On one of the tributaries of the Gila, the trappers came upon the identical band whom they attacked with such fierceness that more than a dozen were killed and the rest put to flight.

The fight was a desperate one, but young as Carson was, he acquitted himself in a manner which won the warmest praise of those with him.

He was unquestionably daring, skilful and sagacious, and was certain, if his life was spared, to become one of the most valuable members of the party.
Having driven the savages away, the Americans began or rather resumed their regular business of trapping.

The beavers were so abundant that they met with great success.

When the rodents seemed to diminish in number, the hunters shifted their quarters, pursuing their profession along the numerous streams until it was decided to divide into two parties, one of which returned to New Mexico, while the other pushed on toward the Sacramento Valley in California.