is was pleasing intelligence to the
trappers. They had suffered too many unprovoked insults at their hands
not to desire the avenging of their wrongs and to punish them by way
of retaliation. During the whole winter, and, in fact, from the
time the party was first organized, they had anxiously abided their
opportunity to meet and punish the rascally Blackfeet warriors. The
old scores, or sores, had been festering too long, and here was a
chance to probe them satisfactorily.

The party cautiously followed upon the trail which led to the Indian
encampment until within one day's journey of it. Here they came to a
halt. Kit Carson, with five men, was sent in advance to reconnoitre.
Upon approaching the Indians, the reconnoitering party discovered them
busily engaged driving in their animals to saddle and pack, and
making such other preparations necessary to the effecting of a hurried
decampment. Kit and his companions hastened back and reported the
results of their observations. A council was immediately held which
decided to send out forty-three picked men to give battle; and, for
the commander of this party, Kit Carson was unanimously elected. The
fifty-five men left behind under Mr. Fontenelle had the onerous duty
of guarding the animals and equipage. It was a part of the programme,
also, that the latter force should move on slowly and act as a reserve
in case of need.

Kit Carson and his command were in fine spirits and lost no time in
overhauling the village. In the first charge they killed ten of the
bravest warriors. The savages quickly recovered from this blow and
commenced retreating in good order. For three consecutive hours they
heroically received a series of these furious and deadly assaults
without offering much resistance. At the end of this time the firing
of the mountaineers began to slacken, as their ammunition was running
low. These experienced and brave, though rascally Indians, soon
surmised the cause of this sudden change of affairs. Rallying their
forces, they turned upon their assailants in right good earnest and
a desperate hand-to-hand engagement ensued. The white men now had an
opportunity to use their small arms, which told with such terrible
effect upon their foes that they were soon driven back again. They,
however, rallied once more and charged so manfully that the trappers
were forced to retreat. In this latter engagement a horse belonging
to a mountaineer by the name of Cotton, fell, throw