MOURNFUL INTELLIGENCE. 91 



the return of the caravan the preceding fall. 

 Traders and idlers, with equal curiosity, 

 clustered around the new visitor ; every one 

 who could speak a word of Spanish having 

 some question to ask : — " What prospects ?' 

 " How are goods ?" — " What news from the 

 South?" — while the more experienced tra- 

 ders interested themselves chiefly to ascertain 

 the condition of the custom-house, and who 

 were the present revenue officers ; for unpro- 

 pitious changes sometimes occur during tlie 

 absence of the caravans. 



But whatever joy we at first experienced 

 Was soon converted into mourning, by a piece 

 of most melancholy news — ^the tragical death 

 of a celebrated veteran mountain adventurer. 

 It has already been mentioned that Capt. 

 Sublette and others had started near a month 

 in advance of our company. We had fre- 

 quently seen their trail, and once or twice 

 had received some vague information of their 

 "whereabouts through the Indians, but notliing 

 satisfactory. Oiu: visitor now informed us 

 that a captain of this band had been assassi- 

 nated by the Indians ; and from his descrip- 

 tion we presumed it to be Capt. Smith, one 

 of the partners, — which was afterwards con- 

 firmed, with many particulars of the adven- 

 tures of this company. 



Capt. Smith and his companions were new 

 beginners in the Santa Fe trade, but being 

 veteran pioneers of the Rocky Mountams, 

 they concluded they could go anyw^here ; and 



imprudently set out without a single person 



