360 FRONTIERSMEN, PIONEERS, AND SCOUTS.

injury. They sprang to their guns, and the Indians seized theirs. The battle commenced in earnest. Among the whites was a man named Markland, who was an especial friend of Carson's. The two were united in friendship as" were David and Jonathan. Both in this engagement sprang behind trees to fight the Indians in Indian style. Two Indians immediately in front leveled their guns at Carson and Markland. Carson's eye was on his enemy, and he was prepared to exchange shots with him. But just at that moment lie discovered that Markland did not see the fellow, who had a bead on his heart. Quicker than thought he changed his aim and sent his ball into the breast of Markland's foe, thus saving his life. But he did not escape himself. A ball from his antagonist's gun entered his neck, ranged downward, and came out of his arm, completely disabling him. The rest of the day he could only be a spectator to the fight. Night brought a cessation of hostilities. The whites had lost none killed and only one, Carson, wounded, but they determined not to wage the unequal contest longer, and so returned to camp. They paid every possible attention to their wounded leader, but what could their best ministrations avail to a man in his condition? Not a murmur escaped his lips. He bore his sufferings like the hero he was. It was many weeks before he recovered.

For a year or more Carson continued his trapping operations. The time was at hand when the business of trapping beavers would become unprofitable, owing to the introduction of silk for various purposes for which beaver had been used. The season closed, and Carson found the price for his peltries so depreciated that he concluded to abandon the profession.

He had now spent eight years in the arduous and dangerous task of trapping. During that time he had traveled over the whole of the Western country trapping on all the rivers from the source of the Mississippi to the mouth of the Colorado. Had