The leaders had halted; the Frémont party already were unharnessing and unsaddling; so evidently this was the camping-place for the night. The upper end of the valley was closed by cliffs of scarlet, peeping over a little swell that intervened.
“I’ve seen time when this hyar valley war full o’ buff’ler an’ elk an’ deer,” remarked Trapper New, as the Carson squad good-naturedly hustled to beat the larger party in making camp. “But when Injuns air out, game gets scarce. We’re going to have a lean trail, I reckon.”
At this moment a ripple of laughter flowed through the party. Oliver followed the glances, and saw that the Frémont party were trying to erect a large tent; rather, a buffalo-hide lodge which they must have procured from the Indians at Fort Laramie. It was some twenty feet high, to the peak, and eighteen feet across, at the base, and was to be stretched like a cone over a framework of lodge-poles set in a circle and slanted to meet at a point. Almost the whole party, including the lieutenant and Kit Carson, were working at it. But twice it had toppled and fallen, burying the workers under its folds.
“Now, Kit knows,” complained Ike Chamberlain. “He’s seen many a lodge put up. But hyar comes somebody who knows better, I reckon. You watch. It’s squaw work, anyhow; not man work.”
Into the camp had ridden Agent Bissonette, from Fort Platte, with two Indians—man and wife. The woman, grinning broadly, at once trudged to the struggling group, and by gestures and short exclamations, and by applying deftly her own strength, soon had the skin tent stretched and stationary.
Flushed and apologetic, Kit Carson strolled to his squad.
“That’s harder than I thought,” he said. “I’ve seen a thousand lodges raised an’ struck, but I never touched one before. Thar always were squaws to do it.”
“Camp hyar, do we, for the night?” commented Lieutenant Ike.
“Yes. Frémont wants to ride over an’ inspect the canyon mouth yon, whar he’s coming down in his rubber boat, on our way back.”
“He air, air he!” grunted Ike. “Humph! Old White Head tried that once, didn’t he—’fore his ha’r turned.”