Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-08-11
Seleft Story.
[From American Miseellany.l
A PERILOUS RIDE,

Some thirty years ago, Kit Carson,
the celebrated American hunter, was at
the head of party who were trapping
b near the upper waters of the Arkansas.
Before the season was over, they had
collected such quantity of peltries that
they were incommoded in carrying
them from place to place, and as mat
ter of convenience they resolved to cache
them. This is done by digging 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 immediate surrounding is always
sufficient to guide the rightful owners to
their cache. ata nr
Having concealed their furs in this
manner the party changed their course,
and visited some streams about hum
dred miles to the west. Here they were
engaged about week, when one morn
ing it was found that two of the party
had deserted, taking three of tue 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. Supposing 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 mentioned to Kit, who instantly
demanded their names.
"Whelan and Gubbins."
''Both couple of villainsp' added
the hunter. "You ought to have sig
nailed me to return to camp the minute
you found it out"
tAre we not lucky in getting rid Of
them?" inquired one of the hunters.
"But 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 pursuit of the thieves.
They're nearly day ahead of u.s."
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 shor-
test route, and they put the horses to
their best speed. They rode until far
into the night, ami then only paused
because their hard-ridden animals ab-
solutely demandedit. At earliest dawn
they were in the saddle again and gallop-
ing at the same furious rate, their eyes
constantly on the strain, sweeping the
field of vision in front, in vain hope of
catching some sign of the deserters.
1t was near the middle of the after
noon of the second day that the cache
was reached, and suspicious of Carson
confirmed. 1t had been opened, and
about five hundred pounds of the choic-
est furs removed.
The hunters made careful examina-
tion fthe place, and concluded that the
thieves had left the spot early that
morning SO that they were still half a
day ahead of them.
They've got load to carry now, and
can't travel SO fast" said Kit. "I think
there is good chance of overhauling
them"
The first duty, however, was to re-
store the cache to its former condition.
The remaining furs were carefully COW
cred, and the ground smoothed over,
and the sod replaced, so that none who
had not witnessed the work, or helped
in performing it, could be able to
find the place.
Time was of the utmost Importance;
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, dark
ness had begun settling over the prairie.
The trail, or rather the route-for
there was no regular trail-which led
into New Mexico, and which it was sup
posed the thieves would take, followed
direction nearly due south from the
cache. An examination, however, re-
vealed the rather curious fact that the
deserters had gone to thenorth-east.
"This has been done to throw US off