ends, whom
they found anxiously waiting for them. Col. Fremont concludes his
account of this affair in the following words:

"Their object accomplished, our men gathered up all the surviving
horses, fifteen in number, returned upon their trail, and rejoined us
at our camp in the afternoon of the same day. They had rode about one
hundred miles in the pursuit and return, and all in thirty hours. The
time, place, object, and numbers considered, this expedition of Carson
and Godey may be considered among the boldest and most disinterested
which the annals of western adventure, so full of daring deeds, can
present. Two men, in a savage desert, pursue day and night an unknown
body of Indians into the defiles of an unknown mountain--attack them
on sight, without counting numbers--and defeat them in an instant--and
for what? To punish the robbers of the desert, and to avenge the
wrongs of Mexicans whom they did not know. I repeat: it was Carson
and Godey who did this--the former an American, born in Kentucky; the
latter a Frenchman by descent, born in St. Louis; and both trained to
western enterprise from early life."

The stolen property was restored to the Mexicans without one cent
being demanded or received by either Carson or Godey.

It was not for the love of Indian fighting as many may suppose, that
Kit Carson was moved to take part in such expeditions; but, when the
life of a fellow-creature is exposed to Indian barbarities, no living
man is more willing, or more capable of rendering a lasting service
than Christopher Carson. A name that, wherever it is known, is ranked
among the "bravest of the brave."

Soon after the two volunteers came in, Fremont resumed his journey and
continued it without anything transpiring to disturb the equanimity
of the party until they reached a point on the Virgin River where the
Spanish Trail leaves it. It became necessary to change camps here, in
order that the animals might take advantage of better grass. As the
party were enjoying a day's rest, one of the men, a Canadian by birth,
missed his riding mule from the herd. Without informing any of his
friends of his intentions, he started out in quest of the animal. His
absence, at first, was not noticed; but, soon, inquiries were made for
him, and when an unusual length of time had passed without his return,
Fremont became anxious for his safety. He directed Kit Carson to take
three men and go in search of him. On arriving at their last