Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-04-26

! have, therefore, to request you to make
other arrangements for the Home Depart
ment, should the bill pass the Senate, and,
in the mean time, to accept assurances OF
the respect with which l am, truly and
faithfully, your friend,
TRUMAN SMITH.
An Episode in the Life Of Kit Carson.
a series Of adventures, we see appear
ing in the New York Tribune, written by
David L. Brown; and we extract an a
chieyement given 10 Kit Carson. We had
never heard Of il I; but the life of the cele-
brated guide has been too full Of facts
stranger than fiction TO justify any ques-
ton ofthe matter.
Kit and his party had had severe fight
with band of Blackteet.
As | was returning back to where the
women and children belonging to our camp
were stationed, under charge of some half
dozen of our men who had not participa-
ted in the affray, for the purpose of pro-
curing something in the shape of horse
or mule on which to mount myself, was
startled by a female shrek, and, on look
ing suddenly up, had barely time to spring
aside as Blackfoot, whom I recognised
to be chief, few past, the loose ends of
the buffalo robe on which he was riding
brushing me in the face. He had one Of
our women before him, on his horse, who
was writing in his arms, and making vain
and Intellectual endeavors to free herself
from his powerful grasp. | raised my RE
file instinctively to fire, but the utter inn
possibility of shooting the savage without
at the same time perilling the life Of his
captive, compelled me to desist. | was
giving up all hope of succor for the poor
girl, when, at the distance of about mile,
at point or elbow formed by sudden
turn of the river, / discovered one Of our
men dashing at full speed, for the purpose,
apparently Of intercepting the Blackioot
before he could gain the Madison at the
only available point where he could cross
over and join the rest of his tribe. II was
a moment of intense, and even agonizing,
interest to me, for this woman was, and
deservedly, a very great favorite with us
all. She was the squaw of Jack Robin
son, one of our best men, and had endear-
ed herself to the whole camp by her in
telligence, kindness Of heart, and native
feminine delicacy Of feeling, TO say Moth
ing of her good looks, which were nearly
Of the very highest type Of Indian beauty.
On attentively observing the horseman,
who had all at once become an object Of
absorbing interest, the hopes which had
been fast waning within me, sprang into
instant and vigorous life, for in that figure,
moving with the ease and velocity Of the
wind, saw one whose very name has
since become the synonyme Of desperate
adventure, and romantic courage. This
was my bosom friend, Kit Carson, who
was mounted on superb blood horse,
which had been presented to him, some
two years previous, by Sir William Drum
mond Stewart, with his head guitless Of a
hat--a fillet being simply bound around it
Ibis long, light brown, or auburn hair,
streaming in the wind--his slight but mus
cular form, swaying and bending with in
imitable grace, TO every motion of the no.
BILE animal, as it flew rather than dashed
over the undulating prairie that interven-
ed between him and the Indian chief, in
creasing, at every bound, the chance Of a
rescue, and being seemingly conscious Of
the infinite importance of its present exer-
tons. The Blackfoot, who had quickly
seen the hunter, and OWNED his intention
to cut him off from the point above refer
red TO, made the most intense exertions to
accomplish his purpose. But Carson was
too quick for him. They were about twen-
ty yards apart, when the latter discharged
his gun. but apparently with little effect,
as the former did not swerve from his
course in the slightest degree. They were
now within hundred yards from the spot,
where narrow and steep buffalo track
formed the only practicable descent to the
River Madison, when Carson, who had
hitherto carried his rifle in the hollow Of
his left arm, brought il suddenly round to
his shoulder, and fired. knew that the
shot had taken effect, as could perceive
the Indian straightcn himself in the sad
die, and in the next moment his knife was
cleaning aloft, and descended upon the form
of his helpless captive. Both fell heavily
TO the earth, and the horse of the Black
foot chief, freed from its double burthen,
bounded wildly forward, and disappeared
down the steep and rugged pass Which IFS
master had striven in vain TO reach.
1t was the work of momtnt for Car
son to spring from his horse, and olsen
gage the woman iromth death-grasp of the
savage. She was badly but not MORALLY
wounded the knife of the savage having
struck upon the bone of the feshy part Of
the arm, from which it glanced, and pass
ing entirely through, inflicted an ugly but
not dangerous wound upon her side
With the assistance of some OF cur men,
who arrived Immediately after this fortu-
nate termination of the conflict, Kit carried
the poor girl to the camp, where she Was
given in charge to the women, who al
ways act as surgeons on such occasions,
who incontinenlly dressed her wounds,
and made her as comfortable as the CIR
cumstances of tho case would admit Of.
The conduct Of the Indian woman on
this trying occasion was so characteristic,
and at the same time so dissimilar TO that
which would in all probability have been
displayed in like situation by civilized
woman, that it is worthy OF remark to those
curious in human nature. From The Tune
she was snatched from her horse until she
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