The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-07-28
A PERILOUS RIDE.

the celebrated American hunter, was
at the head Of a party who were trap
ping near the upper waters Of the Ar
kansas. Before the season was over,
they had collected such a quantity OF
peltries that they were ineOmmOded
in carrying them from place TO place,
and as a matter of convenience they
resolved to cache them. This is done
by digging a large, deep hole in the
ground, placing the furs therein, and
then covering them up so securely
that there is no danger OF their being
discovered by any other hunters or
Indians. A careful look at the inn
mediate surrounding is always sGtfi-
cient TO guide the Tightful owners to
their cache.
Having concealed their furs i'm this
manner the party changed their course,
and visited some streams about a
hundred miles to the west. Here
they were engaged about a week,
when one morning itS-as found that
| two of the party had deserted, taking
three of the best horses.
At the time this discovery was
made, Kit Carson was absent from
camp, and did not return until near
the middle of the day. SuppOsiDg the
deserters had taken this method of
avoiding the rough work of trapping
through the winter, the hunters
| thought nothing of it, until it was
tmentioned TO Kit, swho instantly
demanded their names.
"Whelan and Gubbins."
'Both couple of villainsp added
the hunter. "You ought to have sig
Il III -, 10. N1aV min
ute you found it out"
'Are we not lucky in getting rid OF
them ?' inquired one of the hum
/ ters.
'tBut not lucky in getting rid of our
furs. Those two men have gone back
\ for the purpose of breaking open the
cache and stealing our furs."
No one had thought of this, but
Kit was positive on the point and
| selecting one of the best mounted
men, the two started at-Once in pur-
suit of the thieves.
'They're nearly day ahead Of us"
remarked Carson, as they started
away, "and they'll reach the cache
before US; but we may Overtake them
before they get far away"
Their intimate knowledge of the
country enabled them to take the
shortest route, and they put the horses
to their best speed. They rode until far
into the night, and then only paused
because their haFd-ridden animals alb
solutely demanded it. At earliest
dawn they were IN the saddle again,
and gailOping at the same furious rate,
their eyes constantly ON the strain,
sweeping the field of vision it front,
in vain hope of catching some sign of
/ the deserteTs.
1t was near the middle of the after
noon OF the second day that the cache
was reached, and suspicious of Carson
condTmed.' 1t had been opened. and
about five hundred pounds Of the
choicest furs removed,
The hunters made a careful exam
ination of the place, and concluded
that the thieves had left the spot ear
ly that morning so that they were
still half dag ahead of them.
''phey've got load to carry now,
and can't travel so fast, said Kit. 81
think there is a good chance of over
hauling them"
The first duty, however, was TO re-
store the cache to its former condi-
ton. The remaining furs We're care
fully covered, and the ground smooth
ed over, and the sod replaced, so that
none who had not witnessed the
work, or helped in performing it,
could not be able TO find the place.
Time was of the utmost import
ance and, although the hunters
worked with might and main, yet
several hours were consumed before
the work was finished. When, at
last, it was completed, darkness had
begun settling over the prairie.
The trail, or rather the rOute-foT
there was no regular trail-which led
into New Mexico, and which it was
supposed the thieves would take, fol-
lowed a direction nearly due south I
from the cache. An examination, |
however, revealed the rather curious
fact that the deserters had gone to |
the northeast.
"This has been done to throw us off
the track" said Kit Carson. ''They
have changed their course after going
short distance, and, think We can
head them OFF,"
Instead Of following the trail, there
fore, the pursuers headed to the
southeast, calculating that they
would intercept the thieves near a |
pass leading from the CheYenure /
Hills. The ridge ran nearly due east |
and west, and being very rugged and |
precipitOus, was generally crossed by ]
means of these natural openings,
which were separated by distances /
varying from twenty to hundred |
miles. The puTsuers urged their /
horses TO the utmost, for they were 4
exceedingly anxious To come UP with l
the scamps who had played this trick /
upon them, while they, ON their part, I
were as desirOus to keep beyond their 4
reach.
The penalty of death is the one /
most generally prescribed on the /
frontier for such exploits as this; and I
Kit Carson and his friend were pre- I
pared to shoot the two runaways the |
instant they could bring them within /
range of their rifles. There was n |
bright moon and the sky was clear, /
so that there was no difficulty IN
keeping up the pursuit. Near mid |
night they reached the vicinity of the !
pass, and were not little elated at
catching the glimmer Of camp
fire.
'I think they are there" said Car
son, in a low tone to his friend, ''and
if so, We shall make them pay dear
for their whistle"
They rode quietly forward, until
within few hundred yards, when
they dismOunted, tied their horses in
a glen, and made the rest of the jour
ney on foot. Advancing with the
caution characteristic of men at such
time, they were soon nnearenough to the
campfire TO gain fair view of those
around il. No white men we're there;
in their places were a dozen Navajoe
Indians quietly eneamped, and so m-
suspicious of danger, that nothing Of
any sentinels could be seen.
Having fully satisfied themselves