Vlll THE LATE 



dressed by him, in the course of last summer, to the 

 conductors of the Magazine above named : 



" I have brought out a few more softening traits in the 

 characters of the mountaineers but not at the sacrifice oi 

 truth for some of them have their good points ; which, as 

 they are rarely allowed to rise to the surface, must be laid 

 hold of at once before they sink again. Killbuck that 

 ' old hos ' par exemple, was really pretty much of a gentle- 

 man, as was La Bonte. Bill Williams, another ' hard case,' 

 and Kube Herring, were * some ' too. 



" The scene where La Bonte joins the Chase family is 

 so far true, that he did make a sudden appearance ; but, 

 in reality, a day before the Indian attack. The Chases 

 (and I wish I had not given the proper name *) did start 

 for the Platte alone, and were stampedoed upon the waters 

 of the Platte. 



"The Mexican fandango is true to the letter. It does 

 seem difficult to understand how they contrived to keep 

 their knives out of the hump-ribs of the mountaineers ; 

 but how can you account for the fact, that, the other day, 

 4000 Mexicans, with 13 pieces of artillery, behind strong 

 intrenchments and two lines of parapets, were routed by 

 900 raw Missourians ; 300 killed, as many more wounded, 

 all their artillery captured, as well as several hundred 

 prisoners ; and that not one American was killed in the 

 affair? This is positive fact. 



" I myself, with three trappers, cleared a fandango at 

 Taos, armed only with bowie-knives some score Mexi- 

 cans, at least, being in the room. 



" With regard to the incidents of Indian attacks, starva- 



* In accordance with this suggestion, the name was changed to 

 Brand. The mountaineers, it seems, are more sensitive to type 

 than to tomahawks ; and poor Ruxton, who always contemplated 

 another expedition among them, would sometimes jestingly specu- 

 late upon his reception, should they learn that he had shown them 

 up in print. 



