time very bitter against the whites--he confronted their "head men" in
their den. He needed no introduction, for, during many years, he had
been well known to them. Therefore he proceeded, at once, to business.
After passing through the usual Indian salutations, he commenced by
haranguing them, in a style that most pleases their fancy, thereby
fixing their attention on what he was saying. Among other things, he
forewarned them that the course they were pursuing, if persisted in,
would prove the cause of their being exterminated, as their "Great
Father," the President, had at his disposal thousands of soldiers
to replace those who fell in battle, while, when their warriors were
killed, they could not immediately place others in their moccasins.
When a warrior was killed, they were compelled to wait until their
children grew up. He added, that the "Great Father" loved his red
children, and through him, whose servant he was, he wished to give
them annuities and otherwise aid them in living at peace. These
Indians, on learning that Kit Carson was their agent, expressed great
pleasure, and, at his earnest solicitation, came forward and professed
friendship. So little reliance, however, was to be placed in this
tribe, that Kit Carson doubted their sincerity; although he exacted
every pledge which he thought would in the least tend to bind them to
their promises, he feared they would not prove true. Having finished
his business, Kit bent his way to Santa Fé; but, he had not more than
reached there before he heard that the Jiccarillas had already become
tired of the restraints which he had placed upon them, and had broken
out in open defiance of the authorities. From this time onward,
so thick and fast did their wicked crimes increase, that coercive
measures became necessary to put them down. This finally resulted, in
as sanguinary a battle being fought between a small band of soldiers
and this tribe, as was ever recorded. A rapid sketch of it must
suffice to illustrate to the reader what kind of a fight this was, and