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Pike Explores the Arkansas Valley: Santa

At last they built a block-house for shelter, and settled down to wait. Pike sent one of his men to hunt for Santa Fé, the Spanish town, and to bring succor. When the messenger reached Santa Fé and told his story, the Spaniards listened with some distrust, but sent a squadron of horse to find Pike and his men.

Reaching the brave little party, the Spaniards arrested Pike for being on Spanish territory; they suspected him of having designs on New Mexico.

Pike was glad enough to be rescued, no matter what the Spaniards thought of him. Here is how he, himself, describes what befell him and his men, when they reached Santa Fé: "When we presented ourselves at Santa Fé, I was dressed in a pair of blue trousers, moccasins, blanket-coat, and a cap made of scarlet cloth, lined with fox skins, and my poor fellows in leggings, breech-cloths, and leather coats. There was not a hat in the whole party. Our appearance was extremely mortifying to us all, especially as soldiers. Greater proof cannot be given of the ignorance of the people here than their asking. if we lived in houses or in camps like the Indians, or if we wore hats in our country."

After a brief detention, as prisoners, and largely because of satisfactory explanation on Pike's part, the explorers were sent back to the United States under an armed escort, though Pike's papers were taken from him, so that he had to supply the details of his explorations as best he could from memory.