In the Rockies with Kit Carson

Contents

I. The Trapper of Taos and Santa 7

II. Around the Camp-Fire ... 24

III. The Trappers Take the Trail . 39

Chapter I The Trapper Of Taos And Santa

Late one afternoon when the sunlight was slanting through the trees and wavering upon the adobe walls of the Pueblo of Los Angeles, when the only sounds were the whispering winds in the higher boughs, and the thrumming of a stringed instrument from the soldiers’ quarters, a tall Spanish mule came clattering into the village with two boys astride its back. They were bronzed, sinewy looking youngsters ; each held a long barreled rifle.

A barefooted sentry, his piece over his shoulder, looked up at the sudden sound ;

and as the mule was abruptly checked beside him, and the two lads slipped from its back, he whipped his weapon about and with a brown thumb upon the trigger, cried :

Halt I

The elder of the two lads wiped his forehead with his sleeve ; then to the other he said :

Hold tight to that old chap, Joe ; we may have further use for him, you knowJ^

“ I hope not,’^ declared Joe, ruefully. ‘‘ He^s got a back like a buck-saw, and a gait like a dromedary. And between the two he^s the worst thing I ever rode.’’

The elder boy saluted the sentinel.

We are strangers,” he said, in good Spanish. We belong to the trading schooner ^ Gadfly ’ now off* the coast ; and we are in pursuit of a man named Lopez who ran away.”

The sentry grinned.

A deserter ? ”

“ He is. But we don’t object to that so much as we do the fact that he’s a thief as well. He robbed us, swam ashore, and the last seen of him he was heading toward this village.”

The sentry placed the butt of his musket upon a stone and leaned socially upon the barrel.

There are some strangers in the Pueblo now,” he said. But they are Americans. And they are not sailors, but trappers. They came from Taos in New Mexico,” wonderingly ; they crossed the desert where they might have died of thirst. And all to trap beaver.”

** Lopez is a half-breed,” said the youth.

And he has a scar, made by the slash of a knife, across his left cheek.”

The sentry shook his head.

I saw no such man,” said he. ** It may be that he went with the Hudson Bay men who I hear were at work on the streams not far from here about a week ago.”

The man we are after left the schooner only this morning/* said the boy.

“ The sehor captain may have seen him/* spoke the soldier, helpfully. It is his duty to ask all strangers for their passports.**

“ Where is the sehor captain to be found? ’* asked the boy.

The soldier shook his head, shouldered his piece and prepared to resume his tramp up and down.

At this hour/* said he, ^Hhe captain is always asleep. It is his habit. Later, you can see him.**

Joe Frazier, from his post at the tall mule*s head, laughed.

The habit is a bad one,** said he in reply to an inquiring look from his friend.

And I think the quicker the sehor captain is broken of it the better. So I think, Dave, it*s your plain duty to do it.**

Dave Johnson turned soberly to the sentry. In careful Spanish he said :

lO

I am grieved to hear that your officer is asleep. Also I am sorry that under the circumstances we shall be forced to awaken him. Give him our compliments and say that two Americanos are here in a matter of much haste.^^

The sentry stared.

Wake the sehor captain I Never I He would beat me !

Dave considered, still gravely.

That would be awkward, he decided.

And I wouldnT care to see it done.' So to save you trouble, I will awaken him myself.’’

And before the astonished soldier could prevent him, he strode to the door of the adobe dwelling and began thundering upon the door. A sleepy muttering was the answer.

“ Take care ! ” cried the dismayed sentry, apparently at a loss as to how to deal with the situation. He has an evil temper, sehor I ”

II

As the knocking went on, the muttering within swelled into a roar; then the door was flung open and a squat, heavy-faced man with small, angry eyes, and a brasshilted sword in his hand, appeared. He glared at Dave, the little eyes seeming to snap.

And so,^^ said he, you will come knocking, will you, my brave fellow I Nothing will do but I must be disturbed, eh ? Not a wink must I get after all the labors of the day. Very well, senor ; we shall see.’^

He spoke quietly, but there was a menace in his tone which did not escape Joe Frazier.

Careful there, Dave,^^ he called in English. I think he^s up to something.’^ The little eyes of the Mexican officer now went to the sentry.

And my commands are worth nothing, are they, my man? I waste my breath telling you that I must not be disturbed,

and you allow the first rascally Americano 12 who comes along to come thundering at my door. Very well ! It will be your turn later 1

Again his glance shifted to Dave. The young American saluted in stiff military fashion.

Pardon me, sehor,’' he said. It is my misfortune that I had to break in upon

your slumbers. The fact is ”

But the man stopped him sharply.

Enough I said he. “ Who are you “ We belong to the schooner ‘ Gadfly.’ ”

What are you doing here ? ”

Dave related in a few words the same story he had told the sentry. The officer listened, all the time prodding the sun-baked earth before the door with the point of his sword ; there was a scowl upon his heavy face, and the small angry eyes looked red and threatening.

** A pretty story,” said he. Your passports 1 ”

They are on board the schooner. In our hurry to pursue Lopez we forgot them/^

The captain showed his teeth in what was meant for a smile. Unquestionably this fact pleased him.

Give the sentry your arms/^ he said. ** You are under arrest.’’

Dave fell back a step or two.

** He means business,” he called over his shoulder to his friend in English. “ And once he gets our guns there’s no knowing what will happen.”

** Well, we don’t give them up until we’re sure,” answered Joe promptly, throwing his weapon forward as he spoke, and covertly preparing for any action that might be forced upon them. Talk to him, old boy ; maybe you can bring him around.”

The Mexican had followed Dave with cat-like tread ; his sword was now held at arm’s length, the point not more than a foot from the lad’s chest.

“ Halt ! ” commanded he. And as Dave turned his face toward him once more, the man went on : “ I have met with impudent Americanos before this. And I know the way to deal with them. Lay down your rifles!^’

Instead of doing so, Dave’s grip tightened about the stock of his weapon ; the officer saw this and without another word his arm drew back for a swinging cut. Dave threw up the barrel of his rifle to guard his head ; the barefooted sentry saw the motion and read in it peril for his officer, for his musket lifted instantly, pointing at Dave. But Joe, in his turn, saw this, leaped forward and grasped the sentry’s arm ; the muzzle of his piece was thrown up just as it exploded ; and the captain went staggering back, fear in his face.

Guard ! Guard ! ” he shouted. “ Help I Would you see me murdered I Guard I ” From the soldiers’ quarters straggled the guard, as unkempt a lot as one would wish to see ; each grasped a musket, and each was much excited by the shot and the sudden alarm. A horde of Indians, men, women and children, also made their appearance and pressed toward the scene of action. There was an excited hubbub of voices ; the musket barrels shone in the sun ; and the tattered soldiery eagerly fingered ^the flocks as though anxious to take up their duties at once. At a word from the excited captain they formed a slovenly line.

Disarm those Americanos ! directed the officer. “ And put them under a close guard. We shall see if our lives are to be threatened by intruders in this way.^^

The grim mouths of the Mexican guns were turned upon the two lads who now stood with their backs to an adobe wall ; for a moment or two things looked very bad for them ; but then a new element showed itself which put a new face upon things.

Through the press of Indians, who made no offer to take a part in the proceedings, a half dozen buckskin-clad men shouldered

i6 their way. From their coonskin caps to their moccasined feet they looked a hardy lot ; and in their faces was that resolution which comes in time to all those who are accustomed to face danger.

Each carried a rifle in the hollow of his arm ; and silently they placed themselves between the two boys and the soldiery. One of them, a rather small young man with sandy hair and mild gray eyes, stepped toward the captain.

‘‘Just a moment, senor,^^ said he, in Spanish. “ If you^d like to listen, weVe got a word or two to say for the boys, before your men carry the matter further.’’

For a moment it seemed as though the Mexican offlcer would order his guard to fire upon the intruders ; but the cool, resolute air of the men in buckskin caused him to alter his mind. Holding up a hand in a gesture which bid his men await his further commands, he said surlily :

“ Well, senor, and who are you ? ”

The young spokesman of the party smiled.

What ! and is it possible that you’ve forgotten me so soon ? ” said he.

“ Are you the Hudson Bay man ? ”

No.”

A light seemed to break upon the Mexican.

You are of Young’s band of trappers,” said he with a smile which held an undercurrent of cunning. To be sure. I had all but forgotten you.”

The young spokesman nodded, good-humoredly.

That you’d done so, senor, shows that we’ve been giving you little trouble,” said he. ‘'And now,” with a certain bluntness of manner, “ let us come to the present matter. As it happened, we saw the affair between you and these lads. As far as I can see they are in no way to blame. It was your sentry who fired the shot, and ”

i8

Wait ! interrupted the commander of the village. To the sentry he said : Rascal, did you fire your piece?

My officer,” replied the man, I

thought you were ”

“ Enough ! ” snapped the captain. I will see to you later.”

With a wave of the hand he dismissed the guard ; the men went straggling back to their quarters; the group of Indians, puzzled and disappointed, also melted away ; then the captain turned to the spokesman of the trappers.

You see, senor, I am fair. I want to do only what is right. Please so inform your comrades, for I see they know little

Spanish. And then ” here he leaned

forward, with a cunning look in his eyes, and whispered the remainder of the sentence into the young trapper^s ear.

But the latter, a frown wrinkling his forehead, cut him short.

No,” said he, nothing like that.”

But consider/^ pleaded the captain ; “ out of good fellowship.”

The young man paid no heed ; to his comrades he said :

Now, boys, back to camp.” Then to Dave and Joe he added, Get your mules and come along. I reckon you’re not just what I would call safe in this village.”

The two lads, Joe with his arm through the bridle rein of the tall mule, trudged along at their new friend’s side.

I’m a thousand times obliged to you,” said Dave Johnson. There’s no telling what might have happened to us if you hadn’t come along.”

The trapper smiled boyishly.

“ Well,” said he, with a little drawl in his voice, I reckon the captain was a trifle anxious about you two.” Then inquiringly, Know much about these parts?”

No,” replied Joe Frazier. ‘‘We’re just from on board ship.”

WITH KIT CARSON The other nodded.

I thought it was something like that/^ he said. If you had known the lay of the land, you’d not have been so ready to tackle the captain. He’s just the very person you’d ’a’ fought shy of. You see, the Mexican government has these pueblos, or Indian villages all along here, and they don’t like Americans to come prowling around and finding out things. If you haven’t a passport they’ll arrest you, steal everything you’ve got and drive you out of the country. Or it might even be worse.”

We knew that passports were needed, but we left the schooner in a hurry, and never gave them a thought. And,” added Dave, they were very difiScult to get in the first place.”

The trapper chuckled.

'T don’t know much about getting them,” said he. “ Fact is, I never tried.

None of Young’s men have ’em, and the 21 captain back there's been walking on thorns ever since we've been here trying to find a way of arresting us." Seeing the boys' inquiring look, he added, quietly, There's eighteen of us in all, and each one knows a trifle about shooting. So you see, the captain hasn't found the job an easy one."

They had walked on some little distance, when he continued :

“ A couple of days ago the captain hit on a neat little plan. You see some of our men," and his voice lowered a trifle so that the trappers in advance might not hear, are a kind of a rough lot, and they'll drink if they get the chance. The captain's plan is to give them liquor, and then when they're helpless, take away their rifles and hatchets and knives, and pen them up somewhere. Young got wind of it, and we're keeping our eyes skinned until we're ready to take the trail back to Taos."

About a mile south of the Pueblo of Los

Angeles they came upon the trappers^ camp, a row of huts made of boughs, sod and bark. A number of buckskin-clad men lay about upon blankets or buffalo robes ; others were cooking the evening meal at the camp-fire ; while others again were cleaning their rifies or honing their broad-bladed hunting knives.

There’s Young, the trader who took out this expedition,” said the young trapper. *^What are your names, boys? I’ll introduce you.”

Mine’s Dave Johnson ; I’m from Boston,” announced that young gentleman.

And I’m Joe Frazier, from Charleston,” said the other. Then, curiously : What’s yours ? ”

“My name’s Kit Carson,” the trapper informed them ; “ once of Kentucky, later of Missouri, but now of Taos and Santa F6.”

Chapter II Around The Camp-fire

The two lads were warmly greeted by Mr. Ewing Young, the Taos trader and leader of the trapper band.

** A rather narrow squeak,” was his comment, when told of their misadventure ;

the captain back there at the Pueblo is anxious to get his revenge upon an Americano because of the trouble he^s had with us, and you lads would have pleased him well enough.”

Ewing Young was a very well-known trader and trapper. Some time before he had sent out a company in search of fur from Santa F6 toward the Colorado River country. On their way they were attacked by an Indian war party ; after a desperate

fight against great odds, the hunters were 24 forced to fall back and make their way toward New Mexico once more.

‘‘ But that just made me fighting mad/^ said the trapper chief to the boys, so I got together a party of forty Americans, Canadians and Frenchmen. At about the head of the Salt River we came on that identical war party which had so roughly handled my first company.

Kit Carson laughed as though at some amusing reminiscence.

‘‘ I never saw any parsel of humans so tickled as those redskins were,’^ said he.

They had licked us once, and they figured they^d do it the second time even quicker than the first.^'

The boys were seated upon a bearskin which one of the men had thrown upon the ground for them ; night was settling and the camp-fires blazed cheerily ; strips of venison, from the tenderest portions of bucks which had fallen before the rifie that day, were being roasted at each fire, and the savory smell filled the air. The horses and mules belonging to the outfit were safely picketed a little distance off ; the adventurers laughed and chatted and performed the duties of the camp in high good humor.

“ I reckon, Cap’n,’^ said one old grizzled fellow with a wrinkled, weather-beaten face and the clear eyes of a boy, that them thar reds hadn’t any idee how many there was of us. If they had they’d not been in such a precious hurry to come to hand grips.”

^^And the captain didn’t want them to know,” Kit Carson informed the boys.

He picked out a nice likely place and put about twenty-five men there in ambush. The Indians ofi* there in front noticed us halt to do this, and got it into their heads that we were kind of chicken-hearted in the matter. And as the rest of us started toward them they made a charge. We fell

back until they were well into the trap.

Then the boys in the ambush jumped up and gave them one volley ; and away went the whole band of warriors as fast as they could go, and never once looked back to see what had happened to them/^

I counted fifteen braves who'll never draw another bow 'cept in the Happy Hunting Grounds," said the grizzled old trapper.

And besides that, there were the wounded. That's the way to hit at the varmints ; and it's the only way to make it safe for a white man to set his traps along the streams in this region. Teach 'em a lesson, says I ; and make it one that they'll not forget, while you're about it."

But while the savages were defeated they were not altogether discomfited ; for they doggedly held to the trail of the trappers. Along the Salt to the San Francisco River, they had pursued them, and all the way along this stream to its very head waters ; their depredations were secret and under

cover of darkness ; the men learned to avoid

. 27 the camp-fires, for at any moment a deadly arrow might come hissing from the darkness ; horses and mules were killed and maimed ; traps were stolen constantly.

The loss of the traps crippled us,’^ said Kit,/‘ and at the head of the San Francisco, Mr. Clark split the party in two ; only what you see here continued on through the desert; the others took what pelts we^d trapped and turned face about for New Mexico.^^

During all the talk of the company's adventures and through the supper which shortly followed. Kit Carson noticed that the two boys were strangely silent. Now and then they showed an interest in what was said by the trappers about them ; but for the most part they sat looking into the fire or talking in a low tone. But when the meal was done and the men broke up into small knots about the fires, the two approached the young trapper. They talked

for a space upon different topics, and 28 finally, after some little hesitation, Dave Johnson said :

Being from Taos, you might know a half-breed Mexican named Lopez.’’

Kit Carson smiled.

“ Well,” said he, seeing that half the Mexicans down that way are half-breeds, it would be a hard way to pick a man. But the name Lopez is not the same as Smith or Jones,” he added thoughtfully. What kind of a man is your half-breed for looks ? ”

Rather well made, wears rings in his ears and has a knife Qut across his left cheek.”

A gleam of surprise came into Kit Carson’s face.

‘‘ Has the man anything to do with your being here ? ” he asked.

He has,” said Joe Frazier. We are in search of him.”

I thought something was wrong from the way he acted when I saw him at noon.”

You saw him I ” Both lads came to 29 their feet, their rifles in their hands. “ Where

*^Sit down,” said the trapper, quietly. “ Don't get excited. It'll do you no good, for you couldn't go looking for him to-night, anyway.”

And as the boys resumed their seats on the bearskin, he went on.

I didn't know this breed by the name of Lopez. I'd seen him often at the trading posts and the Indians called him Spotted Snake. To-day as I was riding back to camp here, with some small game that I'd been after, I met him on a badly winded horse. I was surprised to see him so far away from his usual hunting grounds.

“ ‘ Hello, Spotted Snake,' says I to him. ‘ What are you doing here ? '

At first he set out to make believe he didn't know me and that I must have made some kind of a mistake. But in a couple of minutes he saw that it wouldn't do, and climbed down to real facts.

‘ You with some trappers ? ’ says he.

‘ Young's crowd,' says I.

^ Does he want another man ? ' he says.

“ Now I know that Spotted Snake is a good trapper, so I says to him ;

^ Maybe.'

^ Good,' says he. And then : ‘ Going

away from here soon ? '

‘ Not for a week,' says I.

And with that," said Kit Carson, his eyes on the boys, he lost all interest in joining us. A few hours later I saw him headed south with a band of Pueblos and Mexicans who had been making ready for a big hunt."

There was a moment's silence ; then Dave Johnson asked :

What sort of a country is it to the south ? "

Fine country if you stick to the watercourses. Lots of game ; and," as an afterthought, “ lots of redskins."

‘‘To-morrow," said Dave to his friend, we'll send the mule back to the man we borrowed it from. Then we'll each buy a horse and some other things that we need, and we'll be off to the southward after Lopez."

Kit Carson regarded the lads quizzically.

“ It'll take a good trailer to follow that party with any chance of overtaking them," he said. “ And outside that, it's a mighty dangerous thing for two people to get out there without anything to back 'em up. The reds would gobble 'em quicker'n it takes to tell it." He studied them for a moment longer and then said quietly, If the thing's not too much of a secret, let's hear it. You've got a reason for wanting to come up with Spotted Snake; and, who knows — maybe if it's a good enough one — I might be able to help you."

“ It seems to me," said Joe, sturdily, “ every person we've met to-day has to listen to our troubles. But I guess," comically, ** we'll have to saddle you with the story, too, Mr. Carson, if you're to under- 32 stand how we came here and what we^re after/^

It has been all of six months ago,” spoke Dave, “ though I've about lost track of the time, that we left New Orleans in the bark * Gloria Santos.' She traded all along the coast until we came to Rio Janeiro ; then we shifted to the English square rigger ‘ North Star,' which carried us around the Horn and to Valparaiso. At that city we got passage on the trader ‘ Gadfly,' which worked along until we reached the mouth of the Los Angeles River.”

You came alone on this trip ? ” asked the trapper.

No,” replied Joe.

That's what I thought,” said Kit. ‘‘ But go on.”

My father's been thinking of making the voyage for the past flve years,” said Joe. “ And he thought he'd wait until Dave and I were old enough to join him. Dave and I are cousins, you see.”

But we never knew what his object was until we reached this coast/’ said Dave. “ Then we found that he had a sort of map or plan of a particular place on a California river, which had been given him by an old seaman for whom he had done an important service while they served under MacDonough on the Lakes in the last war with England.”

‘‘ Plan of a place on a river, eh ? ” spoke Kit. Well, I’ve trapped along all these streams and while they’re good for beaver and other fur bearing critters, still I don’t see anything about them that would take a man all that way a-looking for them.”

Dave glanced about at the groups of trappers as though to make sure that he was not overheard ; bending forward he whispered something in Kit Carson’s ear.

No ! ” exclaimed the trapper, incredulously.

Both boys nodded a vigorous affirmative.

The old seaman who gave my uncle 34 the map,’’ said Dave, had visited the country years ago. He was sure that there were great quantities of gold in the beds of all the streams. He was very old when my uncle met him, and that is why he didn’t make the venture himself. The map was made by him on a spot where he had seen the Indians washing out gold to make ornaments.”

It may be so,” said Kit, slowly. They find it just that way, I’m told ; so why not in California as well as any other place? ”

The captain of the ^ Gadfiy ’ was short handed when we got to a village down the coast, and he hired a Mexican and this half-breed, Lopez, to help work the schooner. The Mexican deserted at the next stop, but Lopez remained with us. In a little while we found why this was. Things began to be missed. Two nights ago as I came on deck I found him lying on his stomach looking down the open skylight into my uncle’s cabin. There was a 35 light burning in the cabin and my uncle sat at a table with a small metal box before him, going over its contents. It was in this box that he kept the map and his other valuables. I spoke to Lopez ; he got up, muttered something and walked away. This morning the half-breed was missed ; a half hour later the box was also discovered to have disappeared. It took us only a moment to put the two things together ; then Joe and I put out on board the mule, looking for him.^^

“ Your father didnT join in the hunt ? said Kit to Joe, and there was an inquiring note in his voice.

** My father,” said Joe, isn't able to ride. He's a cripple ; lost his right leg by a cannon shot at the engagement on Lake Champlain.''

I see,'' said Kit. And if the map was to be recovered, it was for you two boys to do it.” There was a short silence; then the trapper spoke again. I see now why 36

Spotted Snake was so anxious to get away from this section as soon as he could/^ Then inquiringly, Is it your idea that he took the box just because of the money value of the things in it? ”

He couldnT have known of the

map ” began Joe breathlessly. But

the trapper interrupted him.

Don’t be too sure of that,” said he. ‘‘ You are never sure of what a fellow like that knows. He goes sneaking about, peeping and listening, and often he finds out more than he’s given credit for.”

Dave was about to make a reply to this, when suddenly there was a commotion in the darkness. The voice of one of the trappers posted to the north of the camp as a guard was heard calling sharply :

‘‘ Halt ! Stand where you are I ” Instantly the groups about the fires melted ; each man seized the ever ready rifle and fell back out of the red glow. The chief of the trappers, Mr. Young, went 37 forward, and voices were heard in a sort of parley. Then the two boys saw the captain of the Pueblo advancing, a half dozen of his soldiers at his back.

Chapter III The Trappers Take The Trail

Pardon ! ” cried the Mexican, jovially, as he advanced. “ I hope I do not intrude, gentlemen.’^

The chief of the trappers, who had approached the fires with him, bid him welcome.

Sit down,^^ said Mr. Young. Glad to see you.^'