I knew that Pinto was
getting old and had had many a hard day's ride, but I could get on
him to-morrow morning after breakfast, and be in Taos before
sundown, which was a distance of eighty miles. I made a bargain
with them to return to the fort in a month from that time and hunt
for them until something else turned up.
On my arrival at Taos I found Jim Bridger stopping with Uncle Kit,
and he made me a proposition that we go and stop with the Kiowa
tribe that winter and buy furs and buffalo robes. I agreed to that
provided that Col. Bent and Mr. Roubidoux would agree to buy the
furs and robes of us. They were the only traders in that country
since Joe Favor had retired from business.
In one month I returned to the fort as per contract and started in
hunting.
There was so much stock around the fort that I had to go from ten
to twenty miles to find deer, and sometimes further to find
buffalo.
After I had hunted about three weeks Jim Bridger came over to try
to make a bargain with the company in regard to buying furs and
buffalo robes.
Up to this time the Kiowa had not traded any at this fort. In
fact, there had been but little trading done among them, yet they
were in the heart of the buffalo country in the fall of the year,
being located on the Arkansas river, one hundred miles west from
the Big Bend. We made a bargain to work for Bent and Roubidoux by
the month, they to furnish us.
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