Kit Carson, who had from the first acted as captain, ordered three men to take the recovered animals back to where they had secured their saddle horses.  Then, with his comrades, he marched directly for the Indian camp.  A dog belonging to the enemy first gave the alarm of approaching danger to the Indians; but not until Kit and his party were within a few paces of the first fort.  As soon as the occupants of the fort heard the noise they sprang to their feet, and thus became fair marks for the unerring rifles of the trappers.  The whites did not throw away a single shot; every ball struck a warrior in some vital spot.  Those who survived retreated to the fort occupied by their friends, and, as soon as possible, commenced returning the fire; but without execution, as the trappers, on discharging their first volley, had well concealed themselves behind trees, from whence they were shooting only when sure of an object.  It was now nearly daybreak; and as the savages discovered the weakness of the attacking party, they resolved to charge, feeling sure of success.  They did so; but the white men, who were expert fighters in this kind of warfare, quietly waited until the Indians were fully exposed.  They then fired and killed five warriors.  The remainder immediately retreated into the fort.

After considerable deliberation, the Indians decided once more to make a sortie.  On they came, and this time with such determination that the trappers could not withstand the assault, but were compelled to retreat.  They disputed, however, every inch of ground over which they trod, as they fell back from one tree to another, continually making their bullets tell with terrible effect on their foes.  The three men who had been sent back with the horses had joined their comrades soon after they had commenced retreating.  They had heard the incessant firing and had become convinced that the fight was hotly contested and that their services were required.  On their joining, the whole party resolved to make one more stand, and as soon as the Indians saw this, they wavered and finally drew off.  Both sides had now, seemingly, had enough of fighting, and hostilities soon after entirely ceased, the savages marching back and leaving the whites masters of the field.  Several of the trappers were slightly, but none dangerously, wounded.  The Indians had paid dearly, in numbers killed, for their rascality.  Finding the coast clear, Carson and his men set out and soon rejoined their comrades on the Arkansas River.  In the Spring, after having cached their fur, the whole band departed for Laramie River on another expedition.