“Where are they?” inquired the scout. “They are where I have hidden them so that neither you nor anybody else ever will find them, if I don’t want you to. There isn’t a man this side of Pain Court that can make a _cache_ as good as the one I made.” “You’re fortunate,” said Kit Carson quietly. “You’re lucky not only to have the skins, but to be able to hide them so that no one will ever find them.” “That’s where you’re right,” laughed the stranger. “What have you done with all your skins?” he added as he looked about the camp. “We have been lucky, too,” said Kit Carson quietly. “Captain White of the _Charming Nancy_ has shipped a lot of our furs as a part of his cargo.” “Maybe he’ll take mine, too.” “It’s too late. He has sailed before now.” “That’s a pity,” said Rat. “I’ll have to tote mine clear across the desert. I think I’ll have one or two of your men go with me.” “That cannot be done.” “Oh, yes, it can!” roared the man. “No,” replied Kit Carson, still speaking in low tones. “There isn’t any one of us that wants to go with you.” “What do you mean by that?” roared Rat, leaping to his feet as he spoke. “Do you mean to say my company isn’t desired?” “That isn’t what I said.” “Is that what you mean?” “I usually mean what I say.” “Is that what you mean?” again thundered the angry giant, who acted now much as if he had been striving to pick a quarrel with some one. “I haven’t anything more to say. If you want to pick a fight with some one you had better go on to some other place.” Rat now was angry and he took no pains to conceal his feelings. As yet he had not recognized Reuben, and the lad was too keenly excited by what was occurring in the camp to call the attention of the quarrelsome man to himself. “I don’t have to go on. There isn’t any American in this camp that I can’t switch.” A silence followed the speech of the boastful man and it was not broken until Kit Carson said quietly: “It’s plain you’re not an American. I am, and I demand that you take back what you said.” CHAPTER XVIII—A FIGHT Instantly a silence that was tense and could almost be felt fell upon the entire camp. All the trappers gazed in surprise first at the tall, awkward boaster and then at Kit Carson, who in comparison with the other man seemed to be little more than a boy in size. Brawls and quarrels were not uncommon among the lonely men, but this was the first time any one had known Kit Carson to join in the petty bickerings of the camp.