out a little bay pony that had both his ears cropped off at the
tips, and he said:

"Now Willie, there is your pony. Catch him and climb on," at the
same time handing me the riatta.

The pony being gentle I caught and mounted him at once, and by the
time we had got back to town money could not have bought that
little crop-eared horse from me. As will be seen, later on, I kept
that pony and he was a faithful friend and servant until his
tragic death, years afterward.

In two days we had a pack-train of twenty horses rigged for the
trip. The cargo was mostly tobacco, blankets and beads, which
Carson was taking out to trade to the Indians for robes and furs.
Of course all this was novel to me as I had never seen a pack-
saddle or anything associated with one.

A man named Hughes, of whom you will see much in this narrative,
accompanied and assisted Uncle Kit on this trip, as he had done
the season before, for besides his experience as a packer, he was
a good trapper, and Uncle Kit employed him.




CHAPTER II.

BEGINNING OF AN ADVENTUROUS LIFE.--FIRST WILD TURKEY.--FIRST
BUFFALO.--FIRST FEAST AS AN HONORED GUEST OF INDIANS.--DOG MEAT.