“Near the mouth of the San Pedro river they discovered a large herd of horses and mules.  On a closer examination they found that they were in possession of a band of Indians, who had formerly given them some of their gratuitous hostilities.  Not having forgotten their former troubles with these people, they determined to pay them off in their own coin by depriving them of the herd.  A short search sufficed to discover the Indian camp.  Without waiting an instant, they put their horses to their speed, and charged in among the huts.  The Indians were so completely taken by surprise, that they became panic-struck, and fled in every direction.  They however rallied somewhat and a running fight commenced, which lasted some time, but which did not change matters in favor of the Indians.  The entire herd fell into the possession of the trappers.

“On the same evening, after the men had wrapped themselves up in their blankets, and laid down for sleep, and while enjoying their slumbers, a noise reached their ears which sounded very much like distant thunder.  But a close application of the sense of hearing showed plainly that an enemy was near at hand.  Springing up, with rifle in hand, for generally in the mountains a man’s gun rests in the same blanket with himself, on all sleeping occasions, they sallied forth to reconnoitre, and discovered a few warriors driving along a band of at least two hundred horses.  The trappers comprehended instantly that the warriors had been to the Mexican settlement in Sonora, on a thieving expedition, and that the horses had changed hands, with only one party to the bargain.  The opportunity to instill a lesson on the savage marauders was too good to be lost.

“They saluted the thieves with a volley from their rifles, which, with the bullets whizzing about their heads and bodies, so astonished them that they seemed almost immediately to forget their stolen property, and to think only of a precipitous flight.  In a few moments the whites found themselves masters of the field and also of the property.  To return, the animals to their owners was an impossibility.  Mr. Young, therefore, selected as many of the best horses as he needed for himself and men, and, game being very scarce, killed two, and dried most of the meat for future use, turning the remainder loose.”

Such were the morals of the wilderness.  Mr. Young resolved himself into a court, of which he was legislator, judge, jury and executioner.  The property of others he could confiscate at pleasure, for his own use.  The Indians probably retaliated upon the first band of white men which came within their power.  And this retaliation would be deemed an act of wanton savage barbarism demanding the extinction of a tribe.

Continuing their march up the Gila river, trapping all the way, from its head waters they struck across the country to Santa Fe.  Here they found a ready market for their furs, at twelve dollars a pound.  Their mules were laden down with two thousand pounds.  Thus the pecuniary results of the trip amounted to the handsome sum of twenty four thousand dollars.  The trappers, flush with money, returned to Taos.  The vagabonds of the party soon squandered their earnings in rioting, and were then eager to set out on another excursion.  It was now April, 1830.