ted until he thought his friend Fox was sufficiently advanced on
the road to accomplish his hellish purposes without any chance of his
being overtaken and arrested. He then saw fit to divulge the plot.

Every new country is the favorite place of resort for desperadoes and
rascals of all grades, who cannot live in their native districts on
account of their many crimes.

Until the machinery of law and order begins to work smoothly, these
fellows, in their new homes, have every thing their own way unless
they go to too great excesses, when their neighbors will rise
for their own protection and treat them with summary and severe
punishment. Often, by thus making an example of a few, large numbers
are prevented from doing further mischief. In the early history
of nearly every one of our western territories, escaped convicts,
murderers, thieves and the worst sort of humanity, mingled in with
good men, have commenced their nefarious practices on a grand scale.
These things have brought such sections of our country into bad
repute abroad. It needs but time for communities to ferret these
human monsters out and visit upon them a just retribution. The inland
position of New Mexico and the consequent difficulty of intercourse
with the General Government of the United States, made it an inviting
place, from time to time, for men of this stamp to visit; but, as they
have met on most occasions with a reception from the friends of order,
not in the least suited to their tastes, they have almost ceased their
coming, thereby showing what a few resolute men can accomplish at the
commencement of such trouble. The reforming work of mitigating the
evil, which is sure to result among a mixed population under the best
regulations, is slowly progressing, and the day is not far distant,
when New Mexico, in this respect, will compare favorable with her
sister (and older) territories.

The purport of this diabolical plot accidentally came to the ears of
an officer in the army, who chanced to be in Taos at the time. This
gentleman was one of the first to hear of it, and at once sought Kit
Carson; but instead of directly telling him what he had just heard,
from some strange reason of his own, he demanded of Kit whether
he would be willing to pursue and apprehend Fox for debt. To this
proposition Kit Carson replied in the negative.

On hearing Kit's indignant refusal to be employed in such a menial
undertaking, the officer concluded to lay the t