Every man in the crowd took
off his hat, and they gave me three cheers.
On arriving at Bent's Fort we learned that furs were high, and
notwithstanding our catch was light, Uncle Kit did fairly well.
He sold his furs again to Col. Bent and Mr. Roubidoux.
After Uncle Kit had settled up with all the other boys, he called
me into the tent and said:
"Willie, I have settled with all the men now but you; how much am
I owing you?"
Up to this time I had never received any wages from Uncle Kit, nor
had I expected any, for I did not think that I had done enough for
him to pay for my raising. I had always felt under obligations to
him for picking me up when I was without a home and almost
penniless, and had, as I considered made a man of me.
Uncle Kit told me that I was old enough now to do a man's work,
and that I was able to fill a man's place in every respect. He
took his purse from his pocket, counted me out one hundred and
fifty dollars in gold; and not until then had I known that he had
ordered me a fifty dollar suit of buckskin made at Taos, the fall
before; and not until then had he told me that he was to be
married on the tenth of July, and wanted Johnnie West and I to be
there without fail. I asked him who he was going to be married to.
He said her name was Rosita Cavirovious. She was a Mexican girl
who lived in Taos.
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