That didn't scare me a bit, for I was now sixteen years' old, had
killed and scalped two Indians, and had already begun to consider
myself a hunter and Indian fighter from away back. Besides, when
the story of my killing the two Indians got out, I came to be
generally called "the boy scalper." But Uncle Kit never spoke of
me in that way, for he always respected me as a father would his
own son.

Now Uncle Kit was anxious to reach Taos and meet Col. Fremont, so
we pushed on with all possible speed until the third day from
where we met Juan with the letter, we met Col. Fremont at the
crossing of the Arkansas river. He had became over-anxious and had
started out to meet us.

It was late in the afternoon, so we went into camp and had supper,
which consisted of dried venison and water, but for breakfast we
had a change of diet, which was dried elk and water.

We learned that Col. Fremont had been detailed the summer before
by the government to command an exploring expedition across the
continent, and, if possible, find a better route from the "States"
to California.

It leaked out that some of the trappers who did not like to have
him in the neighborhood of Bent's Fort, for their own selfish
motives, had misinformed him that first summer out, as to the lay
of the country, hoping thereby to mislead him and his company into
the mountains, where they would get snowed in and die of
starvation.