becoming degenerated. The reason, therefore, why the fulfillment of
this treaty would have militated strongly against the Camanche Indians
especially, is clearly apparent.

In the following February, Col. Beall learned that on the Arkansas
River there were congregated a large body of Indians, who had quite
a number of Mexicans in bondage. He felt it to be his duty to visit
these savages and endeavor to have them deliver up all such captives,
using peaceable means to accomplish this result in the first instance;
and, should they fail, he made up his mind to resort to more forcible
and potent arguments. With this determination, and with two companies
of dragoons to back him and Kit Carson as his guide, he set out on
his mission. In due time he reached the Arkansas, and there found
congregated four tribes of Indians who numbered in the vicinity of
two thousand souls. Their object in thus coming together was to have a
grand council and lay out plans for the future, and also to meet their
agent. This agent, who was an experienced mountaineer, informed the
colonel that, considering the present state of ill feeling existing
among these Indians towards the whites, it would be useless to make
the demand for the prisoners; and as to using force, it would almost
certainly prove a failure, when such a large number of well armed
warriors were arrayed against him. It required a great deal of
persuasion to bring the colonel around to this mode of thinking; but,
at last he yielded to the advice of his friends and concluded to make
no demonstration against the Indians at the present time, concluding,
as his anger cooled, that it was the wisest policy to await a more
favorable opportunity, when a treaty could be made with them, in
which there could be an article inserted that would stipulate for the
restoration of the captives.