We were not in much of a hurry to start next morning, but I took my glasses and selecting a high point for a general look, was agreeably surprised to see that the camp was one of wagons and tents.  That made us feel considerably better.  We packed up at once and went down to see what it all meant.

On arriving we found a company of miners.  The gold in California Gulch had just recently been discovered, and that was attracting them.  As soon as we learned the cause of the excitement, we struck camp and walked up the canyon to where they were at work.  They were taking out gold in great quantities, but we only remained until next morning, when we packed up and started for Taos, going via the place where Colorado City now stands—­a deserted village near the present city of Colorado Springs.  We were now in a country where we were perfectly safe, so far as Indians were concerned, and we could travel at our ease.

On our first day’s travel, after leaving the mining we passed through the country where I did my first trapping in company with Uncle Kit Carson and Mr. Hughes, and as we were riding along I pointed out to Jim the place where I took my first Indian scalp.  This was the first time I had ever mentioned it to him and he said that Uncle Kit had told him all about it a long time ago.

On our arrival at Taos we found Uncle Kit suffering severely from the effects of the arrow wound that has twice before been mentioned in this history.  He and his wife were glad to see us, and Uncle Kit insisted on my remaining with him and taking charge of his stock.  He now had several bands of sheep and some four hundred head of cattle, and not being able to ride and look after the camps, he wanted me to ride from one camp to the other and look after the business in general, for which he offered to pay me well.  I agreed to work for him at least two or three months and perhaps longer, provided I liked the business.

After I had been one month at work a wholesale butcher came over from Denver to buy cattle and sheep.  I went out and showed him Uncle Kit’s, after which we returned to Taos and he closed a trade with Uncle Kit, agreeing to take one hundred head of cattle and one thousand head of sheep.  The price to be paid for them I never knew, but he paid a certain portion down and the balance was to be paid the coming October, in Denver City.

I remained with Uncle Kit until the first of October, looking after things in general, when he asked me to accompany him to Denver City, which was one hundred and eighty miles from Taos.

About the middle of the afternoon of the sixth day we rode into Denver, from the southwest.  When near where Cherry creek runs through the city we saw an immense crowd of people in the streets, so we pushed on to see what the excitement was.

When near the crowd we met three or four men on horseback riding up the street.  We asked what was causing the excitement.  One of them replied:  “Oh, nothing, only they are going to hang a man down there in a few minutes.”