shed across his mind, he threw the rifle down and drew from his
belt a single-barrelled pistol, with which he made at the warrior
who was so safely throwing his arrows into his companion. When
sufficiently near, Kit Carson fired, but as the fellow kept dodging
about, he only succeeded in cutting the string that held the tomahawk
to its red owner's arm. Maxwell now shot at this same brave and hit
him in the fleshy part of one leg; and, as he was turning to run,
which was the case with most of the Indians by this time, a bullet
from the rifle of a mountaineer passed through his heart and arrested
his progress. The whites were now fully awakened to their danger, and
about ready to commence the fight; but the enemy had scattered. If
all the savages had shown the same quickness and coolness as did their
foremost warrior, the probability is that the most, if not the whole
of the party would have been massacred. As it was, the attack was well
planned, but poorly carried out.

The result of the affair was, that Fremont lost three brave men, and
had one other wounded slightly. It now became evident that the party
had fallen into a snare which was intended for Lieutenant Gillespie
and his small force, but the coming up of Fremont had caused the
assassins to find they had caught a Tartar.

Fremont and his party apprehended no danger that night; consequently,
they did not post a guard, and as the men were very tired they slept
very soundly. Before lying down, several of them had fired off their
rifles, and, after cleaning them, they had neglected to reload them.
This was the first and last time they were guilty of such a mistake
while in an Indian country.

Of the three men killed, the one by the name of Lajeunesse was
the most regretted, for he had been with Fremont on his previous
expeditions, and had won the admiration and confidence of his
commander and companions. In a small company of men, such as these
expeditions were composed of, where every member becomes intimately
known and admired by his companions, the loss of one would be greatly
felt; but, when three such were thus suddenly taken, it caused a gloom
to be cast over the remainder, not easily to be dispelled. The only
consolation left to the living was, that they had been instrumental
in saving Lieutenant Gillespie and his four companions; therefore, in
sacrificing their comrades, they had saved more lives than had been
lost.

There were no more thoughts of sleep