Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-25

KIT CARSON IN COLONIES UNIFORM.
and rescued General Fremont and his com.
panions from the avalanches of the Sierra
Madre, 1 decided to visit the hero, to
whom had letters of Introduction.
On reaching the fort l found that Gen.
cral Carson always spent his Sundays in
attending to his traps, which were set
along the streams for 90 miles to the north.
/ found Lieutenant Colonel Pfeffer in
command, and a more courteous gentle
man never occupied such position. Colo
mel Pfeffer was a Dutchman by birth. hav-
ing run away from Holland when boy in
order to join Kit Carson, of whom he had
read so much. He had been with the IA
nous scout for % years before the war, and
during this time had learned hunting and
Indian fighting as well rs acquired Span
ish and a dozen native dialects.
Pfciffer had my horse put away and then
told me it would be impossible to find the
animal till the following morning. After
midday dinner 1 went down to the suit
tiers with the lieutenant colonel, and in a
little back room, provided with all the
creature comforts of such place, drew
many Il story from the gallant old soldier,
among them the following, which mar
rate because of its direct relation to the
story teller himself.
j shall not attempt to reproduce Colonel
Pfeiffer's decided accent. Suffice it to say
that, this apart, he spoke excellent English.
although it is years ago." began the
colonel, 'the whole event is to me as vivid
as if it occurred yesterday.
''Seven years before this had married a
beautiful Mexican girl at Santa Fe and
moved up to the Aqua Caliente, where I
had good farm and considerable stock
News had come to us that the Apaches of
Arizona, the meanest Indians the devil
ever let loose to torture the white men, had
left their hunting grounds and were NOV
ing up in the direction of the San Juan.
kit Carson, who was then living over
at Taos with his family, came galloping
one morning in hot haste to my ranch,
San Luis Utes, and 80 mounted warriors
You ask me how Kit Carson and the
chief looked, but as they will both be here
about supper time you can judge of their
appearance for yourself. Well, as was
saying, never saw such troubled look on
Kits face before, though l had seen him
in many a hard place.
".Pfeiffer,' said Kit to me, there's a
band of leo Apaches at the headwaters OF
the Conejos. and If we don't stop them
right away they'll sneak down tie Rio
Grande and clean out everything in their
course, till they buck up against the troops
from Fort Marcy, and we can't get them
out for a week.
~ m for heading them off. said I, but
| 1t strikes me that our party is n bit small
| TO lick a hundred Apaches 1 have foul
Mexicans working for me who are good
brave men and We'll take them along
Kit shook his heac in his quiet was
and said: NO; leave the Meyicans back al
the ranch. You know how it is with thu
| young 4 pachc bucks; they are apt to stray
away from the main body and ut sucf
| times are not very tender with helpless wo
men and children that come across theii
course
| Curry, who spoke Spanish very well
| said: 4 have sent runners UP to La Iona
! del Norts, where the tribe is now encamp
ed, and they will meet me tonight Will
| 100 men, every one Of them eager TO get al
the Apaohes-'
well, to make q long story short,
kissed my wife and two children, told tn,
Mexicans. who were good men. what the,
must do If the Apacbes put in an appear
ance in MY absence, and then off we start
, ed
| We met Ouray's warriors 100 strong
| ElPilt INC rCsItt
| till about an hour before day the followin,
morning for our horses were pretty vel
played out
There were no better scouts in tn
| world than Ouray's ties We had jus
eaten n hurried breakfast and were sad
ding up " hen some of them came gallon
ing into camp TO tell us that the Apache
had taken alarm and were then riding il
hot haste for the Aqua Caliente and tn
Rio Gran6e tn the south.
At felt my hair stand on end when
heard this, and being better mounted tina,
the others l refused the counsel of Kit an,
Ouray and galloped away to the south. fol
lowed by ten young braves whose horse
were fresh.
THE sun had dropped behind the Sierr
Nailfe while was Yet four miles fror
home. The light, directly In front, sent
chill through my blood, and my heart fo
the moment stopped its heating. | knc'
that my homo had been attacked and firet
Although driven to desperation. IA
miliarify with danger enabled me TO retail
my presence Of mind. On The hlud