able
personage than Captain Shunan, who appeared to spend all his spare
time in trying to provoke quarrels with those around him. Sometimes he
succeeded, but more often his insolence was submitted to by men as brave
as he, but who wished to avoid trouble with him.

The activity and strength of the Frenchman were so great that a skilful
pugilist would have found difficulty in handling him. The only ground
upon which he could be met with anything like fairness was where
firearms were used.

On one of these occasions, the bully became unbearable in his behavior.
He knocked down several weak and inoffensive persons, and swaggered back
and forth through camp, boasting that he could trounce any one there. In
the midst of his bluster, Carson walked up in front of him and said in a
voice loud enough to be heard by those around:

"Captain Shunan, there are plenty here who can easily chastise you, but
they prefer to submit to your impudence for the sake of peace: however,
we have had enough and now I notify you to stop at once or I shall kill
you!"

These were astounding words, and, as may be supposed, when uttered by
a man six inches shorter and many pounds lighter than the blustering
Captain, they fairly took away his breath. Carson spoke in his quiet,
soft voice, as though there was not the least cause for excitement;
but those who knew him, noted the flash of his clear, gray eye and
understood his deadly earnestness.

Captain Shunan was infuriated by the words of Carson. As soon as he
could recover himself, he turned about and without speaking a word,
walked to his quarters. Kit did not need be told what that meant. He
did the same, walking to his own lodge, from which he speedily emerged
holding a single barrel pistol. He was so anxious to be on the ground in
time, that he caught up the first weapon that presented itself.

Almost at the same moment, Captain Shunan appeared with his rifle.
Carson observed him, and, though he could have secured without
difficulty a similar weapon, he did not do so. He was willing to give
his burly antagonist the advantage, if it should prove such. The other
trappers as may be supposed, watched the actions of the two men with
breathless interest. The quarrel had taken such a course that they
were convinced that one or the other of the combatants would be killed.
Captain Shunan had been so loud in his boasts that he did not dare
swallow the insult, put on him by the fragile Kit Carson. Ha