as soon as the Indians saw this,
they wavered and finally drew off. Both sides had now, seemingly, had
enough of fighting, and hostilities soon after entirely ceased, the
savages marching back and leaving the whites masters of the field.
Several of the trappers were slightly, but none dangerously, wounded.
The Indians had paid dearly, in numbers killed, for their rascality.
Finding the coast clear, Carson and his men set out and soon rejoined
their comrades on the Arkansas River. In the Spring, after having
_cached_ their fur, the whole band departed for Laramie River on
another expedition.

While on the south fork of the Platte, two of the party deserted,
taking with them three of their best animals. Suspecting their design,
Gaunt sent Kit Carson and another man in pursuit of the fugitives, who
had one day the start. As was suspected, the two deserters had gone
to the camp where the beaver fur was concealed and buried. They had
succeeded in digging it up and stealing about three hundred pounds of
this valuable property, belonging to the company in general, share and
share alike. Carson and his companion failed entirely in their
efforts to find the two men. Doubtless they never lived to enjoy their
ill-gotten wealth; for, notwithstanding careful search was made, the
men were never heard from afterwards. It is probable that they were
killed by Indians, a fate which they, at least, richly merited.

This old camp, the reader will please bear in mind, was on the
Arkansas River. Kit Carson and his comrade, after finding that the two
deserters had thus succeeded in stealing the fur which had been buried
by the company, made every further effort which lay in their power
to recover it. As has also been seen, they were unsuccessful. It now
remained for them to determine their future course. The country was so
infested with hostile Indians that it made their position, thus
alone, very precarious. To regain their commander's company was almost
impracticable; at least, without a more important object to make the
risk necessary, it was a foolhardy attempt. Time in learning the loss
was of no great importance either to their leader or their party.
Sooner or later this, as a matter of course, would be fully shown. Kit
and his comrade, therefore, determined to remain where they were, in
the old camp; and, to this end, immediately arranged everything so
that they could make a successful defence in case they should be
attacked by the s