most familiar to them.  A Frenchman, called in the mountains Pete, who spoke English fluently and who was with Carson during these trying scenes, informed the writer, on one occasion, that he never fully knew or appreciated Kit Carson until this occurrence.  “Why,” said he in his enthusiasm, “Kit knew just what was to be done and did it too.  With any other man, we would have gone under[22] The Indians were more afraid of him than all the rest of us put together.  There were red fellows enough there to eat us up, and at one time I could almost feel my hair leaving my head.  We had two women traveling with us and their crying made me feel so bad that I was sartin there was no fight in me.  Women (he added) are poor plunder to have along when going out on a war party, but Kit talked to them and then to the Indians, and put them both finally on the right trail.  Wah!! but them were ticklish times.”

[Footnote 22:  A trapper phrase for being killed.]

As soon as the Indians, in their excitement, began to speak their own language, they became very violent, and so unguarded were they in expressing their individual sentiments that they treated Kit and his party with perfect indifference, and openly, though secretly as they thought, arranged for the massacre.

Little did they imagine that Kit Carson, whom they had at first sight selected as the leader of the company, understood every word that was said.  Kit listened attentively to their plans and heard them decide that the time to kill him was, when he again took the pipe to smoke; for, in so doing, he would lay down his weapons.  They could be instantly seized, and therefore he would be prevented from doing them any harm.  As to the Mexicans who accompanied him, they said they could kill them as easily as they could buffalo.  Already enough had passed among the Indians to arouse in Kit Carson’s breast the greatest feeling of alarm as to what would be the result of the position in which he was placed.  He had with him fifteen men, two only of which number, were men on whom he felt that he could rely.  The other members of the party, who counted thirteen in all, were Mexicans of whom he had a poor opinion as to their bravery.  Nothing daunted by such an accumulation of unfavorable circumstances, he at once saw that a bold face was to be put on in order to extricate himself from the grasp of the Indians.  Springing to his feet with his weapons ready for immediate use, Kit Carson, as he advanced into the centre of the seated warriors, gave directions for his men to be ready to defend their lives.  Then, turning to the Indians, who sat rooted to the earth, as it were, with astonishment at the suddenness of such actions and such coolness, he commenced addressing them.  He informed them “that they might readily see from the fluency with which he spoke their language, that he had comprehended all that they had been talking about.  What puzzled him most, however, was the