ELDORADO 261 



plied lo the Major to enlist with him, but, surmising 

 liis reason for this move, the officer asked him why he 

 wished to become a soldier, 'ihe fellow frankly in- 

 formed him that he was afraid to contmue wun tlie 

 tram, now that the escort was about to return. As 

 soon as he heard this answer, Rilqy told him that his 

 men were soldiers, not cowards, and he did not want 

 any of the latter class. 



Others of the train men were waiting to see the 

 success of this fellow's application, and if all had en- 

 listed who desired to do so the expedition of the 

 traders must have been abandoned right there. 



Mr. Lamb, the wealthiest of the traders, fell in this 

 battle, and was buried in the sand hills, but after- 

 wards, I believe, the remains were removed to St. 

 Louis, and there re-interred. We have now, after 

 considerable preliminary explanation, approached the 

 reason for the traders turning their course from Santa 

 Fe, which point they had intended at first to reach, 

 to Taos, some eighty miles further to the north. By 

 this detour they not only avoided canyons, in which 

 there were sure to be dangerous ambuscades, but they 

 were also enabled to obtain a Mexican military es- 

 cort. General Viscarro was ordered to accompany 

 the traders from Taos to Santa Fe, and they once 

 more set out on their journey. 



At Cinnamon river a large party of savages ap- 

 proached the escort, bearing in their van the Chris- 

 tian symbol of the cross, made by tying an arrow 

 transversely across a spear. Honoring this novel flag 

 of truce with the devotion of a true Catholic, Viscarro 

 was informed that, if he would order the Americans 

 to remove to a sufficient distance to prevent them from 



