The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-08-21
KIT CARSON FOOLED.
Indians Disguised as Wolves Do
ceive the Famous Scout.
Colonel Inman Repeats Tale Told by the
Old Frortiersman-How Band of
Indians Surprised u Body OF
Uncle SAINTS Troops.

Colonel Inman Repeats Tale Told by the
Old Condemnation n Band OF
Indians Surprised Body OF
Uncle SAINTS Troops.
One night. nearly twenty-five years
ego, was camped with Kit Carson,
Lucien B. Maxwell, General Carleton Of
the regular army and couple Of
Apache Indians, half way up the rugged
sides of the Ration Range, in the Rock
les, writes Colonel Inman in tho Kansas
City Star. 1t was terribly cold, al
though midsummer, and we huddled
around little fire of pine knots, many
thousand feet above the sea level, close
to the timber limit We had no blank
cts, and, of course, were compelled to
sit up through the long hours, smoke
and tell stories to keep awake.
The night was very dark, there was
no moon, and fortunately Carson was in
a good humor for talking-usually he
was the most reticent of men concern
ing himself. Maxwell made casual re-
mark in relation to some isolated peak
near by, just discernible in the dark
ness, connecting the locality with some
trouble he had with the Utes ten or q
dozen years before, and his story opened
Kits mouth, who said it reminded him
of one of the worst "difiicults" he ever
got into, and the only time when the
Indians really fooled" him. Kit al
ways called his troubles with the saw
ages "iifficults." So Kit rolled fresh
corn-shuck cigarette, while the rest of
us filled our briar-woods and listened at
tentively to the famous old ma%-MaX-
we'll, of course, was already familiar
with his early life, but the story was
new to the General and myself.
were principal guides and hunters with
General John C. Fremont on his expe
dition to the mouth Of the Columbia.
When irFshe Sierra Neyadas, the Cen
eral scat Carson one day in advance OF
the main column to select suitable
campaign place, where the expedition
was to remain several days for the pur
pose of taking some astronomical obSer-
vations. The essentials were good
water, timber and game, yet near an ell
evated point where there were not
too many trees to shut out q fair view OF
the heavens. Kit started on his mission,
moving so that he would not be more
than two or three days in advance OF the
General. "blazing" his way, and setting
up other signs agreed upon, by which
his trail could be easily followed. The
second afternoon out, it must have been
near the crest of the Snowy range that
marks the boundary between what is
now Nevada and California according
to Carson's description, he found spot
that fulfilled the Generals requirements
perfectly. 1t was heavily timbered bot
tom, through which ran pebbly brook,
above which, at an elevation OF only a
few hundred feet, was hill almost de-
uuded by trees, with fat prairie of
several acres in extcnt-just the place
to use instruments to advantage
Kit camped in the timbered bottom on
account of the intensely cold nights OF
the high altitude, making big fire OF
logs, by which all the men slept. feet
towards it, rolled up in their blankets
he volunteering to stand guard the first
portion of the watch. He walked
around, smoking cigarettes, until he got
warmed through, then he would stand
in the shadow CT one OF the big trees
near the men, keeping his eye skinned
as he called it. Some time after the
men were all asleep-perhaps an hour
and half had elapsed since the last
smoker had knocked the ashes out OF
his pipe, rolled himself up and was
snoring lustily-the wolves commcncec
to make a terrible noise in the timber
Kit said he could hear them growl and
snap their jaws and fight and run
through the brush, apparently coming
nearer to tho fire as they cavorteo
around. Pretty soon, Kit said he could
see them playing together, but he did
not want to shoot at them and drive
them away; he knew the report of his
rifle would only wake up the men who
were sleeping SO nicely after their hard
days march; besides he knew they were
harmless, and were only attracted by
the fire and the game the men had hung
up in the trees: that the animals would
play around there until the camp was
abandoned in the morning and then
come in to pick up what scraps they
could find.
So Kit paid no moro attention to the
wolves, only to see them play and snap
their teeth as he stood in the shadow oil
big pine tree, where they couldn't see
him. Presently, Kit said, they came
nearer, and "all of suddint them
wolves riz right up and fred a shower OF
arrows into the sleeping men; they was
Indians, dressed in wolves, skins, and
they made the snaps of the jaws With
two bones held in their hands"
Kit said he was never deceiv d that
wGy before nor afterward; he thought
they were wolves surely, and if it had
been daylight, aspect he could "a seen
'em just frothin'." One or two of the
men were hit, but not seriously. If the
Indians had had rifles the result would
have been disastrous, probably. The
men all jumped up, of course, but could
not draw bead on the Indians (on ac-
count of the darkness), who scampered
away safely in tho night; yet there was
MI c1oar