launched arrow after arrow into
his body. The first penetrated his left breast and was fatal; but he
bravely kept his feet trying to discharge the useless gun, until four
other missiles were also buried within a few inches of the first.

Kit Carson had been quick to detect the danger of the brave Delaware,
and, in the hope of saving his life, he brought his unerring rifle to
his shoulder. Just as his finger pressed the trigger, he recollected
that that, too, was unloaded.

By one of those singular fatalities which sometimes occur, Carson had
broken the tube the night before, and left the weapon unloaded. Without
trifling with it, he threw it down, drew his single barrelled pistol
and ran toward the Klamath, who was coolly launching his arrows into the
breast of the poor Delaware.

The Indian leaped from side to side, so as to distract the aim of his
enemies, and, instead of hitting him, Carson only cut the string which
held a tomahawk to the warrior's arm. The mountaineer had no other shot
at command, and Maxwell tried his hand, but in the uncertain light,
inflicted only a slight wound. The Indian at that moment wheeled to run,
when one of the whites shot him dead. By this time the alarm was general
and the assailants fled.

There was good reason to believe that the Klamath Indians had set the
snare for Lieutenant Gillespie and his escort. As it was, the wonder was
that Fremont's command did not suffer to a greater extent; for having
no sentinels on duty, the warriors might have perfected their schemes in
security and killed a large number.

The Indian who drove five arrows into the left breast of the Delaware,
three of which pierced his heart, was the leader of the attacking party.
He had an English half axe slung to his wrist by a cord, and forty
arrows were left in his quiver. Carson pronounced them the most
beautiful and warlike missiles he had ever seen.

As may be supposed the explorers "slept on their arms" for the rest of
the night, but the assailants had fled.

They had killed three of the explorers, besides wounding another of the
Delawares, who took characteristic revenge by scalping the leader
that had been left where he fell. The dead were given the best burial
possible. As illustrating the ingratitude and perfidy of these red
men, it may be stated that it was only a few days before that they had
visited Fremont's camp, and, though provisions were very scarce, they
had been given considerable food,