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Show 4o4 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF There was no alternative, and he gave him the keg. They carried it along until they came to a creek, where they sat down and had a jollification. I passed them while they were in the n1idst of it, but did not see them, although they saw n1e. When I met the chief some time subsequently, and charged him with the larceny, he gave me ten robes and a good horse to compound the felony. We shot several buffalo on our way, enough to load all our horses with meat and tallow. We exchanged our effects in Santa Fe for goods, and carried them to St. Fernandez, a distance of sixty miles. Here we established a store as our head-quarters for the Indian trade, where I resided smne time, living very fast and happily, according to the manner of the inhabitants. Among other doings, I got manied to Senorita Louise San deville. In the fall _ I returned to the Indian country, taking my wife with me. We reached the Arkansas about the first of October, 1842, where I erected a tradingpost, and opened a successful business. In a very short time I was joined by from fifteen to twenty fre~ trappers, with their families. We all united our labors, and constructed an adobe fort sixty yards square. By the following spring we had grown into quite a little settlement, and we gave it the name of Pueblo. Many of the company devoted themselves to agriculture, and 1·aised very good crops the first season, such as wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, and abundance of almost all kinds of vegetables. When the spring trade was over, I sent all my peltry to Independence, and bought with the proceeds three thousand dollars worth of articles, suitable for the trade in New Mexico. But, on the arrival of the goods, the ,JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 4o5 whole country was in a ferment on. account of Colo~el Cook's expedition from Texas, which re~ulted so disastrously for the parties concerned. This affected ~he minds of the New Mexicans unfavorably for my Interest, inasmuch as their former pr~ference for United States novelties was now turned Into strong repugnance for every thing American. I therefore could 0 btain no sale for my goods, and determined to return to my Indian friends. I bought a load .of w!1isky to trade for horses to pack my goods to Cahforn1a, where I intended removing. I succeeded in my adven.ture, and obtained forty horses and mules, upon _whiCh I packed my merchandise, and quickly found myself on the way to the " golden state." I started with fifteen men, three of whom were J\{exicans. When I reached the Utah country, I found that the Indians were waging exterminating war upon the Mexicans, but I did not learn it in time to save the lives of my three unhappy followers, who, lagging too far in the rear, were set upon by the Indians and slain. In passing through their countr~ I did considerable . trading, exchanging my merchandise for elk, deer, and antelope skins, very beautifully dresse~. . . I arrived in Pueblo de Angeles (Cahfornia) In January, 1844. There I indulged my .new passion for trade and did a very. profitable business for several months. At the breaking out of the revolution in 1845, I took an active part against the mother country, of which I will furnish some details in my next chapter. U2 • |
