THE CACHES. 67 



of executing summary chastisement ; while 

 another mule, with more benignity of temper 

 than its irascible compeer, engaged most lus- 

 tily in defence of the unfortunate httle mus- 

 tang. As the contest w^as ci^ied on among 

 tlie wagons, the teamsters soon became very 

 uproarious ; so that the whole, with the snake 

 fracas, made up a capital scene of confusion. 

 When the mule skirmish would have ended, 

 if no one had interfered, is a question which 

 remained undetermined; for some of oiur 

 company, in view of the consequences that 

 might result from the contest, rather inhu- 

 manly took sides with the assailing mule ; 

 and soon after they entered the lists, a rifle, 

 ball reUeved the poor colt from its earthly em- 

 barrassments, and the company from further 

 domestic disturbance. Peace once inore re- 

 stored, we soon got under way, and that eve- 

 ning pitched our camp opposite the celebrated 

 * Caches,' a place where some of the earhest 

 adventurers had been compelled to conceal 

 their merchandise. 



The history of the origin of these ' Caches* 

 may be of sufficient interest to merit a brief 

 recital Beard, of the unfortunate party of 

 1812, alluded to in the first chapter, having 

 returned to the United States in 1822, together 

 with Chambers, who had descended the Cana- 

 dian river the year before, induced some small 

 capitaUsts of St Louis to join in an enter- 

 prise, and then undertook to return to Santa 

 Fe the same fall, with a small party and an 

 assortment of merchandise. Beaching the Ar- 



K 



