f hostilities, must certainly fall before the
rifles of the white man. And should the remaining two rush on before their
opponents could reload, still the white men had their revolvers in hand,
and it was not improbable that the other two might be shot. These were not
the circumstances under which the Indians were willing to enter into
battle. After a short delay and many defiant gestures, they departed.

Mr. Carson and his noble-hearted boy immediately resumed their journey,
and after five days of hard riding reached Fort Bent. Here Mr. Carson
learned that the Texan Rangers, having incautiously entered the territory
of the United States, were all captured and disarmed. This relieved the
conductors of the Mexican train from all anxiety. The dispatches which Mr.
Carson had borne were left at the fort, from which place they were sent
back to Santa Fe.

A few days before Mr. Carson arrived at Bent's Fort, from this expedition
into New Mexico, Mr. Fremont had passed by, on a second expedition to the
still far off west. Carson was anxious to see his old friend and comrade
again. He mounted his horse and, following his trail, by rapid riding
overtook him after a pursuit of seventy miles. Colonel Fremont manifested
the greatest pleasure in again meeting Mr. Carson, and so urged him to
join the expedition that he decided to do so. It had become manifest that
the party needed more mules to assist them in their operations. In
climbing wild mountains these hardy animals are far more valuable than
horses.

Kit Carson was sent back to Fort Bent to procure the mules, and to rejoin
the party at St. Vrain's Fort, on the south fork of the Platte. Here Major
Fitzpatrick, with a reinforcement of forty men, was added to the
expedition. On Mr. Carson's return with the mules, the exploring party was
divided into two forces; the main body, under Major Fitzpatrick, following
the eastern bank of the river to the site of the present city of Denver,
and then west, through the passes of the mountains. They took with them
nearly all the camp equipage.

Colonel Fremont, with Kit Carson as a guide, accompanied by fifteen men,
in what may be called light marching order, followed along the Thompson
river some miles, directly west, then struck north about thirty miles, to
the Cache le Poudre river. This stream they followed up in a northwesterly
direction some sixty miles, through a ravine in the mountains, till they
reached the head waters of the La