The musicians took their seats, and the same prompter stood there that prompted for them the time I attended that other party of Mrs. Elliott's. The music started up, and I commenced to realize that I was attending a party, or the party was attending me, one of the two. They danced nearly all night, and had what they called a nice time, while I sat back in one corner scared half to death for fear they would call "ladies' choice;" and I knew Mrs. Elliott or some other lady was sure to come for me, and as my shoulder was getting most well, I was afraid that I could not get clear on the plea of being a cripple. When the party broke up, Mrs. Jackson insisted on my paying them a visit at Fort Yuma, as it would not be a great ways from where I was going to trap the coming winter. The next morning when I rode off, and different ones were waving me adieu, Mrs. Elliott told me to be sure and pay them a visit when I came to the city. CHAPTER XVIII. TRAPPING ON THE GILA.--THE PIMAS IMPART A SECRET.--RESCUE OF A WHITE GIRL.--A YOUNG INDIAN AGENT.--VISIT TO TAOS.--UNCLE KIT FAILS TO RECOGNIZE ME The same day that I left the Fort, Jim Beckwith came down to the boat bringing my horses, twelve in number, and after buying our outfit for camping, provisions, and so on, we bought quite a lot of beads, blankets, cheap rings and such goods as we could trade to the Indians for furs. The following day we pulled for the trapping region, by way of the old San Jose mission, and from there to the old mission of San Gabriel, thence across the Mojave desert. From there we struck out for the mouth of the Gila river, and crossed just where it empties into the Colorado. We then traveled up what is known as Salt river, some distance from where we crossed the Gila. This was early in January, and we found plenty of beaver that were easy to catch. No trapping had been done in that region for several years. Besides, we thought at the time, and it so proved, that we were entirely out of the way of hostile Indians. Here we put in two months trapping, with splendid success. Then, as it was getting too late in the season to trap, Jim proposed that we take our little stock of goods, or a portion of it, and visit the Pima tribe of Indians, which we found to be not as great a distance away as we had supposed, it being only about forty miles to their village. They all knew us and were glad to see us. The chief and some other of the head men were out on their annual hunt, and we did not get to see them, as we only stayed two days, during which time they treated us the very best they knew how. They had plenty of vegetables such as turnips, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.