he resolved to abandon his
mountain life, return to the settlements, buy a farm, and live
comfortably during the remainder of his days. He accordingly made ready
to leave, and was on the eve of starting when a friend invited him to
visit a monte-bank which had been organized at the rendezvous. He was
easily led away, determined to take a little social amusement with his
old comrade, whom he might never see again, and followed him; the result
of which was that the whiskey circulated freely, and the next morning
found Baker without a cent of money; he had lost everything. His entire
plans were thus frustrated, and he returned to the mountains, hunting
with the Indians until he died.

Jim Baker's opinions of the wild Indians of the great plains and
the mountains were very decided: "That they are the most onsartinist
varmints in all creation, an' I reckon thar not more'n half human; for
you never seed a human, arter you'd fed an' treated him to the best
fixin's in your lodge, jis turn round and steal all your horses, or ary
other thing he could lay his hands on. No, not adzactly. He would feel
kind o' grateful, and ask you to spread a blanket in his lodge ef you
ever came his way. But the Injin don't care shucks for you, and is ready
to do you a lot of mischief as soon as he quits your feed. No, Cap.,"
he said to Marcy when relating this, "it's not the right way to make 'em
gifts to buy a peace; but ef I war gov'nor of these United States, I'll
tell what I'd do. I'd invite 'em all to a big feast, and make 'em think
I wanted to have a talk; and as soon as I got 'em together, I'd light in
and raise the har of half of 'em, and then t'other half would be mighty
glad to make terms that would stick. That's the way I'd make a treaty
with the dog'oned red-bellied varmints; and as sure as you're born,
Cap., that's the only way."

The general, when he first met Baker, inquired of him if he had
travelled much over the settlements of the United States before he came
to the mountains; to which he said: "Right smart, right smart, Cap."
He then asked whether he had visited New York or New Orleans. "No, I
hasn't, Cap., but I'll tell you whar I have been. I've been mighty nigh
all over four counties in the State of Illinois!"

He was very fond of his squaw and children, and usually treated them
kindly; only when he was in liquor did he at all maltreat them.

Once he came over into New Mexico, where General Marcy was stationed at
the tim