The forest resounded with their shrill war-whoop.

Carson requested every man to withhold his fire until sure of his aim.

"Let not a single shot," said he, "be lost." It was a fearful moment, for upon that moment depended the life of every man in the party.

Should the outnumbering Indians succeed in passing the narrow intervening space, the trappers would inevitably be overpowered and from the spear-heads of the savages, forty-three scalps would be waved as the banners of their victory.
There was no simultaneous discharge but a rattling fire, occupying perhaps sixty seconds.

Forty-three Indian warriors were struck by the bullets.
Eleven fell instantly dead; the others were more or less crippled by their wounds.