they agreed to be guided by circumstances.  First divesting themselves of all useless apparel, they commenced their task.  After much cautious labor they gained their point and stood among the animals.  As soon, however, as they arrived, one of the young horses of the band became frightened at the grotesque figures cut by the two creeping men and exhibited his fear by snorting and kicking up his heels.  This alarmed the remainder of the horses and caused quite a commotion among them, which had the effect to alarm the savages, who sprang for their arms.  With a yell, Carson and Godey instantly turned towards the savages.  As soon as they were all fairly in view the two white men saw that they had thirty warriors before them to deal with.  When they had advanced within rifle range Kit Carson halted and, aiming his rifle at the stoutest looking brave, fired.  The fierce savage fell with a cry of anguish.  Godey had also halted and fired, but he missed his aim.  Instantly reloading, he made the second attempt and this time brought down a warrior.  While these events were taking place the red men were running about in great confusion.  Occasionally they returned a few arrows, but they all proved but harmless missiles.  The fact was the Indians were puzzled what to think of the audacity of the two men.  Evidently they considered them to be an advance party of some strong force, acting with a view of decoying them into a close fight.  Acting upon this they began to fly in every direction except that from which danger impended.  Kit and Godey, as they had calculated, were thus, quite unceremoniously, left masters of the enemy’s camp.  Besides the recaptured horses, they had two trophies lying upon the ground in the shape of a brace of stalwart warriors.  In order to show their companions on their return that they were not given to boasting, they followed the example and practice of the savages and scalped the two Indians.  The common expression now in use is that they proceeded to “take the hair” of their victims.  The performance of this act was a matter of choice and fell to the lot of Godey, while Kit Carson, with the two rifles, ascended an eminence near at hand for the double purpose of standing guard over his companion and also to reconnoitre.  Godey commenced his operations on the savage which he himself had shot.  Having finished with him, he started for the other Indian hit by Kit Carson.  But this fellow after he had fallen had crawled quite out of view among some rocks.  Being only wounded, he raised up and sent an arrow at Godey as he approached which pierced his shirt collar.  The Indian had already lost a large amount of blood.  His last act so exhausted him that he sank back upon the ground and expired.  They next proceeded to collect the horses.  Upon counting them they found the number stated by the Mexican to be correct with the exception of five killed by the Indians for their feast.  The animals were now driven to the spot where their