rider, made a few extra strides, until he reached, knocked down
and passed over the Indian, thereby causing his arrow to fly in a
different direction from the one intended. Before the savage could
regain his feet, a ball from one of the rifles belonging to the party
had sent him to his last resting-place. Fremont now learned from
Owens, that while the messenger was absent, the rest of the Indians
had decamped, and as he had received orders from him to await his
coming in case he found the enemy, therefore, he was obliged to let
the rascals quietly depart without firing into them, which was much to
his own and his men's displeasure.

[Illustration: A moment more and in all probability Kit Carson would
have been breathing his last. Fremont saw the danger his friend was
in, although Kit had tried to avoid the arrow by throwing himself on
one side of his horse.--PAGE 265.]

It was now necessary to return without delay to their own camp, and
thus anticipate the movements of the Indians, as they might conclude
to make an attack in that quarter; but, on arriving there, they
found everything safe; nor were they, during that night, in any way
disturbed. Kit Carson was, and is still, very grateful to Fremont for
thus interposing between him and almost certain death; for it would
have been the work of an instant for the Indian warrior, at ten feet
distance, to have sent an arrow into some vital organ. It was such
noble generosity, bravery, and disinterested exposure in the hour of
peril, in order to serve his men, that strongly cemented Fremont to
them. Indeed, in all of his expeditions, he had such command over his
employees, that little or no trouble ever occurred among them while
on their marches, although they had privations and dangers to undergo
that would often try men of the most even temper.