That night the trappers held a council.  It was decided, that, although the result of the fight had been that they had given the Indians a sound thrashing, there having been several braves killed while they had suffered only in one wounded, they were, nevertheless, not then strong enough to pursue the savages farther.  They adopted therefore the policy of returning to the camp and reporting their progress.

On their arrival, a council was immediately called and their adventures duly rehearsed.  The result was that a second party was immediately organized comprising thirty men.  Under the command of Bridger, this party followed the trail for some days, but returned to camp without finding the savages.  They, after their late engagement, had made their way as fast as possible into distant parts.  A short time after this, the weather moderated and it was time for the spring hunt.

This was now commenced and continued quite active for several weeks on the Green and Snake Rivers.  The success of the trappers was far beyond their most sanguine expectations.  Beaver fur seemed absolutely to rain down upon them.  The season having passed, they went into summer rendezvous on the banks of the Green River.  This was brought about by the arrival of the traders with their supplies.  The whole force of trappers, therefore, again rested until the first week of September; when, they again broke up their camp for the fall hunt.

Some time previous to this last named event Kit Carson, having recovered from the effects of his wounds, was very reluctantly drawn into an “affair of honor.”  The circumstances of this occurrence we give in detail for two reasons.  It was an event in Carson’s life, and therefore is required at our hands; but, it serves to exhibit the manner of the duello among these western mountaineers which throws around the circumstance the importance of an example in their manners and customs.  By itself, so far as Kit Carson was concerned, it was of very little importance, serving but little, in his opinion, to adorn the story of his life.

Among the men congregated at the rendezvous, there was a Captain Shunan, a powerful Frenchman.  The Captain was exceedingly overbearing in his intercourse with all around him.  Upon the slightest pretext, he was sure to endeavor to involve some of the trappers in a quarrel.  The result was that he was heartily despised by all, although, for the sake of peace, he was allowed to go unmolested.  One day his conduct was particularly offensive to the entire command; for, after having had two fist fights with a couple of weak and inoffensive men, he commenced boasting that he could easily flog all the Frenchmen present; and, as to the Americans, he said that “he could cut a stick and switch them.”  Such actions and manners, at last, attracted Kit Carson’s notice and caused him to be greatly annoyed.  He thought the matter over and concluded that if Captain Shunan was allowed to gather many more such detestable laurels, he would soon become even more bold and troublesome.  As no other member of the company seemed disposed to put a check upon such unmanly behavior, he quietly determined to make the affair his own.