was furnished with an
escort of fifty men who were volunteers in the war against Mexico.

The journey westward was marked by no stirring incident until he reached
the eastern declivity of the Rocky Mountains, where a company of United
States Volunteers were overtaken. They had in charge an enormous train
of wagons on the way to New Mexico. On the morning after the encampment
of Carson near them, the Indians made an attack upon the volunteers,
capturing all their cattle and more than twenty horses. The mountaineer
and his men dashed to the rescue, recaptured all the cattle, but were
unable to retake the horses.

Shortly after, Carson and his company reached Santa Fe. There he parted
from the volunteers and hired sixteen others with which he continued the
journey, thereby obeying the instructions received at Fort Leavenworth.

Pursuing the even tenor of his way, he arrived at a tributary of the
Virgin River, when he abruptly came upon an encampment of several
hundred Comanches, who, as Carson happened to know, had massacred a
number of settlers only a short time before. Understanding as thoroughly
as he did the treacherous nature of these people, he made a bold front,
and, when they attempted to visit his camp, peremptorily ordered them to
keep away.

He added that he knew all about them, and the first one who moved closer
would be shot. Furthermore, if they did not depart, within a specified
time, he notified them that they would be fired upon. These were such
audacious words that the Comanches doubted their sincerity. To test it,
some of them overstayed their time. Not wishing to break his pledge,
Carson ordered his men to fire, One of the warriors fell, while several
others, who were badly wounded, came to the conclusion that when the
great mountaineer made a statement there was likely to be considerable
truth in it.

Food soon became so scarce that mule meat formed the only diet until
they reached Los Angeles. Carson pushed on to Monterey where he
delivered the despatches to the proper officer, and then returning to
Los Angeles he was assigned to duty in Captain Smith's Company of
United States dragoons. He was given command of twenty-five dragoons and
directed to proceed to Tajon Pass, through which marauding Indians were
accustomed to pass when returning from their raids in California. It
was an important point, and the winter of 1847-48 was spent in the
performance of the duties thus placed upon him. In the sp