Latest / Life and Adventures of Kit Carson / 29 - Life and Adventures of Kit Carson by DeWitt C. Peters

Transcript

29 - Life and Adventures of Kit Carson by DeWitt C. Peters · Life and Adventures of Kit Carson

0:00
Speaker 1: Section twenty eight, Chapter sixteen, Part two of the Life
0:04
Speaker 1: and Adventures of Kit Carson. This is a LibriVox recording.
0:08
Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
0:12
Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
0:17
Speaker 1: by Phil Schamp. The Life and Adventures of Kit Carson
0:22
Speaker 1: by de Witt C. Peters, Section twenty eight, Chapter sixteen,
0:26
Speaker 1: Part two. The mountain on which the apaches were concealed,
0:31
Speaker 1: as described in this adventured with them, is devoid of trees,
0:36
Speaker 1: and hence is what in Western language is known as
0:38
Speaker 1: a bald mountain. Its summit contained a dry basin, which,
0:43
Speaker 1: besides the open lookout that the Eminence commanded, formed another
0:47
Speaker 1: inducement to these Indians in selecting it for a hiding place.
0:51
Speaker 1: The route from New Mexico to the United States, which
0:54
Speaker 1: we have before spoken of as the Benz Fort Road,
0:58
Speaker 1: runs through or rather close to, the Ratone Mountains. On
1:02
Speaker 1: account of its being well timbered and offering somewhat of
1:05
Speaker 1: a protection, this route is often chosen late in the
1:08
Speaker 1: autumn and early in the spring as the safest for
1:11
Speaker 1: caravans to travel. As a hunting district, it cannot be surpassed,
1:16
Speaker 1: especially in the seasons of the year above mentioned, as
1:19
Speaker 1: the game collects there for shelter from cold and storms.
1:24
Speaker 1: At night, a squad of men under command of Lieutenant R.
1:27
Speaker 1: Johnston of the first Regiment of the United States Dragoons
1:31
Speaker 1: secreted themselves in the camp lately occupied by the Indians,
1:35
Speaker 1: in the expectancy that some of them would return to
1:38
Speaker 1: reconnoiter and see what had been done there. Along with
1:42
Speaker 1: this detachment there was a man belonging to the spy
1:45
Speaker 1: company who could counterfeit the call used by these Indians
1:48
Speaker 1: when they wished to find each other and collect their forces.
1:52
Speaker 1: At about midnight, when all was still, this peculiar toned
1:56
Speaker 1: whistle was sounded. When lo and behold, two warriors and
2:00
Speaker 1: two squaws came forth and commenced groping about in the darkness.
2:04
Speaker 1: They were fired upon, but as no accurate aim could
2:07
Speaker 1: be taken, only one of the men was mortally wounded.
2:10
Speaker 1: There was no reason to doubt that there were more
2:12
Speaker 1: of these Indians concealed in the neighborhood, but the report
2:15
Speaker 1: of the rifles and the yells of their exposed brothers
2:19
Speaker 1: caused them to cling to their hiding places and as
2:22
Speaker 1: the shades of night advanced, they thought it was best
2:25
Speaker 1: to be on the move to distant parts. Hence they escaped.
2:29
Speaker 1: The Apaches in this affray parted with forty head of
2:32
Speaker 1: horses and also their scanty allowance of camp equipage, for
2:36
Speaker 1: by prosecuting the war they were fast becoming poverty stricken.
2:40
Speaker 1: But to do them as much harm as possible, all
2:43
Speaker 1: the articles that could be of any service to them
2:45
Speaker 1: were collected and destroyed. A spectator, not used to seeing
2:49
Speaker 1: Indians in all phases, on beholding these apaches in their
2:52
Speaker 1: most nourishing condition, would at once decide they had but
2:56
Speaker 1: little else to lose than their bodies, for they usually
2:59
Speaker 1: have but a small quantity of clothing on them. But
3:02
Speaker 1: this is but an instance where human eyes can be
3:05
Speaker 1: easily deluded. As long as he has his rifle with
3:08
Speaker 1: plenty of ammunition, or even when he is reduced to
3:11
Speaker 1: his bow and arrows, the Apache still considers that he
3:14
Speaker 1: is amply provided to carry on war. Least of all
3:17
Speaker 1: the Indians in the far West does this race prepare
3:21
Speaker 1: for the future. When deprived of his horse, which he
3:24
Speaker 1: is ready at a moment's warning to convert into food
3:26
Speaker 1: by killing his spirits are as buoyant as if he
3:29
Speaker 1: was mounted on the fleet as charger. He is equally
3:32
Speaker 1: careless about partaking of his last morsel of nourishment, although
3:36
Speaker 1: his rashness may drive him, as it often does, to
3:39
Speaker 1: the alternative of subsisting on roots and bark, or such
3:42
Speaker 1: other articles as may fall in his way. On the
3:46
Speaker 1: morning of the day that the Apache village was discovered
3:49
Speaker 1: and captured, Kit Carson rode up to his superior officer
3:52
Speaker 1: and said, Major, if no accident shall happen to prevent us,
3:56
Speaker 1: we are certain to overtake the Indians by two o'clock
3:59
Speaker 1: this afternoon. The signs are becoming so fresh that I
4:02
Speaker 1: feel confident that I will not be mistaken. Carlton replied
4:06
Speaker 1: that if his words came true, he would present him
4:08
Speaker 1: with the finest hat that could be purchased in the
4:11
Speaker 1: United States. Strange as it may appear, the Indians were
4:15
Speaker 1: found at the hour which the guide had predicted. Some
4:18
Speaker 1: time afterward, as it required quite a length of time
4:21
Speaker 1: to write and have the commission executed, Kit Carson was
4:25
Speaker 1: presented with a superb hat in which there was a
4:28
Speaker 1: very appropriate inscription, viz. At two o'clock Kit Carson from
4:33
Speaker 1: Major Carlton. This prophecy was not guess work. On the contrary,
4:38
Speaker 1: it was a matter of calculation made on the same
4:41
Speaker 1: principle which any experienced workman would adopt in reference to
4:45
Speaker 1: some undertaking that was within the range of his calling.
4:49
Speaker 1: A few years later, an officer who had been an
4:51
Speaker 1: eye witness of this incident had the opportunity of trying
4:55
Speaker 1: Kit Carson a second time on the same business. But
4:58
Speaker 1: Kit was not mistaken. The Indians were overtaken within five
5:02
Speaker 1: minutes from the time he had foretold they would be.
5:06
Speaker 1: Major Carleton, having performed all that lay in his power,
5:09
Speaker 1: commenced his homeward bound march. While en route, he traveled
5:13
Speaker 1: by the head waters of the Canadian River and its tributaries,
5:17
Speaker 1: and passed over bold and lofty mountains and through a
5:20
Speaker 1: picturesque country. Finally he reached Taos. His command was in
5:24
Speaker 1: very good condition, considering the hardships to which it had
5:27
Speaker 1: been exposed. Although we say in common parlance that this
5:32
Speaker 1: command returned in good condition. Yet it must not be
5:35
Speaker 1: presumed by this assertion that they came back making a
5:38
Speaker 1: fine appearance like that presented by soldiers on a parade.
5:43
Speaker 1: When out on these campaigns, the comfort of the men
5:46
Speaker 1: is considered to be of more importance than either pomp
5:48
Speaker 1: or show. Hence, those military trappings which are not particularly
5:53
Speaker 1: essential are left behind, while there is just enough uniformity
5:57
Speaker 1: of dress remaining to make them recognizable as soldier. But
6:01
Speaker 1: little luggage can be transported on these trips. Hence the
6:04
Speaker 1: soldiers are obliged to limit their wants to actual necessity,
6:08
Speaker 1: which seldom amounts to more than the clothes they had
6:11
Speaker 1: on When about starting out, the soldiers bear the appearance
6:15
Speaker 1: of being ready for hard work, which after finishing they
6:19
Speaker 1: are glad to return, even if they present themselves at
6:22
Speaker 1: their quarters and rags. It is wonderful what a change
6:25
Speaker 1: in personal appearance a few weeks can make by traveling
6:28
Speaker 1: in the mountains. The person thus exposed particularly conforms to
6:32
Speaker 1: the habits of the wild Indians, both in appearance and
6:35
Speaker 1: boat of life. Such toilet articles, as meares and razors
6:39
Speaker 1: with their paraphernalia are dispensed, with personal beauty being the
6:43
Speaker 1: thing the most to be despised in lieu thereof robust
6:47
Speaker 1: health shows itself in the cheek, the eye, and the
6:50
Speaker 1: whole economy of the man. The blood courses through his
6:54
Speaker 1: veins as pure as the water in the mountain streams
6:56
Speaker 1: about him. By this training, the mind becomes clear and
7:00
Speaker 1: well balanced. The whole system reaches a condition which far
7:03
Speaker 1: surpasses the finest constructed machinery. This happy state of the
7:07
Speaker 1: body does not, however, communicate itself to the fantastical appearance
7:11
Speaker 1: of the soldiers as they come marching along. Were they
7:15
Speaker 1: to enter a town belonging to a civilized community when
7:18
Speaker 1: arraid in this mountain costume, they would at once be
7:21
Speaker 1: judged as a band of desperadoes. On arriving at his home,
7:26
Speaker 1: kit Carson resumed the duties of his office as Indian agent,
7:30
Speaker 1: which occupied his time during the remainder of the year.
7:33
Speaker 1: Soon after, another expedition was organized and sent out against
7:37
Speaker 1: the Apaches, but it returned unsuccessful. We have used this
7:42
Speaker 1: word organizing when speaking of the fitting out of various
7:46
Speaker 1: expeditions against the Indians, and it seems proper that here
7:50
Speaker 1: we should give the reader an idea of what kind
7:52
Speaker 1: of preparation is necessary to put one of these commands
7:55
Speaker 1: in proper trim. The company or companies of soldiers will
7:59
Speaker 1: be first detailed for the arduous duties of the field
8:02
Speaker 1: to castigate the Indians. This matter is easy to accomplish,
8:07
Speaker 1: but the next thing to be thought of is to
8:09
Speaker 1: take care of these troops, which is not quite so
8:12
Speaker 1: puerile a task. The quartermaster estimates from the number of
8:16
Speaker 1: the soldiers how many mules will be required to transport
8:20
Speaker 1: their luggage, equipments and provisions. This having been determined upon,
8:25
Speaker 1: he collects the animals and has them provided with pack saddles.
8:29
Speaker 1: The task of shoeing the horses and mules is also
8:32
Speaker 1: no easy matter, for they cannot go until after they
8:35
Speaker 1: have been properly shod. A certain weight of freight is
8:38
Speaker 1: assigned to each pack mule, and a suitable number of
8:41
Speaker 1: men are employed to take care of, load and unload
8:44
Speaker 1: these animals when in camp. When on the march, these
8:48
Speaker 1: men perform duty as drivers and otherwise look after their charge.
8:53
Speaker 1: Notwithstanding their proverbial obstinacy, these pack mules quickly learn the
8:58
Speaker 1: labor which they have to perform. After finishing their usual
9:02
Speaker 1: day's work, they often exhibit impatience to be relieved of
9:05
Speaker 1: their burdens in the morning. They are correspondently reluctant about
9:09
Speaker 1: being loaded, and by their hostile demonstrations, they plainly show
9:13
Speaker 1: their unwillingness to engage in further labor. Especially this is
9:18
Speaker 1: true when by careless management their backs have become injured,
9:22
Speaker 1: or when, from the steadiness of pressure from the dead
9:24
Speaker 1: weight of their cargoes, the same result has been brought about.
9:29
Speaker 1: The Mexicans understand the art of packing animals to perfection.
9:33
Speaker 1: Hence they are preferred among other men to serve in
9:35
Speaker 1: this capacity. It is often a laughable scene to witness
9:39
Speaker 1: a mule who is used to the business, having is
9:42
Speaker 1: loads trapped on and otherwise arranged in proper place. The packer,
9:46
Speaker 1: with a lashing rope in hand, and with his foot
9:49
Speaker 1: braced against the side of the animal by the assistance
9:52
Speaker 1: of a kind of pulley arrangement in the saddle gearing,
9:55
Speaker 1: uses his utmost endeavors to make things as firm as possible.
10:00
Speaker 1: Every effort which he thus put forth is strenuously and
10:03
Speaker 1: obstinately resisted by a trick, which we will call the
10:06
Speaker 1: straining process, that is resorted to by the mule. The
10:10
Speaker 1: animal seems to know when his pack is securely and
10:12
Speaker 1: properly adjusted, for if it is not, he is ready
10:16
Speaker 1: to dump it on the first opportunity occurring when the
10:20
Speaker 1: mules are loaded. They start out in a drove and
10:22
Speaker 1: are allowed to select their own path, provided they follow
10:26
Speaker 1: on after the command. It generally happens that one of
10:29
Speaker 1: them is more ambitious than his companions, this one taking
10:33
Speaker 1: the lead. The others resigned to him their right to
10:36
Speaker 1: the place, and are content to keep his company at
10:39
Speaker 1: a respectful distance in the rear. One of the duties
10:42
Speaker 1: of the Commissary Department in fitting out such expeditions is
10:45
Speaker 1: to provide a sufficient quantity of rasions for the men,
10:49
Speaker 1: such as beef, bacon, beans, sugar and coffee. These form
10:54
Speaker 1: the reliable subsistence of the soldiers while absent from their
10:58
Speaker 1: posts or the settlements. The estimate is judged by the
11:02
Speaker 1: number of days which the expedition will require to be
11:04
Speaker 1: absent in order to perform a certain amount of work.
11:08
Speaker 1: From this result is calculated the weight and number of
11:11
Speaker 1: rations required, always when practicable, allowing a small surplice. In
11:17
Speaker 1: this respect, Old and experienced soldiers are far superior to volunteers.
11:22
Speaker 1: The former will allow no waste. They are accustomed to
11:25
Speaker 1: being methodic in their modes of life, while the volunteer
11:28
Speaker 1: is usually ignorant of such teaching. Hence he is wanting
11:33
Speaker 1: in making little things go a great way while out
11:36
Speaker 1: on one of these campaigns. It is often practicable to
11:40
Speaker 1: a certain extent, provided the undertaking is not a hotly
11:43
Speaker 1: contested chase, to drive along beef cattle, which can be
11:47
Speaker 1: killed and used at discretion. Bacon, however, is the soldier's
11:52
Speaker 1: sheet anchor, and the variety of forms in which he
11:55
Speaker 1: can cook and prepare for eating this article while in
11:58
Speaker 1: the field would astonish even a free ranch chef de cuisine.
12:02
Speaker 1: It very frequently happens, however, that in an Indian country,
12:05
Speaker 1: he is not allowed to exercise his talent for making
12:08
Speaker 1: large fires may have the effect of uprising the enemy
12:11
Speaker 1: of the near approach of danger. In such a case,
12:15
Speaker 1: he is obliged to make his coffee in a tin
12:17
Speaker 1: cup over a very small fire, the fuel of which
12:20
Speaker 1: consists of a handful of dry twigs, which are carefully
12:23
Speaker 1: and cautiously replenished as the fur supply is consumed. This coffee,
12:29
Speaker 1: together with the remains of his last frugal meal, serves
12:32
Speaker 1: to stay his appetite for the time being. Nolan's Volans,
12:36
Speaker 1: the organization is said to be complete and fit for service,
12:39
Speaker 1: when the soldiers are judiciously provided with arms, ammunition, and
12:43
Speaker 1: riding horses. When the party consists of mounted men, they
12:46
Speaker 1: are also provided with other articles as deemed necessary, which
12:51
Speaker 1: are included, usually under the heading of an outfit for
12:54
Speaker 1: the especial business in which the soldier is to engage.
12:58
Speaker 1: In the latter part of the summer, Carson departed from
13:01
Speaker 1: the agency on a visit to the band of Utah's,
13:04
Speaker 1: one of the tribes who were placed under his special care.
13:08
Speaker 1: Although usually he went to their country several times a year,
13:11
Speaker 1: yet more frequently these Indians came to him in order
13:15
Speaker 1: they might enjoy the hospitality of his house and receive
13:18
Speaker 1: from him presence of tobacco and other little commodities, which
13:22
Speaker 1: he was always sure to give them articles which he
13:24
Speaker 1: generally had to pay for himself in visiting them at
13:28
Speaker 1: their home. On this particular occasion, kit Carson had the
13:31
Speaker 1: double object in view of notifying them of the moon
13:34
Speaker 1: when they must meet the Superintendent of Indian Affairs of
13:37
Speaker 1: the territory at Aboquiu, a town adjacent to their hunting
13:40
Speaker 1: grounds and one which they often frequented, and also to
13:44
Speaker 1: inform himself of the schemes which they had on foot,
13:48
Speaker 1: and their actual wants, so he could report to the
13:50
Speaker 1: proper authorities the necessary articles of which they stood most
13:54
Speaker 1: in need. To divine the actual wants and requirements of
13:58
Speaker 1: Indians is a subject to which has puzzled many a
14:01
Speaker 1: person who has endeavored to thoroughly investigate their character and
14:06
Speaker 1: who has understood their mode of life. If the question
14:09
Speaker 1: was left to themselves, it would be readily settled. For
14:12
Speaker 1: they desire to possess everything which in the least pleases
14:16
Speaker 1: their active fancy, and so extensive are their demands in
14:19
Speaker 1: this respect that they know no limit. Provided their own
14:22
Speaker 1: inclinations are consulted by some, it is supposed that the
14:27
Speaker 1: presence of blankets and trinkets, which they annually receive from
14:30
Speaker 1: the government are more than sufficient rewards for depriving them
14:34
Speaker 1: of parts of their country. Others there are who charitably
14:38
Speaker 1: add to these things presence of weapons and ammunition, arguing
14:42
Speaker 1: that thus they can kill game and gain their own
14:44
Speaker 1: subsistence without resorting to plunder. But alas this latter argument
14:49
Speaker 1: is not found in the majority of instances, to be
14:52
Speaker 1: the peaceful manner in which they employ these gifts very
14:56
Speaker 1: often the weapons which they have but recently received, are
14:59
Speaker 1: t earned upon their donors with a view of destroying them.
15:03
Speaker 1: The reasoning of the Indian in regard to these presents
15:06
Speaker 1: is perhaps right and just, yet it is by no
15:09
Speaker 1: means pleasing to the exposed frontiersmen. The Indian argues that
15:14
Speaker 1: these gifts are but rights which he is forced to
15:17
Speaker 1: receive in lieu of his hunting grounds, with which he
15:19
Speaker 1: is very loath to part, no matter what be the
15:22
Speaker 1: terms or consideration offered. The inference which he draws is
15:26
Speaker 1: that he can use these presents as he pleases. Money
15:30
Speaker 1: in the hands of wild Indians is almost worthless to them,
15:33
Speaker 1: and paying it for their lands by way of annuity
15:36
Speaker 1: is extreme folly. Some of them, in time, as they
15:39
Speaker 1: have become half civilized, begin to appreciate the value of money.
15:44
Speaker 1: Such only should be allowed to receive or accept it.
15:47
Speaker 1: They sometimes desire it by way of ornament, then by
15:50
Speaker 1: the usual means of exchanging property they know how easily
15:54
Speaker 1: to obtain it. Every tribe has its own peculiarities in
15:58
Speaker 1: respect to its wants. The best judge of these is
16:01
Speaker 1: the agent who should be first chosen for his honor, integrity,
16:05
Speaker 1: and skill. And then allowed a large discretion in his decisions.
16:10
Speaker 1: The distance to be traveled over while on this duty
16:13
Speaker 1: was in the vicinity of two hundred and fifty miles,
16:16
Speaker 1: and was performed like all of Kit's previous journeys on horseback. Indeed,
16:22
Speaker 1: there are but few men, living or dead, who have
16:25
Speaker 1: ridden in the saddle over as much territory as the
16:27
Speaker 1: man we write of. On his way to the Utah village,
16:31
Speaker 1: Kit accidentally fell in with the Apaches, But as he
16:34
Speaker 1: was constantly on the lookout and therefore first in making
16:38
Speaker 1: the discovery, he lost no time in effecting his escape
16:41
Speaker 1: from them. By changing his course, he was thus able
16:45
Speaker 1: to pass around them in perfect safety. Kit Carson met
16:49
Speaker 1: with no difficulty in finding the Utahs, among whom he
16:52
Speaker 1: spent two days investigating their affairs. Just before parting with them,
16:57
Speaker 1: he left directions for them to be at the council
17:00
Speaker 1: at the time appointed, which was in the new moon
17:02
Speaker 1: of October. Notwithstanding, his path was beset with the same
17:07
Speaker 1: perils that existed on his outward journey, Yet by careful traveling,
17:11
Speaker 1: he surmounted them all and arrived at his home safe
17:14
Speaker 1: and sound. Little or nothing worth noting transpired until the
17:18
Speaker 1: time arrived for him to set out for Abiquilloux, where
17:21
Speaker 1: all the parties soon assembled in Grand Consul and proceeded
17:24
Speaker 1: to business. Speeches were made by the Superintendent, by kit Carson,
17:29
Speaker 1: and by the head chiefs. After these interesting proceedings were
17:32
Speaker 1: gone through with the annuities to which the band were
17:35
Speaker 1: entitled according to their treaty were presented to them, which
17:39
Speaker 1: they received with outward signs of friendship. Though the knowing
17:43
Speaker 1: ones who were on the ground could see lurking beneath
17:46
Speaker 1: the stowake appearance which a savage usually assumes one facing
17:50
Speaker 1: his white brother, that the Red men were not entirely
17:52
Speaker 1: satisfied with past events. However, every means had been employed
17:57
Speaker 1: to pacify the band, who on first come into the
18:00
Speaker 1: council had succeeded in showing that they had been greatly
18:03
Speaker 1: outraged and injured, and that they had sufficient cause for resentment.
18:08
Speaker 1: The following circumstances will show the truth of this. Just
18:12
Speaker 1: previous to the holding of the council, one of the warriors,
18:15
Speaker 1: who was much esteemed by his tribe, had been waylaid
18:18
Speaker 1: and murdered by a small party of Mexicans. The only
18:22
Speaker 1: excuse offered by the latter for committing this bloody deed
18:25
Speaker 1: was that they wished to deprive the warrior of an
18:27
Speaker 1: old coat, which by some means had come into his possession.
18:32
Speaker 1: The killing of a human being to deprive him of
18:34
Speaker 1: a garment which was almost worthless is perfectly characteristic of
18:38
Speaker 1: that depravity exhibited by the lower classes of Mexicans. It
18:42
Speaker 1: is a singular fact that these people loved to steal
18:45
Speaker 1: trifling articles or sums of money. We remember two instances
18:50
Speaker 1: where this trait is singularly illustrated. An American on one occasion,
18:55
Speaker 1: left on a table in his log house a large
18:57
Speaker 1: sum of money in gold. He sent a Mexican into
19:01
Speaker 1: the room to bring him something which he wanted, but
19:03
Speaker 1: the man returned saying he could not find it. The
19:07
Speaker 1: American now went himself to look for the article, and
19:10
Speaker 1: while in the house recounted his money and found that
19:13
Speaker 1: one of the smallest coins was missing. He at once
19:16
Speaker 1: called the thief and charged him with the crime. The
19:19
Speaker 1: Mexican knew this American to be very resolute, when therefore
19:23
Speaker 1: he heard him threaten him with severe and summary punishment
19:26
Speaker 1: if he did not at once produce the money. He
19:29
Speaker 1: knew there was no escape, and accordingly drew from its
19:32
Speaker 1: hiding place on his very person the missing coin and
19:35
Speaker 1: restored it to its owner. The American, being used to
19:39
Speaker 1: such every day occurrences, passed by the affair without further notice.
19:43
Speaker 1: In the other instance, an American was traveling and occasion
19:47
Speaker 1: to stop at a Mexican's house during the night. On
19:50
Speaker 1: going to pay his bill for his lodging in the morning,
19:52
Speaker 1: he noticed that two pieces of his money had been
19:55
Speaker 1: abstracted while he was sleeping. These coins had been taken,
19:59
Speaker 1: one from either of his purse. This was what drew
20:02
Speaker 1: his attention to the fact of his having been robbed.
20:06
Speaker 1: The host was informed of what had happened, and at
20:09
Speaker 1: once proceeded to restore the missing money. He called his
20:12
Speaker 1: son to him, a boy twenty years of age, and
20:15
Speaker 1: after threatening a good deal, he made the lad take
20:18
Speaker 1: his choice between owning the theft or submitting to the
20:21
Speaker 1: risk of being discovered by the search of his person
20:24
Speaker 1: for the missing coins. This had the desired effect, and
20:27
Speaker 1: at once the stolen property was returned to its rightful owner.
20:32
Speaker 1: Both of these facts are simple and perhaps uninteresting, but
20:35
Speaker 1: they served to exhibit a characteristic of the lower classes
20:39
Speaker 1: of Mexicans. Doubtless such paltry thieving is the result of
20:44
Speaker 1: a want of animal courage, easily discernible by the close
20:47
Speaker 1: observer of the Mexican race. Of course, there are many
20:51
Speaker 1: exceptions to this statement. The white men interested in the
20:54
Speaker 1: council had their hands full in their endeavors to smooth
20:58
Speaker 1: over this affair, for the Indians were much dissatisfied with
21:02
Speaker 1: such treatment. At first, they demanded that reparation should be
21:05
Speaker 1: made them by their agents, giving them a certain number
21:08
Speaker 1: of horses. The superintendent explained to them that he had
21:12
Speaker 1: not the power to do this, but he assured them
21:15
Speaker 1: that the murderers should be arrested and dealt with according
21:18
Speaker 1: to law. The Indians willingly received this promise, but seemed
21:22
Speaker 1: to feel as finally was the fact that they were
21:26
Speaker 1: doomed to be disappointed as far as the punishment was concerned.
21:30
Speaker 1: It afterwards happened that only one of the murderers was apprehended,
21:33
Speaker 1: and in a very short time after he was locked
21:36
Speaker 1: up as a prisoner, he succeeded in making his escape
21:39
Speaker 1: and was never retaken. This was all that was ever
21:43
Speaker 1: done by those in authority to render the justice which
21:45
Speaker 1: had been agreed upon, and which was richly due to
21:48
Speaker 1: the Indians. After quitting the council, and while on their
21:52
Speaker 1: way back to the hunting ground, the smallpox broke out
21:55
Speaker 1: among the Red Men and carried off in its ravages
21:58
Speaker 1: the leading men of this band of war watching utahs.
22:02
Speaker 1: On the first appearance of this trouble, the Indians held
22:05
Speaker 1: a council among themselves and decided that the superintendent was
22:08
Speaker 1: the cause of the pestilence which had visited them. They
22:12
Speaker 1: also decided that he had collected them together in order
22:15
Speaker 1: thus to injure them and to further his designs. He
22:18
Speaker 1: presented to each of their distinguished warriors a blanket coat.
22:22
Speaker 1: They found that nearly every Indian who had accepted and
22:24
Speaker 1: worn this article had died. It so happened that the writer,
22:29
Speaker 1: several years after these events occurred, visited the camp where
22:32
Speaker 1: this pestilence reigned in its full vigor. The sight of
22:35
Speaker 1: this camp was very beautiful. Perhaps it was this, aided
22:39
Speaker 1: by other circumstances, which caused the Red Men to select
22:42
Speaker 1: it as a refuge for their sick The place is
22:45
Speaker 1: located at the west side of the Valley of San
22:47
Speaker 1: Luis and is about midway between its upper and lower extremes,
22:52
Speaker 1: two mountain streams have so joined as to form a
22:55
Speaker 1: peninsula of table land, which is well shaded by cottonwood trees.
23:00
Speaker 1: This ground, when the writer saw it, was literally strewn
23:03
Speaker 1: with the bleached bones of the Indian victims who had
23:06
Speaker 1: died from the scourge. As we lifted up one skull
23:09
Speaker 1: and another, the thought struck us that perhaps we might
23:12
Speaker 1: have touched the bones which once belonged to the famous
23:15
Speaker 1: Chiek chico Velaskez, of whom we have spoken, as it
23:19
Speaker 1: was here that he died. Had we done so knowingly
23:23
Speaker 1: on account of that man's many cruel deeds, a thrill
23:26
Speaker 1: of horror must have run through our veins. The funeral
23:29
Speaker 1: rites of the dead among the Indians were clearly exemplified here.
23:34
Speaker 1: Whatever may be these rites observed among the Indians on
23:36
Speaker 1: the west side of the rocky mountains, I am satisfied
23:39
Speaker 1: that most of the tribes of Indians on the east
23:42
Speaker 1: side of this same range use but few, if any,
23:45
Speaker 1: imposing ceremonies in committing the body to the dust. It
23:49
Speaker 1: is very difficult to find the bones of an Indian
23:51
Speaker 1: on the plains, and therefore I believe, and therein I
23:54
Speaker 1: am assisted by the observations of experienced men, that these
23:58
Speaker 1: Indians burned their dead blae bodies when they can do so,
24:01
Speaker 1: or completely hide them in the mountains by covering them
24:04
Speaker 1: with rocks so that it is impossible to find them.
24:08
Speaker 1: Such a course would also serve the purpose of preventing
24:10
Speaker 1: the wolves from digging them up. The high colored novels
24:14
Speaker 1: referred to heretofore, which have during the past few years,
24:18
Speaker 1: had for their theme the Indian race loved to dwell
24:21
Speaker 1: on the imposing and affecting spectacle of an Indian burial.
24:25
Speaker 1: When stripped of fancy, The truth is that beyond the
24:28
Speaker 1: lamenting of a few hysterical squaws and the crackling of
24:31
Speaker 1: the flames of the funeral pile, there is little else
24:35
Speaker 1: done that is noticeable. But to return to the results
24:38
Speaker 1: of the council. The Indians naturally enough argued and persuaded
24:42
Speaker 1: themselves that these presents were intended as poisonous destroyers, and
24:47
Speaker 1: that they had been steeped in contagion for that end.
24:50
Speaker 1: It wanted, but the happening of this affair or a
24:53
Speaker 1: similar one, to destroy the small amount of confidence which
24:57
Speaker 1: the Superintendent had hitherto enjoyed with the savage. While they
25:01
Speaker 1: were secretly preparing for war. They anxiously inquired of the
25:05
Speaker 1: traders who came among them, what was transpiring in regard
25:08
Speaker 1: to the Mexican prisoners, who had wantonly murdered their brave
25:13
Speaker 1: on each separate occasion. They were answered with intelligence that
25:16
Speaker 1: did not in the least satisfy them. They therefore renewed
25:20
Speaker 1: their energies in order soon to be ready to take
25:23
Speaker 1: the redress in their own hands. Kit Carson apprehended difficulty
25:28
Speaker 1: even at the council, but after it broke up, he
25:31
Speaker 1: was early apprized of the trouble which was brewing, and
25:34
Speaker 1: to prevent any outbreak, he brought all his Indian experience
25:37
Speaker 1: to bear upon the task in him. They said they
25:40
Speaker 1: knew they had a true friend, but their nation had
25:43
Speaker 1: received too many wrongs to allow any more to be
25:46
Speaker 1: thrust upon them without showing to the world that they
25:49
Speaker 1: were worthy of the names which their fathers had given them.
25:53
Speaker 1: End of Section twenty eight, Chapter sixteen, Part two two