ition. The high hopes of
Carson and his friends were chilled when it was found that the Indians
were in about as bad a plight as themselves. They had barely a mouthful
of food among them, and, when besought to barter with the whites, they
shook their heads. They had nothing to trade, and, while they felt no
hostility toward the suffering trappers, they gave them to understand
they could not afford any help at all.

But Carson had fixed his eyes on a plump old horse, and never did a
shrewd New Englander apply himself more persistently to secure a prize
than did he. Kit's companions put forth all their powers of persuasion,
but in vain, and they advised Carson that he was throwing away his
efforts in attempting the impossible.

But Carson succeeded, and when the equine was slaughtered and broiled,
the trappers enjoyed one of the most delicious feasts of their lives.
They filled themselves to repletion and felt that the enjoyment it
brought was almost worth the suffering they had undergone to obtain it.

When their strength was recruited, they resumed their journey and a few
days later reached Fort Hall. There they found abundance of food and
received a cordial welcome. In a brief while they were as strong as ever
and eager for any new enterprise.

Hundreds of bisons were in the neighborhood of the fort and Carson
and his friends slew them by the score. Indeed they kept the post well
supplied with fresh meet as long as they remained there.

The animal almost universally known as the "buffalo" is miscalled, his
correct name being the "bison," of which there are droves numbering, it
is said, as high as a hundred thousand. The flesh is held in high
repute by hunters, and not only is nourishing but possesses the valuable
quality of not cloying the appetite. The most delicate portion of the
animal is the hump which gives the peculiar appearance to his back. That
and the tongue and marrow bones are frequently the only portions made
use of by the hunter.

The hide answers many useful purposes. All know how much a "buffalo
robe" is appreciated in wintry weather by those exposed to cold. It
serves to form the Indian's tents, his bed, parts of his dress and is
sometimes made into a shield which will turn aside a rifle ball that
does not strike it fairly.

Hundreds of thousands of bisons are killed annually--myriads of them
in pure wantonness--and yet enormous droves may be encountered today in
many portions of the west, wher