roached the American sentinels, announced themselves as friends, and
were conducted to Commodore Stockton. He immediately dispatched one
hundred and seventy men with a heavy piece of ordnance, and with
directions to march day and night, for the relief of Kearney.

The Mexicans hearing of their approach, knowing that they would be
attacked both in front and rear, fled. Kearney and his army were saved.
Carson and Beale had rescued them.

The main army of the Mexicans was now at Los Angelos, about a hundred and
twenty miles north from San Diego. They had a strongly intrenched camp
there; garrisoned by about seven hundred men. Kearney and Fremont united
their forces to attack them. Carson was again with his friend Fremont. The
Mexicans were driven away, and the American army took up its winter
quarters during two or three cold and dreary months.

In the month of March, 1847, Mr. Carson was directed to carry important
dispatches to Washington. Lieutenant Beale, who never recovered from the
hardships he encountered in his flight to San Diego, was permitted to
accompany him. As we have mentioned, it was a journey of four thousand
miles. It was accomplished in three months. In reference to this adventure
Mr. Carson writes:

"Lieutenant Beale went with me as bearer of dispatches, intended for the
Navy Department. During the first twenty days of our journey he was so
weak that I had to lift him on and off his riding animal. I did not think
for some time that he could live, but I bestowed as much care and
attention on him as any one could have done, under the circumstances.
Before the fatiguing and dangerous part of our route was passed over, he
had so far recovered as to be able to take care of himself.

"For my attention, which was only my duty to my friend, I was doubly
repaid, by the kindness shown to me by his family while I staid in
Washington, which was more than I had any reason for expecting, and which
will never be forgotten by me."

On this expedition, Kit Carson was provided with a guard of ten or twelve
picked men, veteran mountaineers. They took an extremely southern route.
Having journeyed about four hundred miles without meeting any hostile
encounter, they reached the Gila, a tributary of the lower Colorado. Here
Mr. Carson had evidence that a band of hostile Indians, keeping always out
of sight, were dogging his path, watching for an opportunity to attack him
by surprise. Their route led over a vast prairie,