days in advance of Kit Carson, and employed himself in making the
necessary preparations for their trip to New Mexico. When Kit rejoined
his companion, everything was in readiness for them to proceed on
their route, and, in a day or so afterwards, they started. Everything
favored them until they reached a village belonging to some Pimo
Indians, and located on the Rio Gila. Here the grass became suddenly
very scarce. They learned from these Indians that the season had been
unusually dry, and that, if they attempted to proceed on the regular
trail, they would do so at the risk of losing their animals by
starvation. While undecided as to which was the best course to pursue,
Kit Carson informed the party that he could guide them over a new
route which, though difficult and rough to travel, he felt confident
would afford sufficient forage to answer all their purposes. At once
the men agreed to be governed by their experienced friend's advice,
and, having signified to him their willingness to do so, they resumed
their march, following up the Rio Gila, until they came to the mouth
of the San Pedro, when they struck out up the latter for three days,
and then parted with it to risk the chances of reaching, at the end
of each day, the small mountain creeks that lay on their contemplated
route. After traveling in as direct a course as the nature of the
country would admit, they arrived seasonably at the copper mines of
New Mexico.

While pursuing this experimental journey, Kit Carson, who was well
acquainted with the general outline of the country, but was not
equally conversant with it in reference to the certainty of finding
eligible camping-sites, where wood, water and grass presented
themselves in abundance, was frequently made the subject of a
tantalizing joke by the men of the party.