The  Indians  appeared  astonished,  and  perhaps
thought,  owing  to  his  cool  audacity,  that  he  had  a
large  force  somewhere  within  call.  At  any  rate  they
made  no  attempt  to  injure  or  detain  him,  so
they  departed  on  their  several  ways;  but  Kit  saw
that  they  were  not  disposed  to  be  friendly.  They
drew  away  to  the  adjacent  hills,  evidently  in  no
friendly  mood.  As  evening  drew  near  Kit  gathered
his  men  together,  in  a  defensible  position,  with  the
wagons  making  a  wall  around.  Grass  was  silently
gathered  from  outside,  the  mules  fed,  and  every  man
that  could  be  spared  was  placed  on  guard.  As  soon
as  every  one  was  stowed  away  for  the  night.  Kit
quietly  left  the  camp  accompanied  by  a  Mexican  boy,
telling  him  to  make  for  the  U.  S.  troops,  encamped
at  some  distance.  The  lad  knew  where.  Kit  told
him  to  make  a  broad  trail  as  he  wanted  it  found.
Off  the  boy  started.    Kit  returned  to  camp.    As  the


70         ADTENTUEES  OP  KIT  OAESON.
morning  wore  away,  Indians  began  to  hang,  restless,
round.  Kit  told  them  he  was  satisfied  they  were
not  friendly,  and  intended  to  attack  him.  He  said
they  might  begin ;  before  long  his  soldier  friends
would  be  there ;  he  had  sent  for  them  and  they
might  see  the  trail.  They  searched  for  it,  and  soon
there  wasn't  an  Indian  in  sight.
In  fact  Carson  was  looked  upon  as  the  chief  man-
ager of  all  the  Indians  in  that  section,  and  this  pro-
tection he  was  able  to  give  by  the  reputation  he  had
so  well  earned  of  being  the  Father  of  the  Children
of  the  Prairie.
He  rose  to  be  Brigadier-General.
