ce of their ponies while out on
this campaign, that they hesitated not to run them on races, whenever
circumstances and the site of the camp would permit such pastime. The
only training required for these trials of speed, consisted in the
rider foregoing the pleasure of riding for a day or two, in order
to allow his horse to recruit. As their walking did not in the least
interfere with the order of the march, they of course were permitted
to race as they pleased, for their services on the march are just as
valuable on foot.

Col. Fauntleroy's command, when completed, consisted of four companies
of Mexican volunteers, two companies of dragoons, one company of
artillery who were performing duty as a rifle corps, and one company
of spies. The two remaining companies of volunteers were dispatched
to exposed towns on the remote frontiers in order to protect them. The
artillery company was the only one on foot; but the soldiers who then
composed it were known from actual experiment to be more than a match
for the horses in traveling when the party should reach and penetrate
the mountains. Col. Fauntleroy engaged the services of Kit Carson as
his chief guide, and, having arranged all of his plans necessary for a
vigorous campaign, he set out upon its execution.

The command proceeded at first one hundred miles due north to Fort
Massachusetts, which was to be their depot. Without delay they left
this post and proceeded, encountering snow-storms and severe cold
weather. The mercury of the thermometer, for most of the time, ranged
several degrees below zero. They marched to the Rio Grande del Norte,
and thence, on up this river to where it makes its exit through a deep
canon from the mountains. It was, as will be remembered by the reader,
on the head-waters of this last-mentioned stream, that Col. Fremont,
while engaged in his last great exploring expedition, met with severe
reverses, in which several of his men lost their lives from exposure,
hunger, etc., while he, and the remainder of his party, barely escaped
the same fate.

While passing over this point of his journey, Col. Fauntleroy sent out
as an advance party the company of spies. Their duty was to seek for
fresh Indian trails. On reaching the mouth of the canon of this river,
the main portion of the soldiers halted for a short time while their
trailers penetrated the mountains in search of the much desired Indian
signs. During this resting spell, an incident occurred