Everything being in readiness, Carson set out with his followers for their hunting-grounds.  Their pace was one of so much rapidity, that after one day’s march they discovered signs of the buffalo.  On the following morning immense herds were in sight.  A suitable place for a camp was soon selected, and everything which could impede their work well stowed away.  The best marksmen were selected for hunters, and the remainder of the party detailed to take care of the meat as fast as the hunters should bring it in.  Poles were planted on the open prairies, and from one to the other ropes of hide were stretched.  Upon these ropes strips of the buffalo meat were hung for curing, which consists of merely drying it in the sun’s rays.  After it is sufficiently dried, it is taken down and bound up in bundles.  During the time of hunting and curing, the trappers feasted upon the delicacies of the game, which consist of the tongue, liver and peculiar fat which is found along the back of the buffalo.  Their past sufferings from hunger had made them so determined in the work of procuring game, that in a few days they possessed meat sufficient to load down all their pack animals.  They now thought about returning to Fort Hall.  Their pace, however, rendered so by their weighty game, was very slow.  Their old enemies, the Blackfeet Indians, had discovered them while engaged in this hunt.  They followed them on the march to the Fort, the trappers being wholly unaware of their presence; in fact, the idea of hostile Indians had not troubled their thoughts.

Two or three nights after they arrived at the Fort, taking advantage of a dark evening, the Indians deprived them of all their animals.  This was the result of carelessness on the part of one of the men, which, under the circumstances, was excusable.  The party had encamped just without the pickets of the Fort, but had taken the precaution to secure their horses and mules while they slept, by placing them in the corral[12] belonging to the station.  A sentinel was put upon duty over the corral, in order to make everything doubly secure.  In the latter part of the night, nearly at daybreak, the sentinel saw two persons advance and deliberately let down the bars leading into the yard and drive out the animals.  He mistook these men for two of his companions who were authorized to take the herd out to graze.  Concluding, therefore, without going to them, that he was relieved, he sought his resting-place and was soon fast asleep.  In the morning, anxious inquiries were made for the horses and mules, when a very short investigation revealed the truth of matters.  It was, undoubtedly, very fortunate for the sentinel that he fell into the error alluded to.  It was very apparent that the two advanced Indians who let down the bars were backed up by a strong party.  The signs of Indians, discovered afterwards, proved this beyond a doubt.  Their reserve party were posted where the least resistance on the part of the