Life of Kit Carson, the Great Western Hunter and GuideBurdett, Charles
History
Life of Kit Carson, the Great Western Hunter and Guide
Burdett, Charles
Carson Kit, 1809-1868; Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.)
"My tutor has said the same, and I too have thought so in regard to the
Mexican style of training our horses. We mount one just caught from the
drove, and ride him till he becomes gentle from exhaustion. The French
do not train horses in that way, nor the English; I have not been in the
United States. Our custom is brought from Spain; and it answers well
enough with us, where our horses go in droves, and when one is used up,
we turn him out and take up another; but when we take this animal again,
he is just as wild as at the first; we cannot afford to spend time on
breaking him when it must be done over again directly."
And so the two hours, which Carson had allotted for his visit, passed in
easy chat, and when he took his leave, his host expressed his thanks
for his visit, and promised to return it at the camp.
Carson did not again see his courteous host, for early on the following
morning, Mr. Young found it necessary that he should get his men away
from Los Angelos as speedily as possible. They had been indulging to
excess in bad liquors, and having none of the best feelings towards the
Mexicans, many quarrels, some ending in bloodshed, had ensued.
He therefore despatched Carson ahead with a few men, promising to follow
and overtake him at the earliest moment, and waiting another day, he
managed to get his followers in a tolerably sober condition, and
succeeded, though not without much trouble, in getting away without the
loss of a man, though the Mexicans were desperately enraged at the death
of one of their townsmen, who had been killed in a chance fray. In three
days he overtook Carson, and the party, once more reunited, advanced
rapidly towards the Colorado River, his men working with a heartiness
and cheerfulness, resulting from a consciousness of their misconduct at
Los Angelos, which, but for the prudent discretion of Young and Carson,
might have resulted disastrously to all concerned.
In nine days they were ready to commence trapping on the Colorado, and
in a short time added here to the large stock of furs they had brought
from California.
Here while left in charge of the camp, with only a few men, Carson found
himself suddenly confronted by several hundred Indians. They entered the
camp with the utmost assurance, and acted as though they felt the power
of their numbers. Carson at once suspected that all was not right, and
attempting to talk with them, he soon discovered that, with all their
_sang froid_, each of them carried his weapons concealed beneath his
garments, and immediately ordered them out of camp. Seeing the small
number of the white men, the Indians were not inclined to obey, but
chose to wait their time and do as they pleased, as they were accustomed
to do with the Mexicans. They soon learned that they were dealing with
men of different mettle, for Carson was a man not to be trifled with.
[Illustration: CARSON GOES AHEAD WITH THE PARTY.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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