could perhaps prevail upon
them to assist me. At all events, I determined
on finding them as soon as possible,
and accordingly resolved to start at day-light,
and push through to Taos with all
haste.

Busy thoughts prevented me from sleeping
that eventful night, and at the first
tinge of morning light I awoke my companions
for the journey. As we had all
one destination, the party of Carson consented
to part with him and join mine;
and shaking my hand, with a hearty prayer
for my success, he set off alone over the
mountains, while we continued down the
valley of the Rio Grande.