250 EIvDORADO 



more noted for their money than for intellectual 

 ability. Elliott L,ee, another brother-in-law, and who 

 had been in the Missouri State Senate as a representa- 

 tive of St. Louis, was rescued by Father Martines, 

 the good priest of Taos, N. M. 



In 1829 Charles Bent, Jacob Coats, William Waldo 

 and others were attacked, while making their way 

 towards the mountains beyond Santa Fe, and for forty 

 days the battle raged. Every day the Comanches and 

 Kiowas hung in a cloud upon the flanks of the mov- 

 ing line of trappers, that steadily as the resistless 

 march of fate continued on towards its goal. Every 

 night they slept upon their arms, certain of a furious 

 assault before the morning's dawn. 



Bill Bent heard of the peril of the small body of 

 white men, and with the determination of a hero, he 

 resolved to add one more to the number. Mounted 

 on a large black mule, whose split ears denoted his 

 former Comanche ownership, he started for the train. 

 On his way he was attacked and pursued by about 

 fifty Comanches. Arrows and bullets whistled past 

 him, but the only heed he paid to these was to wheel 

 in his saddle and drop some too eager buck, whose 

 zeal had outstripped his discretion and brought him in 

 range of Bent's deadly Hawken rifle. 



The pursuit ceased, when Bent had reached Coats 

 and Waldo, and he dashed on into the line where 

 his brother and comrades were desperately fighting. 

 Coats and Waldo fired upon Bent's pursuers, and 

 brought down two of the foremost, the others rapidly 

 retreated. A force of one hundred and twenty Mexi- 

 cans joined this little party of fighting Americans, in 



