While encamped on this stream, a band of five hundred Indians made their appearance and entered the camp.  The rascals professed the greatest friendship for the trappers, but their actions not fully measuring their words, the white men looked to Carson for advice.  He had discovered that beneath their articles of dress their weapons were very carefully concealed; and from this circumstance it became quite clearly apparent the Indians intended to massacre the entire party.  Here Carson’s boldness proved, as it had before, and did many a time afterwards, the safety of himself and friends or associates.  At the time the Indians entered the camp, Carson, with only a few of the party, occupied it; the rest were out visiting their traps, which it was their general custom to set whenever they arrived at a suitable stream.  Kit having thus become satisfied concerning the design of the savages, and feeling that the salvation of the entire party rested upon his courage and wisdom, made up his mind that boldness was the wisest policy he could adopt.  He found present among the warriors one who could speak the Spanish language.  Through him he ordered the red men “to leave the camp.  In the event of their not doing so immediately, he and his friends would, without further parley, commence hostilities, and would be sure each in killing his man, although they might all in the end lose their own lives.”

The Indians had been accustomed to act about as they chose with such small parties of Mexicans as they chanced to meet, and consequently were taken completely by surprise at Kit’s unusual boldness.  Seeing that they would inevitably lose several of their braves if they made any hostile demonstration, they chose the discreet part of best policy, and departed.  As a general rule, no matter what the profit or urgent necessity which chance offers, these Indians will not hazard a contest when, to a certainty, they must expect their own killed will equal the number of scalps which they can obtain.  This rule, and doubtless some fearfulness on the part of the Indians, saved the lives of the entire band.

As has already appeared, the trappers were on the banks of the Colorado at the time this affair happened.  They continued their work on it, descending the south side until they reached tide water, when they changed their camp on to the Gila, and continued trapping up this river as far as the mouth of the San Pedro.  Near the outlet of this river, they discovered a large herd of horses and mules; on a closer examination, they found that they were in the 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.