LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 85 



who numbered at least sixty, killed sevun of them, and 

 retook the prisoners and the whole cavallada of horses and 

 mules. Great were the rejoicings when they entered 

 Socorro, the town whence the women and children had 

 been taken, and as loud the remonstrances when, handing 

 them over to their families, the trappers rode on, driving 

 fifty of the best of the rescued animals before them, which 

 they retained as payment for their services. Messengers 

 were sent on to Albuquerque with intelligence of the pro- 

 ceeding ; and as troops were stationed there, the command- 

 ant was applied to, to chastise the insolent whites. 



That warrior, on learning that the trappers numbered 

 less than fifteen, became alarmingly brave, and ordering 

 out the whole of his disposable force, some two hundred 

 dragoons, sallied out to intercept the audacious mountain- 

 eers. About noon one day, just as the latter had emerged 

 from a little town between Socorro and Albuquerque, they 

 descried the imposing force of the dragoons winding along 

 a plain ahead. As the trappers advanced, the officer in 

 command halted his men, and sent out a trumpeter to 

 order the former to await his coming. Treating the herald 

 to a roar of laughter, on they went, and, as they approached 

 the soldiers, broke into a trot, ten of the number forming 

 line in front of the packed and loose animals, and, rifle in 

 hand, charging with loud whoops. This was enough for 

 the New Mexicans. Before the enemy were within shooting 

 distance the gallant fellows turned tail, and splashed into 

 the river, dragging themselves up the opposite bank like 

 half-drowned rats, and saluted with loud peals of laughter 

 by the victorious mountaineers, who, firing a volley into 

 the air in token of supreme contempt, quietly continued 

 their route up the stream. 



Before reaching the capital of the province they struck 

 again to the westward, and, following a small creek to its 

 junction with the Green River, ascended that stream, 

 trapping en route to the Uintah or Snake Fork, and arrived 

 at Roubideau's rendezvous early in the fall, where they 

 quickly disposed of their peltries, and were once more on 

 " the loose." 



