the Indians of the plains, which was a bad thing for the Mexican
settlements, for they left a track of desolation among them.

Few of the trappers ventured far into the mountains, where game was
abundant, so that Carson was confident of finding plenty of beavers.
In this he was not mistaken. The fur bearing animals seemed to be
overrunning the country, while the Indians acted not only as if unaware
of the fact but as if entirely ignorant of the little party of
visitors, who, making hay while the sun shines, were not long in finding
themselves with as large a supply as they could carry home.

This was the ordeal more to be dreaded than all the others. While on
their way to the beaver runs, they had nothing to do beyond taking
care of themselves; but now their valuable peltries were liable to be
captured by the Indians, who could compel their abandonment by pressing
the owners hard.

But extreme and altogether unexpected good fortune attended them, and
they reached Taos, without receiving a scratch or losing a fur. They
found on arriving at that quaint town, that there was great demand for
peltries and prices were correspondingly high. They sold out their stock
for a very liberal price, and Kit's friend, despite his advice, went
on a carousal which soon squandered all their hard earned wages. Kit
himself, however, had not lost the lesson he learned under somewhat
similar circumstances, and he laid away his funds, against the
proverbial rainy day.

By this time the character of Carson was fairly formed. He was resolute,
self reliant, sober, thoughtful, cool headed, wonderfully quick to grasp
all the points of a situation, chivalrous, agile as a panther, a perfect
master of woodcraft, and withal, charmingly modest.

While Carson was in Taos, waiting for some favorable opening to present
itself, he met Captain Lee, formerly of the United States Army, but who
was then a member of the firm of Bent and St. Vrain, engaged for so
many years in furnishing supplies to those who visited the mountains and
plains. Captain Lee at that time was thus employed and knowing the value
of a man like Carson, he made him so liberal an offer that he accepted
it on the spot.

In the Autumn of 1832, with a train of mules loaded with such goods as
were needed by trappers, Captain Lee, Carson and a number of men started
northward to find their purchasers. They followed the well worn mule
path leading from New Mexico to California and which ha