he gained not only a valuable knowledge of the country and its
people, but became familiar with the Spanish language -- an attainment
which proved invaluable to him in after years. In the spring, he
joined a party which set out for Missouri, but before reaching its
destination, another company of traders were met on their way to
Santa Fe. Young Carson joined them, and some days later was back
again in the quaint old capital of New Mexico.

The youth's engagement ended with his arrival in the town, but
there was nothing indolent in the nature of Carson, who immediately
engaged himself as teamster to a company about to start to El
Paso, on the Rio Grande, near the frontier of New Mexico. He did
not stay long before drifting back to Santa Fe, and finally to Taos,
where he hired out as a cook during the following winter, but had
not wrought long, when a wealthy trader, learning how well Carson
understood the Spanish language, engaged him as interpreter.

This duty compelled the youth to make another long journey to El
Paso and Chihuahua, the latter being the capital of the province
of the same name, and another of those ancient towns whose history
forms one of the most interesting features of the country. It was
founded in 1691 and a quarter of a century later, when the adjoining
silver mines were in full operation, had a population of 70,000,
though today it has scarcely a fifth of that number.

The position of interpreter was more dignified than any yet held
by Carson, and it was at his command, as long as he chose to hold
it; but to one of his restless nature it soon grew monotonous and
he threw it up, making his way once more to Taos. The employment
most congenial to Carson's nature, and the one which he had been