CHAPTER IX
A Hot Pursuit--An Unexpected Calamity--Carson Continues the Chase Alone--The Result.
Everything now depended on speed. Not only was the dusky thief pushinghis animals to the utmost, but Kit Carson knew he would give them littlerest night or day. He was familiar with the route to California and thepursuit would be no child's play.
There could be no doubt, however, of the destination of the redskin, andCarson and his brave warrior were equally persistent with their horses.The ground flew beneath their hoofs. Across the stretch of prairie,along the bank of the rushing streams, around the rocks, over mountains,through torrents, they forced their way, with no thought of turning backor checking the speed of their animals. Occasionally the bright eyes ofthe pursuers glanced at the ground in front, when the displaced gravelor the indentation in the soft earth showed they had not lost the trail.
In this headlong fashion the friends galloped forward until they hadplaced a full hundred miles behind them. They were a long distance fromhome and camp, but in spite of the speed of the fugitive, Carson wasconfident they had gained considerably upon him. If everything wentwell, they ought to catch sight of him on the morrow. At this juncture,when the prospect was so encouraging, an unlooked for calamity occurred.
Carson's steed stood the great strain admirably, but the one bestrodeby the Indian succumbed. He suddenly slackened his pace, staggered andtrembled so violently, that, when the warrior leaped from his back, hesaw he was fearfully ill. If he did not die, he would not recover forhours and even then could not be forced hard.
Carson contemplated the situation with dismay. He had not counted onanything like this, and the help of the Indian was beyond all priceto him. He was unusually strong, active and experienced, and would nothesitate to attack any person single handed.
Seeing the condition of the exhausted steed, Kit proposed to his duskycompanion that he should abandon him and continue the pursuit on foot,but the brave shook his head. He was equal to the exploit of running tenor twenty miles at a high pace, but a great deal more was likely tobe required and he needed all his powers when the shock of the battleshould come. He not only refused to continue the chase, but, knowingthe character of the thief, tried to dissuade Carson from going further.They had certainly done all that could be asked of them and no one couldfind fault if, in the face of such difficulty, they should withdraw andreturn to their friends.
"No," said Carson, "I have set out to recover those horses and nothingshall turn me back. I am sorry to lose you, but it can't be helped; sogood bye and good luck attend you."
And putting spurs to his steed, he dashed over the trail with compressedlips and flashing eye, determined on running down the fugitive if he hadto follow him to the bank of the Pacific itself. This single act of thefamous mountaineer shows his character in its true light.
In the first place, it must be remembered that Kit Carson was a manof slight figure and was never noted for his strength. Many of hiscompanions were much more powerful, though none was so quick and activein his movements. His wonderful success lay in his coolness, agility,skill and bravery, which never "overleaped itself." As we have stated,he was below the medium stature, and never could have attained a titheof his renown, had his muscular strength formed a necessary part of hisrequirements.
On the other hand, the Indian thief whom he was pursuing, wasexceptionally powerful, athletic and one of the most desperate men onthe whole frontier. He cared nothing for Carson, nor for any singlemember of the company he had left. He would expect pursuit and would beon the watch for it. Whenever he caught sight of those who were seekinghim, he would not abandon the horses and flee. Far from it: he wouldstand his ground, and if his booty should be wrested from him the menwho did it would be compelled to the fiercest kind of fight. He wouldnot run from the attack of two or three persons: much less from one ofthe most insignificant men in the entire company.
The course of Carson illustrated another marked feature of hischaracter--that of loyalty to his friends and resolution in carryingthrough any task he undertook. Where scarcely one man in a multitudewould have pushed forward, he advanced without hesitation. Hedeliberately resolved to attack a fierce criminal who was as fully armedas he, as daring and perfect in his knowledge of woodcraft, and much hissuperior in strength.
Carson had proven the mettle of his steed, and he now showed him nomercy. The trail indicated he was gaining rapidly and he was anxious toforce matters to an issue before night. Among the horses the Indian wasrunning off were one or two whose endurance was less than the others.Their tardiness moderated the pace of the rest, and thus gave Kit achance of lessening the distance between him and the fugitive.
At the end of the ten miles he scanned the ground in front, but nothingwas seen of the thief or his horses; but the hoof prints were fresh andthe scout knew he was closer to him than at any time since the chasebegan. The flanks of his steed shone with perspiration and froth, butit would not do to lag now. The lips were compressed and the gray eyeflashed fire as before.
Ten more miles were speedily thrown behind him, and he knew he was notfar from the dusky desperado, who doubtless was continually glancingbackward in quest of pursuers; but the keen vision which swept aroundevery portion of the visible horizon, discovered no sign of the thief.
Carson anticipated some attempt on the part of the fugitive to confusepursuit and he, therefore, watched the hoof prints more closely thanever. The eagle eye continually glanced from the ground to the countryin front, and then to the right and left. Nothing escaped his vision,but when his foamy steed had thundered over another ten miles thefugitive was still beyond sight.
"He can't be far off," was the thought of Carson, "I'm bound to overtakehim before long."
At that moment, he caught sight of the Indian galloping leisurelyforward, amid the stolen horses. The cunning savage, as the scout hadsuspected, was constantly on the alert, and detected Carson the samemoment that he himself was discovered. Quick as a flash, he leaped fromthe back of his horses and started on a swift run for a clump of treesbetween him and his pursuer. The latter understood his purpose on theinstant. If the Indian could secure the shelter of the grove, he wouldhave his enemy at his mercy; for not only would he be able to protecthis body, while loading and firing, but Carson himself, being in an openspace, would be without the slightest protection against his deadly aim.
Carson cocked his rifle and driving his spurs into the flanks of hishigh spirited steed, charged at full speed for the same shelter. Whoevershould reach it first would be the master.
The Indian had much less distance to run, and was as fleet of foot asa deer. He bounded forward with such tremendous strides, that while thehorseman was still some distance away, he plunged in among the trees;but for the last few seconds the foes had approached each other at aterrific pace, a result that was not only inevitable, but desirable, tothe pursuer.
The very second the savage arrived on the margin of the grove, he made aleap for the nearest tree from behind which he meant to shoot his enemy;but in the very act of doing so, he was smitten by his bullet. Withoutchecking his animal in the slightest, Carson had aimed and fired.
The death screech of the savage rang out, as he leaped in the air andtumbled prostrate to the earth, killed by the shot that was unerring inits accuracy. The Indian himself was so near firing his gun, that hispiece was also discharged, the ball whizzing harmlessly above the headof his pursuer. A couple of seconds delay on the part of Carson musthave proved fatal to him, for the savage was a good marksman, and wasstanding still, with such a brief space intervening, that he could nothave missed. It is hard to conceive of any escape more narrow than thatof the daring mountaineer.
The Life of Kit Carson: Hunter, Trapper, Guide, Indian Agent and Colonel U.S.A. Page 9