During the time we were awaiting the battle, Kiwatchee, chief of
the Comanches, who was a very intelligent Indian in his way, and
could speak French fairly well, and who was also an intimate
friend of Kit Carson, came to Uncle Kit and said:
"I know you are a great chief and I want to hire you and your men
to help me whip the Utes.
"If you help me fight the Utes I will give you five ponies each."
Kit Carson declined by telling Kiwatchee that he did not come to
fight, but as he had never witnessed a war between two tribes of
Indians, he had come merely to look on, and as the war was for the
purpose of settling a dispute between the two tribes, he did not
think it would be right for him to interfere. Kiwatchee insisted
on our entering into the battle and asked how many horses we would
take to help him fight the Utes. But Uncle Kit told him he would
take no hand in the affair.
We were camped on the hill near the Comanches, where we could
overlook the entire battle-ground, as well as the Ute camp. We
dared not go near the Utes, for they were not at all friendly
toward the pale-faces, and in case the Utes were victorious we
would have to flee with the Comanches.
The day before the battle was to take place, Kiwatchee came and
said to us:
"To-morrow we will fight."
We asked him how long he thought the battle would last.
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