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Spring. We then started for Laramie on another trapping expedition, before our departure we cached the Beaver we had on hand, some four hundred pounds. When we arrived on the South Fork of the Platte River two men of our party deserted, taking with them three of our best animals, we suspected their design and Gaunt? sent myself and another man in pursuit. They had a day the start and we could not overtake them. When we came to our old camp we discovered that the deserters had rescued? the Beaver & had taken it down the Arkansas in a canoe which we had made during the winter for the purpose of crossing the river, neither the men or the Beaver were ever heard of again. I presume they were killed by Indians. They deserved such a fate for their dishonesty. We recovered the stolen animals and considered ourselves fortunate for doing so as they were of much more service to us than men that we could never trust any more. We took possession of one of the buildings that we'd built during the winter and made the necessary preparations for our defence, not having the remotest idea how long we should have to remain. Being by ourselves we never ventured very far from our fort unless for the purpose of procuring meat, we kept our horses picketed near and at nights slept in the house always keeping a good lookout so that we might not be surprised when unprepared. We were here about a month when Mr. Blackwell, Gaunt's? partner arrived from the States, he had some ten or fifteen men with him. Shortly after their arrival four trappers of Gaunt's? party joined us they were sent to find us and learn whether we were dead or alive the former being the general belief. We remained only a few days after the appearance of the trappers. Who stated