IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) / O ij. i/.A 1.0 ^i^ II I.I 1^ 2.5 lilil 20 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 « 6" ^ V] <^i 4 / '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation ^^ %^ O 6^ \.% . /c. fe CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagie Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurie et/ou peliiculAe I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes gAographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La reliure serr6e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intArieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutAes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte. mais, lorsque cela Atait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6X6 filmies. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmentaires; L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mithode normale de filmage sO'it indiquAs ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ D Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagAes □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaur^es et/ou peiiiculAes Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages dicoiories, tacheties ou piqudes □Pages detached/ Pages ditach^es Showthrough/ Transparence I I Quality of print varies/ Quality inigaie de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel supplAmentaire Only edition available/ Seule Mition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been ref timed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6X6 filmies 6 nouveau de fa^on k obtenir la meilleure image possible. The to th The i poss of th filmii Origi begli the li sion, othei first sion, or ill The I shall TINU whic Map: diffei entiri begir right requi math This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film6 au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grdce d la g6n6rosit6 de: Bibliothdque nationale du Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending o . the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de l'exemplaire film6, et en conformit6 avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimde sont film6s en commengant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmds en commen9ant'par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole -^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film^s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seui clichd, il est filmd d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 / )J 1 — ■■ £ ■■.■ ^ i' Ti^Bli^^Mia |L a IB i' ' * ^ ^ft^ v'^' |7 IfflHH -^ r' Here one of the bravest of our men was slain.'' {Page I-IJ) PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE: STIRRING SCENES OF LIFE IN THE CANADIAN NORTH-WEST. BY JOHN McDOUGALL, Author of "Forest, Lake and Prairie,'" "Saddle, Sled and Snowshoe," etc. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. E. LA UGH LIN. TORONTO: WILLIAM BRIGGS, Wesley Buildings. Montreal : C. W. COAXES. Halifax : S. F. HUESTIS. 1898. 136893 ^) c ^'' C J ?, /. /. ^ ,/ , Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight, by William Briqqs, at the Department of Agriculture. CONTENTS. Chapter I. Pagb "Thin leather homes" — Drudgery of the Indian women —Occupations of the men — Hunting parties and scalping forays — Triumphs of endurance . . .11 Chapter II. Camping in the snow — Our costume — Brilliant sunrise efll'ects — Maple and her pups found at last — Striking example of " dog sense " — The Fort Garry packet . 19 Chapter III. We visit Edmonton — Nature's grand cathedral — Adven- ture with a buffalo bull — A trip to Pigeon Lake — Racing with dog-teams — An infidel blacksmith — Old Joseph proves an unerring guide — Caching our provisions 27 Chapter IV. Epidemic breaks out among the Indians — Snow-blind- ness — I take to me a wife — Our modest dowry — My father officiates as a Stationing Conmiitteo — Fear- ful mortality among the Indians — Our journey to Pigeon Lake — The epidemic attacks our camp — A rude hospital — An exciting buffalo hunt — Chased by a maddened bull — Narrow escape . . .37 Chapter V. Our caravan moves on — Difficulties of packing — Oliver's adventures with a buffalo — Novel method of " blaz- ing" a path— Arrival at Pigeon Lake — House- iv CONTENTS. builrlin^ — Ahundancc of fish— Indians camp about the Mission — I form many enduring friendships — Indians taught fishing with nets .... Chapter VI. We are visited by a band of Creos — Our gueaia steal away with a bunch of horses — Stonies sot out in hot pur- suit — Little William's strategy — Horses recaptured — We begin farming operations — Arrival of Mr. Steinhauer — Home to Victoria again — A memorable Sabbath — My gun bursts — Narrow escape — My mother's cares and anxieties — Home-made furniture Paob 48 59 Chapter VII. I travel with Maskepetoon's camp — Effects of environ- ment on the Indians — Nature's grandeur and beauty — Degradation through paganism — The noble Chief Maskepetoon — Indian councils — On the fringe of the buffalo herds — Indian boy lost — A false conjurer — The lad recovered 69 Chapter VIII. The "Thirst Dance"— "Tobacco messages "—The head conjurer — * • Dancing lodges " — The rendezvous — The " idol tree" — Meeting of the head conjurer and the chief of the warriors — An anxious moment — Building the "temple" — Self-torture, dancing and sacrifices— The festival concluded — Romantic situa- tion for our camp 79 Chapter IX. Our great camp a study of native types — I attend a " wolf feast" — A disgusting orgie — Paul and I start for home — Our horses stampede — Difficult tracking — Enormous herd of buffalo — Home again and all well — Party of half-breeds from the Red River settlement visit our Mission — Father returns, bring- ing a brother and sister from Ontario . . .90 CONTENTS. Cjiapter X. I'AUB We return to Pigeon Lake — "Scarred Thigh" ex- changed for " lilarUf(Jot " — Phinting (Jospel seed — We organizx' a huHalo hunt— A moose cha.se — The buU'alo as a "path-finder" — We encounter a hostile camp — All night on guard — My friend Mark's daring exploit — Wood Stonies visit tlie Mission — Canibling, polygamy and superstition among the Indians 99 Chapter XI. We return to Victoria — War parties abroad — Father's influence over the Indians — We organize a big fresh meat hunt — David's first bufTalo hunt — Mark's adventure with a war party — Surrounded by wolves — Incidents of our journey — Preparing for the winter 109 Chapter XII. A visit to Whitefish Lake — A devoted Indian missionary — Mark and I go out after buffalo — Mark proves himself a brilliant himter — Our camp visited by wolves— Muddy Bull's generosity — We reach home with full loads of meat 119 Chapter XIII. A run to Edmonton — Mr. Hardisty and other Hudson's Bay Companj"^ officers spend New Year's with us — Sports and amusements — Our party sets out for Mountain House — I experience a "scare" — Intense cold — A cunning dog— Mishaps to a cariole— In the foot-hills — My first view of the Rockies — Hearty reception at Mountain House — Back to Victoria . 128 Chapter XIV. Home occupations — A course of lectures — Mark and Jimmie as raconteurs — Mark's success as a deer- killer — A buffalo chase on a dog-sled — Our first child is born — Chickens at eight shillings apiece ! . . 140 vl CONTENTS. ClIAI'TKU XV. David and I visit Lac la liidifv -Trii,'li prircd sood wheat — Our |)art3' sets out for I'i^coii Liik«! — Old dostipli — Paul (Jhian — Samson — Our lurdi'i- depleted — Wo organi/c a hunt — Precarious livinjif — Old Paul proves himself a skilful guide— Samson tells of a tragic murder by HIackfeet — Wo move cautiously Broilc(l owlets asadclicac/ — I shoot an elk — Litllo Paul's llintdock hangs iin^ — Samson's hrilliant hunting feats — Feasting on antlers .... ClIAl'TEU XVI. Samson and I go on a moose hunt — Samson's clover tracking — He comes up with the moose and tries a shot — No bullet in the gun — Two d((jected hunters return to the camp — We have better luck next time — Roses make a thorny path — We disturb a band of M'olves — Samson stampedes them with his riding- whip — "Firing Stony" and I go hunting — I bring down a noble elk — Novel method of fishing . , Chapter XVII. Our camp visited by a band of Mountain Stonies — My schooling in the university of frontier life — Back to our Mission again— Limited cuisine — Home-made agricidtural implements — We visit Victoria— Off to Fort Carlton for Mission supplies — Inquisitive Chippewyans — My eldest sister married to Mr. Hardisty, of the Hudson's Bay Company — The honeymoon trip to Mountain House — Rival sports- men—Charging a flock of wild geese at full gallop — Return to l^igeon Lake — Our work extending . Chapter XVIII. Father visits our Mission — A dream that proved a por- tent — Drowning of Mr. Connor — "Straight fish" diet — We are visited by a war party of Crees — I am i'AOH 147 158 167 CONTENTS. Vll Paui given a problem to solve — Francis and I set out to seek fresh provisionH— Feasting on fat bear Hteaks — A lonely Christinus — Mr. HarcliHty visits us — We in turn visit Mountain House — A hard winter in the Saskatchewan country — Rations on short allowance — A run to Victoria — David and I have a hard ex- perience— Father and mother as " good Samaritans " 177 Chapter XIX. We start out to hunt for butfalo — Fish and frozen tumipa — A depleted larder — David's hag of barley meal — At the point of starvation — We strike Maskepe- toon's camp — An Indian burial — Old Joseph dying — We leave the camp — Generous hospitality — A fortunate meeting — Frostbites — A bitterly oold night — Unexpected visitors — Striking instance of devotion — I suffer from snowshoe cramp — Arrival at Victoria — Old Joseph's burial — Back to Pigeon Chapter XX. My brother a "ready-made pioneer" — Hunting rabbits — Two roasted rabbits per man for supper — I find my friend, Firing Stony, in a flourishing condition — Poisoning wolves — A good morning's sport — I secure a wolf, two foxes and a mink — Firing Stony poisons his best dog — I enjoy a meal of bear's ribs — I meet with a severe accident — Samson treats me to a memorable feast 199 Chapter XXI. Alternate feasting and fasting — We start out on a buffalo hunt— Old Paul brings down a fine moose — Provi- dential provision — Enoch Crawler kills another moose — Magnificent landscapes — Entering the great treeless plains — Wonderful mirages — We come upon the tracks of buffalo — Our men shoot a huge grizzly • •• Vlll CONTEXTS. Paok — Charf^in^ a hunch of cows -A lively chase — Sam- Bon's plucky plunge over a hank after the hutlalo— I chaHc and kill u tine (;ow — The cani]) busy killing and making proviHionH— (Suarding againnt huntilo Indiana 210 Chapter XXII. A busy camp — Process of butchering and drying meat — How pemmican i.s made— Our camp in peril Chasing a herd of butl'alo up a .steep bank — Mark scores a point on mo — Wo encounter a war party of Black- feet — A fortunate rain-storm —A mirage gives us a false alarm — Unwritten laws as to rights of hunters 220 ClIAl'TER XXIII. Into the timber country again — Craving for vegetable food — Wild rhubarb a treat — I shoot a big beaver — My horse objects to carrying it — A race for the life of my child — Territic fight between my dogs and a huge wolverine — Reach Pigeon Lake and find father there — Anxiety felt for our party — A meagre bill of fare — A visit to Victoria — I narrowly escape drown- ing — Father leaves for Ontario, taking with him my three sisters — Francis leaves us to return to Victoria — My varied offices among the Indians . . . 229 ClIAfTER XXIV. Our first interment — Jacob's tragic death — Hostile Flat- heads in (juest of horses, scalps and glory — Stonies attacked by a party of Blackfeet — A hot fusilade — Mark's father is killed — Destitution prevalent — Hunting lynx -My dogs seized with distemper — All have to be shot— Another provision hunt organized — Among the buffalo — I narrowly escape being shot — Heterogeneous character of our camp — Mutual distrust and dislikes — United by fear of a common foe — The effects of Christianity .... 239 CONTENTS. IX Chaitkk XXV. Through new country — ••(Jroutur ('anada"— Antelopes — Startling ytlects of niirugn — War parties keep uh on tho alort — Keniarkahlo .' ,cm\ of u plaiti Creo — A curiouH BuperHtition— A Cree'H gruesonio Htory — Returning with carts fully loaded — Followed hy hoHtilo Indians — ^ sight and chase a "sitting" hull — My shot wounds him— Paul's son thrown under tho brute's feet — Firing Stony 'a clever shot to the rescue — We arrive at the Mission — Koad-niaking . Chapter XXVI. I'AOK 248 Another visit to Victoria — Fall in with a war party of Kootenays and Flathet'ds — Samson and 1 go moose- hunting — A Sabbath afternoon experience — A band of moose enjoy Sabbath immunity — I start out to meet father returning from tho East — The glorious Saskatchewan Valley — Call at Fort Pitt— Equinoc- tial storms — Entertained by a P'rench half-breed family — Meet Mr. Hardisty and one of my sisters — Camp-fire chat — Meeting with father — Rev. Peter Campbell and others with his party — Father relates his experience in the East — Rev. Geo. Young sent to Red River Settlement and Rev. E. R. Young to Norway House 260 Chapter XXVII. Father pushes on for homo in advance — Hard times for tho "tenderfeet" — A plunge into icy water — My brother David gallops into camp — His high spirits prove infectious — Kindness of the Hudson's Bay Company — Oxen sent to help us in to Victoria — A mutinous camp-follower — My threat of a sound thrashing subdues the mutineer — Our long journey is ended — Adieu to my readers . . . .271 ILLUSTRATIONS. Paok " Here one of the bravest of our men was slain " . . Frontispiece " The brilliant flashes of the aurora light" . , . 2S " My cap . . . falling right in the face of the bull, for the moment blinded him " 46 " I saw more buffulo than I had ever dreamed of before" 95 " I went at him with firebrands " 126 " Rising up I let drive at the larger of the two " . . 154 " Down we ran, and chased them across the full length of the bar" 165 " We carried the haycocks in between us on two poles " 171 " And now I . . . tapped his nose for him so effectually that he was stunned " ..... 205 ' ' I succeeded in getting hold of the end of a tree " . 235 "With unerring aim ho shot the bull through the head" 257 " He waS' a funny-looking specimen as he picked him- self up out of the icy stream " . . • . 273 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. CHAPTER I. "Tliin leather homos" — Drudgery of the Indian women — Occu{)ati()ns of tlie men — Hunting parties and scalping forays — Triumplis of endurance. It was during the last days of January, 1 8(1 5, in the story of my experiences in our great Canadian West, that I parted company for a time with my readers in " Saddle, Sled and Snowshoe." We were domiciled for the niglit in Muddy Bull's lodge. The weather was in- tensely cold. I believe I am safe in saying that all through January the mercury never rose above IC below zero, and that it ranged from this down to 50 below. In our lodge, which was one of the best, with ordinary travelling costume on, a blanket or a robe over our shoulders, and a brisk fire in the centre of the tent, we were passably cosy ; but even then we had to turn around every little while and " warm the other side." Great bright, 12 PATIIFINDINr, ON PLAIN AND PRAIRTE. hrisk firos were kept up in those " tliin leatlier homes" of our Iiulian peopk>, entailinn^ a vast amount of work upon the women and jj^irls of the camps. (Jraihially, by example, perhaps, more than precept, we bi'ought about a lessening of the labor of the women ; but in the meantime, rotlier John could lose a whole train of doo-s and sled. Father had taken a <(reat fancy to those pups ever since the JMacktoot trip, and he is sorry hecause of their loss. Never mind, we are at home, and we unharness and unload, pile away our meat and feed our do ill cc 111 (k I I nc w la in w ri y< w st cc d: I w tmw MWP - Lag*. PATHF'VDING ON PLATX AND PRAIRIE. 29 trips of various distances, and fairly rnshed the provisions and meat into our storehouse at tlie Mission. On one occasion, on our outward jour- ney, as we were dasliing through some scrub timl)er, a small tree which had been bent almost to the ground by the weight of some horse-sleds passing in, and had its sharp end projecting into the narrow road, caught me on its point and tore me from tlie sled on which I was stretched. At first I feared my ribs were pierced, but on examination found only my coat and shirt torn and the skin but slightly abrased. Driving on, congratulating myself on my escape from what might have been serious injury, presently as my dogs swung round a point of bush what should I see but a great buffalo bull, standing with his nose right over the track. Already my dogs were beside him, and feeling that it was too late to attempt to stay our course, or to throw myself from the sled, I called to them to go on, which they did, jerking me along at a jump right under the monster's head. I can assure you, my reader, that for the moment my heart was in my mouth. But now as we were safe I stopped the dogs, and shouted to Susa, who was coming next, and in the meantime succeeded in driving the huge fellow away from our track. When we reached home from that trip, while I was unloading my sled, J told Larson, the car- ■ t»>MM .'.Jfcifc 30 TATJI FIN DING ON PLAiy AND PRAIRIE. pcntcr, about the Imll blockin^jj the road, and he, noticin^^ tliat my coat and shirt were torn, ruslicd otf'and told our party that John had been gored by a mad bull. Mother came rushing out to see wliat was wrong with her boy, and I had quite a time explaining about the tree and the bull. I note this incident in passing to show how stories are made up from imagination. March of 18G5 was a stormy month. The snow deepened, and many a hard piece of road we liad to encounter. About the middle of the montli we made another trip to Pigeon Lake. The readers of "Saddle, Sled and Snowshoe" will remember that Oliver and myself had visited the lake in December of 18G4. Now our purpose was to take in some provisions, together with the plough, which was being ironed at Edmon- ton. As old Joseph knew the country well, we hoped to find a straighter road than the one we had taken before. It was storming heavily, with the snow drift- ing in good style, as early one morning we took the river for the journey. Our party had heavy loads, and we were glad when Smith, who was with us in 1863 and 1864, and who had recently come home from Edmonton, drove up with a flashing train of dogs and a light load, and sig- nified his intention of accompanying us as far as Edmonton. We thought he would take a gen- i PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIllIE. 31 Slg- ir as igen- erous sliarc in making the road, but in this we were sorely disappointed, for IMr. Smith and his five dogs kept well hack in the rear. All day lonL' Susa and 1 in turn ran ahead on snowshoes. The storm seemed to increase in strength, Init our hardy dogs trotted steadily on up the river, and we camped for the night above the Vermil- ion, which was the half-way post on the road to Edmonton. The stormy March wind howled around in fierce gusts, and the snow swirled in all directions, but in the comparative shelter of our pine camp we wore happy. Starting before daylight, on we went, Susa and myself in turn ahead, and our friend Smith never once offering to take the lead. The snow was growing deeper and our progress slower, and it was with glad hearts that about noon we saw the sign of sleigh tracks crossing the river, and soon were climbing the bank above the mouth of the Sturgeon, some twenty-three miles from Edmonton. " Now we will have a track; now we will make better time," we said to each other, as we climbed the bank. Then unhitching our dogs, we turned them loose to rest, while we chopped wood and made a fire in preparation for our dinner. After awhile Smith came up, and seeing the track ahead, had the impudence to drive his dogs past us and place his sled on the road ahead of ours, which action said louder than 32 l'ATHFl\DIX(i ON PLAIN AND PUAIRIE. words, " Now, ^ontl'jnicn, I will sliow you my luH'ls i'roin Ih'IM' to Edmonton." Susa and I looked at each otlier and winked, as much as to say, "Well, Mr. Smith, it is still twenty-throe miles to the Fort, and perhaps we will be there as Hoon as you." While we i'elt rather luird toward tliis man, who with his lio^ht load and f'resli do^s liad sneaked behind thus far, still this was our camp, and f(jr the present he was our ^uost, so wo treated him accordinn^ly. However, wlion huich was over and lie had his hist dog liitched, ours was also, and old Joseph stood with whip in liand, putting the hist coal into his pipo, and pressing it down with his fingers. In so doing there was a spirit manifest in the action and attitude of the old stoic which seemed to say, ' Well, young man, when you reach Edmonton, I expect to be there also." When Smith said " IMarsc " John and Susa and Joseph said " Marse " likewise ; and away we went, climbing the banks and on up the sloping valley of the Big Saskatchewan. It was a glorious day for the testing of muscle and wind and endurance on the part of men and dogs. The clouds hung low. The gusts came (juick and strong. The track was fast drifting full, the footing was bad, the sleds pulled heavily. Even before we reached the summit of the long 'J PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 33 incline to Uio river, Smith's dogs l>cpin to hHow •liHtroHS. Old DrattUn was rubbing against his heels all the time with liis traces loose, as nnich as to say to Smith and liis dogs, " My three companions are more than able to keep up to you, though our load is much the lieavier," and Susa and Joseph were right up. Presently Smith ran up to thrash his doip in itseir to theHC nomads of wood and plain, while to live on H.sh alone would be i'<>olish to them ho ]imf Creos— Our guests steal away with a Imiieh of horses Stonii^s set out in hot liui'siiit- rjittle\Villiunrsstrate<,'y Horses recaptured Wehegin farming operations Arrival of Mr. Stoin- hauer — Home to Victoria again — A memorabU' Sal»- bath— My gini bursts — Narrow escape My ni»)ther'H cares and anxieties — Home-made furniture. While we were buildin;!^ our lionso, and durinfij the stay of the Stoiiies with us, a small war party of Crees came to nnr little settlement on their way (so they said) to the Black foot country. As they knew me they came to our lod<^e, and all went well the first day and ni^ht ; but durinIN(} ()\ IM-AIN AND I'UAllllK. noiinal coiidition, or it is Hlt()<,'otlH'r piobiiljle not oni' oi* tlio liorso stcjilcrH would luive ivjicIumI home an^ain. In lu^irt und .syinpatliy 1 wont witli tlic StonioH, ])ut ])iU(UMice ane that after running about twenty miles he played out, and the only one near him was Little William, who was " all there," so he told William to go on, and he wouhl come n "ter liim at a slower step. This he was doing vdien by and by he met William with the iiorses, he having received every one, and, said Jacob, " William will tell you the rest." So to William I went, and got his story, which was as follows: "After leaving tlacob I ran on at a good footstep. I knew that the hordes were not far ahead of me ; but I also knew that i^ '<• M ^1 62 PATliFINDxNG ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. I the tliieves got out into more open country, which was now close, I could not catch them ; so I pushed ahead, and sure enough I saw them driving as fast as they could. Sometimes I took sight on one, and again on two in a line. I felt like pulling the trigger, but what you told us last Sunday about Jesus and His loving all men would come to my mind, and I would drop my gun, and again sight it on those Indians. I was not afraid of them. It was something else that kept me from shooting. Then I thought of a plan, so I waited until they would come where the brush is very thick and the path very narrow ; there I ran around t j one side, and when nearly opposite the leader I came in close, rushed at them, and gave the " war-whoop " as loud and as fast as I could. They were so startled that they threw themselves off the horses and fled, and I rushed in between them and the horses, and turned them around, and then I shouted to the Crees, * Flee for your lives ! Those behind me will not be as merciful as I have been.' They thought when I came at them with the v tr-whoop that all the Stonies were on them." Our public service that evening was one of ]H'aise and thanksgiving, on my part at any rate, and there were others who felt the same. A collision between the two tribes just at tlie PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 63 beginning of oui- effort, and for wliich we wcnild have been largely blamed, would have very much prejudiced our cause. In good time we furnished our one-roomed house. The chimney was a success, the floor was solid, and the parchment windows were in place. We had even gone to the length of putting bark on the roof, and had made a canoe and kept ourselves and dogs in fish, besides feeding a multitude of wv.iers. We had ploughed and fenced a small field and partly planted it, I'ur the seed we had was distributed to so many Indians, and went into so many little fields, that our own share was a small one. However, the beginning of such a life was made up by all who came to us. A few potato cuttings and a thimbleful of turnip seed, those were the com- mencement of another kinc of evolution. How many generations of persistent efibrt to make I'armers of these men we did not then take time to estimate — " suflicient unto the day," etc. We luid made a beginning. We had held daily meetings with few or many, as these came about uy, and all but the conjurers came to our services. Good lasting: work had been accomplished (for even now in our testi- mony meetings I hear evidence of this), and now the Indians had moved away and we wero left to ourselvea, 64 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. I would have goiie with one of the larger camps, taking my whole party with me, as t'lis was true evangelistic work, but father had promised that, if possible, either himself or Mr. Steinhauer would visit us in order to administer the ordinances ; but while the Indians and our- selves waited, neither came. Then after the Indians were gone Mr. Steinhauer arrived, bring- ing a letter from father instructing me to come back to Victoria to accompany Maskepetoon's large camp to the plains for a season. So I arranged to have Mrs. McDougall and the rest of the party go out to the mountain trail and wait while Mr. Steinhauer and myself fol- lowed the largest camp on their hunt, as there were several baptisms and marriages I very much desired to have solemnized. Accordingly we separated. Mr. Steinhauer and I struck around the north end of Pigeon Lake, then westward to Battle Lake, and on down the Battle River on the trail of the camp, which we reached the second night out. As the next day was Satur- be, and lluil Mh'I'c whh to !)»» jiu imiiHMisr jj^adu'rln;^ of st'\ rrjil cnmpM lor tln^ hoMin;;' nl" tlu' MmniMl rt'siival and " Tlilrsl, Daiico" of Hh' ]>a^aii Indians. IhMdso told inc that tlic Iml' I'alo were coniini^ norlliwani and wcslAvafd, and \vv .should n»ov(» .sh>\vly to o^ivc llicni a rliancc to oonio in ; thai i\\o ])lain ( 'rccs who were coniin;;' up country to join us wci'c hchind thr h»'i'liri*'' and iK'aUit'nisli riots w<-nt on in many poi'tionsor tliccanip, sncli was the r(*M|H('t in wliicli Maskcpctoon was licld hy ail tlicsi? |)»'(H)lr lliat t'licy desisted IVoni tliese tilings on the Sal)lialli. Tla^y even nav(5 np limiting on that (hiy because la; wished it. Sot that la; thus commanded. Oh, no; lie was too nnich of tl( a real irenileman aia oo wise in his lucas o d( .f d t ehi<'i'tainshi|) to do thi.s. Slowly we mov(Ml out on the plains. Kvery day brought fresh sc((nes, and steadily I was liecoming ac(|uainted with thesi; people. Mas- kepetoon always invited na; to theii' councils, and seated beside him I liHtn, or at another time speak of civili- zation and some of its wonders, or give a tiilk on education, and IMaskepetoon would say, " Listen to John. Although lie is only a child in years he is a man in experience ; he has .seen 76 patiifixdtnt; ox plain and prairie. far and wide, lie lias ?v> tem.), the originator of this whole movi'ment, at their liead,and march through camp singing and incanting and speaking in unknown tongues. The chief medicine-man holds a big pipe with a sacred stem in his hands, and with this he points heavenward and earthward and all around, fol- lowing tlie sun, and thus in solemn aspect and with dignified movement these high ru'sts of an old faith march out of camp to meet the war- rior.s. Now comes the crucial time for this chief medicine-man. If these warriors accept the pipe from him tlien the success of his venture is as- sured. But if they do not take the pipe as he offers it to them the whole scheme is a failure, and a new chief priest and a new location will have to be sought. No wonder it is a tense moment for the would-be high priest of this great gathering;. The two companies draw near to each other, and while the priests are chanting in doleful noti^s petitionary and sacriiieial hymns, and the warriors are lustily singing songs of victory, the whole camp is hushed in silent expectation as to 1 84 rATIIFINl)I\(} ON PLAIN AND rilAIIUK. tlio oult'oino. The warrinrH know the \ss\w lies witli tlit'iii, ii\u\ cany tlKMnsoIvcs acconlin^^ly. Ill Jill tlie \)v'u\v and pomp of martial dignity and costumo tlicy sit tlu'ir pic*k(Ml HttH'd.s and await tlie priest's action. This pcrsona*^c is now almost unnerved. 'I'lie l()n<^ vi^jjils and fastings and lijirdsliips have emaciated his body, and this is weak ; but his C()mniunin<;s witli the spiritual liavc made him feel that he has a mission, and that ho is essential to tlu' well-bein^ of his people. He lias <:^rown within the last few days to believe lie is an apostle and a brin^er of ^ood, and in his mind he feels these warriors must in their own interest accept him. Nevertheless there is the possibility of their not doin^ so. No messenger has reached him from the secret con- clave held yonder behind the hills. Soon he will know. And now he pulls himself together, and, at first with (piavering voice and trembling limbs, he holds the sacred pipe aloft and prays. Immediately in front of him is tlie chosen chief of the warriors, who gives no indication of what he is ijroinix to do in this matter. In silence he and the (Mitire assemblage listen as the aspirant for priestly honors seems to forget himself in the intenseness of his purpose. His voice gathers strength, his limbs cease to tremble, and with native and pure ekxjuence he calls upon the Deity to bless this gathering, to pity his children, rATIlKINDINCi ON I'LAIX AND I'UAlUllv 85 to ac('<'|)t tlit'ir .sjicriiicrH, to Hinilc^ upon tlicir cHort. His iiH'tjiplior.s arc Ix^iiiitiful, lii.s .siinilrs art' tine ; tin; I'linj^c of Iii.s tlion^lit nachi'S thr Im'jivl'hh iil)ov(; and covers tlu^ caith iH-ncath. Tliert? is a spell that accompanies the prayer. His whole soul is in it. If you and I had Ixtri there, my reader friend, we would have seen the countenance of the wai-rior (thief underi(o a ehanj^e. Fence as he will, he; is cauiiht, and as we look we say to ourselves, " H* will accept the sacred pipe." And j)resently as the piiest stops lie steps forward, and with a majestic wave upward and downward and all annind, he hands the sacred emblem to the warrior. While the crowd watch him in Ijrealhh-ss expectancy the latter takes it from him, also lifts it heavenward and then earthward, and th(.'n all aroun > ^ >/' ^^ # /s« Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 6^ 88 PATIIFINDINO ON PLAIX AND PRAIRIE. and drag the liead to the temple, entering amongst tlie dancers for the rest of the festival. One man, at the time I am writing of, thus hitched himself to a big skull, and dragged this around the big encampment seven times, wailing as he pulled and tugged, and thus sought for fori>;iveness and salvation. The self-tortured and the dancers do not eat or drink until the afternoon of the third day. At that time the warriors in costume come in a body to the temple, the bravest ten in the lead, all singing as they march, either on foot or on horseback, and forming a circle just outside the " thirst lodge." Then come those who make gifts; and horses, guns, blankets, etc., are placed in the ring as a general offering, being afterwards distributed to the needy and the infirm. Then the bravest warriors are led out into the centre, and made to recite their exploits and escapades, and between these recitals the various orders of dancers alternate in exhibition of their peculiar skill. Inside the temple torture and thirst and exhaustion ; outside, declamation and glory and joyous celebration. And as the sun draws near to the earth on the evening of the third day the annual festival is finished. A day or two later the big camp divides into several smaller camps, each going its own way, leaving only the bare poles around the " idol tree," from the tops of which flutter in the breeze the various-colored '! V PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 80 sacrificial cloths to remind of this great religions gathering of the wood and plain Crees. Our camp, having in it the high priest or chief conjurer for this year, might fittingly be called the " Convenor," and therefore it was in place for us to reach the rendezvous before the others. This we did one lovely afternoon, and I could not but admire the selection made by the high priest as the scene of this year's festival. We camped on the crest of a plateau or table- land, where to the south and west from our feet the country sloped gently to the valley of the Iron Creek, which wound its way from the west and then with a majestic sweep turned south- ward to the Battle River, its terraced banks with their beautifully timbered heights giving grace to the scene. Where we stood was a fine larm; plain, with very little, if any, cover for the wily enemy to approach from behind. But within a few miles, and thence on as far as the eye could reach, were ranges of hills, in the valleys of which, as also on their stately summits, prairie and timber were struggling for supremacy, each alternately being beaten, but the whole making a lovely picture. To-day we have the wild nomadic heathen life, but doubtless in the near to-morrow this will give way to permanent settlement, and the church and school will bring in the clearer light of a larger and fuller revelation. 90 PATHFIXDING ON PLAIN AND PIIATRIE. CHAPTER IX. Our great camp a study of native typos — I attend a " wolf feast " — A disgusting orgie — Paul and I start for home — Our horses stampede — Difficult tracking- Enormous herd of l)uffalo — Home again and all well — Party of half-breeds from the Red Jiiver settlement at our Mission — Father returns, lu'inging a brother and sister from Ontario. In two or three days our camp grew immensely, and many distinct types of men were at hand for one to study and become acquainted with. The absorbing theme was tlie approaching festi- val. For this warriors were preparing, and many devotees were praying ; for this every conjurer in the camp was making medicine, and day and night the tapping of drums and the intoning of religious songs went on. Morning and evening we also sang our hymns and held our services, and were ardently studying this new strange life — every day acquiring a better grip of the language and beginning to waken up to the largeness of its vocabulary. One day I was invited to a " wolf feast." Being a learner I went, and was both shocked and amused at what I saw. About two dozen I'ATHFIXDINT, ON PLAIN AND IMIAIUIK. 91 Hat around in tlio lar;^e ])urt;il()]()tl<:^i', and litd'orc eacli one a bi<^ woodon disli ol* tliiek soup was placed. This soup was made ))y boilin*;- slices of fat buffalo meat and wild lily roots tolrte if not " s|»len(li(l." We weic in m \)\>^ world, l>ul it. was ilisliuct I'roin the oi'diiiary. No mails or teleirr.'ims disturlMMl its eoutiiuious mouotoiiv — and yet our life was n(»ver i-eMlly monotonous. 'rii(» very iti;^ness of our isolation made tlie lil'i' uni(|ue and stra,n7 nt(u* Ml-. /iine imy. in wo thi' isclo icod fkit cut ji ^()(»\ \)\l nj* Iwiy, and had it Htackcd hy llic tiiiir i'ntlici' caiiic li()ini\ In ihr nn'Mi.liinc vv«! were surpriHc.d and dfli^dilcd l»y IIm'. arrival of a colony oi' soiin- tvvcnly-nvc or lliirly Tainilics oi' l'ln;^li.sli liall- 1>i*('(mIh, wIio liaIuny man of the buffalo-path of the preceding ages. In the course of years I liave travelled thou- sands of miles on bufflilo- paths, and often I have wondered at and admired tlie instinctive know- ledge of engineering skill manifested in the selec- tion of ground and route made by those wander- ing herds of wild cattle. If one was in doubt as to a crossing let him follow the jjath of ,a buffalo. 104 PATIIFINDlNG ON PLAlN ANl^ IMlAIRlK. Gladly have I often taken to tliese in the winttr time, when the snow was (le(;p. Takinf^ off my snow-shoes, I have run behind my dog-train on the packed trail made by the sliarp hoofs of the migrating buffalo. But alas I as I write these paths are about all that we have le^^ to remind us that a short time since these vast plains fairly trembled to the roar and tread of these wonder- ful herds of nature's stock. All day on the steady jog, our company of hardy men and women and little children rode down the valley of the Battle River on to Mossy Creek, thence on to Wolf Creek, and when in the evening we were expecting to see some buf- falo, instead of these we met the small party Mark had come from, in hiding from a large camp of Blackfeet and Sarcees which in the meantime had come upon the scene. Again, alas for us, these enemies had driven the buffalo back, and, worse than this, were here in our vicinity in such numbers as to make our little party seem very small. As it was now evening we determined to select as strong a place of defence as possible for the night's bivouac. A brief search revealed a small thicket in a gently sloping hollow, with prairie all around it, into which we put the women and children, who, wearied with the hard day's travel, were soon sound asleep. PATHFINDira ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 10.' Th e nif^ht was dark and lon^*, for it was now the late autumn. Before twiliglit came we saw tlie enemy and knew we were discovered ; but thougli th(»y surrounded us for a jjjood part of the night, they knew that we were posted all around our camp, and did not venture to attack, though we fully expected them to do so about day-break. However, they concluded to draw off before that time. Providence and our strong position, and, doubtless, the prestige of the Stony and wood Indians, influenced them, for when day came our scouts brought the welcome word of their departure. Their big camp was south-west of us only some ten miles, and we set off rapidly eastward to lengthen the distance between us, and also, if possible, secure buffalo, so that we should not go home empty-handed. It was during that long night that Mark, hear- ing me express my wish for a drink, took a small kettle, and, making his way stealthily through the lines of the enemy to a creek some distance beyond, surprised me by bringing back the kettle full of water. I was truly grateful for the refreshing draught, and could not but admire his pluck and scouting ability. Thus was begun a friendship which has continued through all these years. Full often in the bush and plain, in raging current and dangerous ford, Mark has been by my side, loyal and brave. lOG I'A'I'UKlNDlNiJ ON IM,AIN AND PUAIUIR. As \v(» j()urn(»v«Ml ii(»xl. i\ny we saw the many li'ails nwul(^ hy the lilMckloot and Sarecc cniiips, i\\u\ I'roiu ilu*s(» coiiM cslimati^ their mmiluTs, \vl»iflnv(M'('sulli(Monily r(>rmi(ial>l(' to stimulate us («) iucivaso th(^ intorvtMiiu^ it Innit — Mark's ad- venture with a war party — Surrounded by wolves Incidents of our journey — Preparing for tlio winter. Soon the autumn was past, the most of our wan(lerin<]f people had gone, and we made ready to travel back to Victoria. Mark, whose wil'e had died during the epidemic of the previous spring, left his motherless children with their grandparents and his brothers, and went with us. He said his lie/irt was sore and he would go with us in order to be comforted. Carefully we scouted past Edmonton, for this was the season of activity for the scalp-taker and horse-thief, but we reached the older Mission without any mishap. Here we found everybody busy at the necessary work of preparing for the winter, which always involved a considerable amount of labor. The usual excitement over the coming and going of war parties had taken place. Mother and sisters had spent days and nights in a sort of semi-terror because of the wild conduct of these people, which even Maskepetoon's strong 110 rATllFlNDINd ()\ r^r.ALN' AM) PHAIKIR. influence could not wholly control, thou;^h doubt- loHH this grand old man's firm friendship for the white man, and especially for those of our Mis- sion, was the main reason that no violence was attempted. Under such conditions wo were at times glad to see the large camps breal: up and in sections depart for a season. The great country aroiuid us gave the more turbulent and restless of these nomads a fine field wherein to work off tlK^r surplus energy in war and hunting. In the management of affairs during the presence of complex multitudes of wild men at the Mission father was well qualitied to act prudently, lie knew when to concede as well as to demand, and 'hus wisely never ran the risk of having his authority and influence brought into question. Moreover, he was a thorough democrat. To him an Indian was as good as any other man, and was given precisely the same treatment. There was none of " the inflated, superior style of man " in father's manner to anybody, either white or red. And this was very soon noticed by these " quick-sighted students of their fellow- men." He was a friend, and as such he became known among; these western tribes. Now the keen frosty nights were with us once more, and time was come for our fresh-meat bunt. In this we were joined by quite a number •$. PATHKINDINU ON PLAIN AND rUAIUIE. Ill ol' thn luilt'-brocds. Our pickets of j^uards wore more nuinerouH, and larger, and thus one did not come on duty ho often, an appreciable change : for it was dismal work during those long cold nights moving about the silent camp, keeping vigilant watch and looking with pardonable longing for the morning. Our course this time was south, and on the fourth day out we came u})on tlu; buffalo. At once the work of running, killing, butchering and hauling began. This was my brother David's first sight of this kind of game, and in the e.Kcitemejit he lost his liat and had to go the rest of the way bareheaded. But this was a small matter ; many a man under like circumstances has lo»t his head for the time being. No wonder David lost his hat. The novelty and intense excitement of the whole thing and the hunter's rapture in bringing down such noble game was enough to make one's head too large for an ordinary hat. Our camp of an evening would be a strange sight to one unac(iuainted with life on the plains. The huge fires, sides of ribs, heads of buffalos, marrow bones, squares of tripe, and other por- tions of the carcase, all in various processes of cooking ; every man armed and fully ready for {in attack; the guards occasionally coming within the glare of the camp-fire ; horses and cattle 112 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. closely guarded, and a constant sense of in- security evident on every hand ; men with guns ready at hand eating and drinking, or mending harness, moccasins, or carts. After the evening song and prayer the men stretched themselves to sleep just as they had hunted and worked during the day. There was no taking off of moccasins or clothing. If one removed his powder-horn and shot-pouch he fastened botli to his gun, so that with one quick grip he had the whole in his hand and was ready. My three years of constant life of this kind had made me somewhat familiar with it, but to my brother, fresh from the quiet and security of Ontario, this whole life was a revelation. Nevertheless by heredity and instinct alike he took to it like a native. When Sunday came we had been two days and a half among the herds and were pretty well loaded, and also pretty well tired, so that the Sabbath rest was exceedingly wel- come. Breakfast and a short service, and all who could and were not on duty slept. In the afternoon strange Indians were sighted by our watchful guards, and my man Mark threw his lariat over the neck of " Ki-you- kenos " — the big American horse that ran away witii Peter in " Saddle, Sled and Snowshoe " — ftud before anyone could stop him was away on ! *#•• PATHFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 113 the jump to reconnoitre more closely. In the meantime from our camp we could see these strangers gathering on the summit of a distant hill, and knew from their numbers and equip- ment that they were a war party. Mark, with only his lariat for a bridle, was going nearer to them at every jump. Those of us who knew the horse felt that there would be no stopping or turning him until he reached those men ; and our hearts were in our mouths, so to speak, as we watched Mark's progress and realized his peril. We caught up our best horses, and saddling them as quickly as possible started after him. I well remember how I felt as with my horse bounding under me I made for that hill. Momentarily I expected to see the smoke of a flint-lock, and keenly I watched Mark as he sat on his flying steed, for pull up as he might I knew he could not stop him. In a few moments he was in the midst of the party, Init to our great relief was given a friendly greeting instead of the fusilade we had feared. Presently he started to come back, and we pulled up our horses and waited to hear from him who these were. When we met Mark told us that the strangers were plain Crees on the war-path, going into the Blackfoot country, and though unacquainted with us still they were the allies of our people. 114 PATHFINDINO ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. Mark said they were coming down to visit ns, so we returned to our camp. The war party came along in the course of an hour or so, and concluded to camp with us for the night, thougli I am sure no one in our party gave them a pressing invitation to do this. To be under the necessity of watching within as well as without your own camp becomes rather tiresome. We put on double guards that night, and were relieved when our friends started away bright and early Monday morning, allowing us to go on with our hunt. I have seen great numbers of grey wolves, but never, I think, did I see them more numer- ous than at this time. Troops of these native scavengers would hang around our encampment and prowl very close up during the long night watches. When we were butchering the animals we had killed, they would form a circle around us, and impatiently wait until we had our meat loaded into the carts. Then, as we moved away, they would rush in and scramble and fight for the offal which we left. Many a wild fight amongst them we witnessed, but as ammunition was none too plentiful, we seldom shot any. Their howling, especially at night, was blood- curdling and terrifying to the inexperienced. Indeed, one could not at any time hear their deep, long, mournful notes without a lonesome -SB PATHFINDTNG ON PL ATX A\D PRATUIE. 115 and uncanny feeling. Tliere are two distinct kinds of these animals. The coyote and the big grey wolf belong to the plains and are altogether different from the timber or wood wolf. The latter can become dangerous, while the former never seem able to muster enough courage to attack human beings. By the middle of the folloAving week our carts were loaded to their utmost capacity and were rolling homewards. As the days were short we generally started long before daylight, and while I have had plenty of this ante-dawn travel I confess I never relished it. To roll out of your blankets into the keen cold of a young winter's morning, and then hastily roll up your bedding, place it in a cart, then rush out into the dark and catch and bring in the horses or oxen you drive, and with tingling fingers harness them into the carts committed to your care ; and then as the leading cart begins to signal its onward move by its own peculiar squeak and squeal, to place your carts where they belong in the line of march ; to come to ponds and creeks covered with ice as yet not strong enough to bear your weight, and yet through which you perforce must wade in order to secure the safe crossing of your loads, your wet moccasins and nether garments stiffening with the intense cold as you march, — I will say that while I in common with ' I 116 rATHKIXDING OX PLAIN AND PUATRIE. most pi(3ncors in our Canadian Nortli-West frc- (luently did tliis, still I am free to admit that f was never in love with it. What a l)i<:j niarkct-sqnare we liavc to take oiu' winter's food from — hundreds of miles in length and breadth, with crreat widely distant valleys like stalls furnishini totally uiu'X])('('t('ll mo that I had dono woU in tindinf; tho do<;s and roturnin«( thouKjuick and strai^dit. Wo used tho hidoof tho cow as a floor for our camp, and soon wo had a choorful fire and moat cooking and do^s fod; and thou;^di it was lon^ past midnight hoforo we finished our meal and were ready for bed, yet with li;,dit hearts wo sauff a hymn and knelt in prayer and thankfully icsted. Wo were now four (hiys' journey from the Mission, but we liai) < ^9 m PATHFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 127 mcnted our loads with tongues and backfatsand bosses, so that when we left his camp hhat night we were well provisioned. Continuing our jour- ney we passed several small camps en route, and stopping about 2 a.m., slept for a few hours and were away again by daylight. Pushing on, we ]-eachcd home the third day of the return jour- ney, bringing word of Indians and buffalo, whicli missionaries and traders and settlers were all delighted to hear. '4 128 rATIlFlNDING ON PLAIX AND PRAIRIE. CHAPTER XIII. r% A run to Edmonton — Mr. Hardisty and othor HudsoiiH Bay Company officers spend New Year's with us — - Sports and amusements — Our party set;; out foi* Mountain House — I experience a "scare " — Intenst; cold — A cunning dog — Mishaps to a cariole — In the foot-hills — My tirst view of the Rockies— Hearty reception at Mountain House — Back to Victoria. It was now the middle of December, and fatlier arranged to spend a Sabbath in Edmonton before the winter holidays came on. I went as cariole driver, and Mark brought on che provision and baggage sled. A little more than a day and i half brought us to the fort, and while we were there Mr. Hardisty and party arrived from the Rocky Mountain House. This fort and trading- post had been abandoned by the Hudson's Bay Company for some years, but in the summer of 1865 it was decided to reopen it in order to draw the trade of the surrounding Indian tribes — Blackfeet and Bloods, Piegans and Sarcees — as also to keep these turbulent tribes as much as possible from collision with the wood and plain Crees, their hereditary foes. Mr. Hardisty had been put in charge of this enterprise, and with a large complement of mori \V it" IE. HuflsonH dtli us — out for — Intcnst! 5 — In tho — Hearty toria. i father 1 before ! cariole on and and 1 e were cm the rading- I's Bay unimer L'der to tribes cees — uch as plain )f this )f men ^ m PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 129 and an ample outfit, had gone overland during tho autumn to the site of the abandoned post. A temporary fort was built in the woods near by, and his men were now taking out tim])er and sawing lumber preparatory to the erection of permanent buildings during the next .season. The old fort had been the scene of many a fight between the contending tribes, and as the Pludson's Bay Company invariably followed a " peace policy," not only between themselves and the various tribes, but also in preserving amity among the different races, they had given up the fort and in so doing lost a large portion of the southern trade. But now that the Crees had moved farther east, Victoria had become an important post, intermediate between Edmonton and Fort Pitt, and the reasonable conclusion presented itself that the Blackfeet and soutliern trade might now again be secured by rebuilding the Mountain Fort. Mr. Hardisty and Messrs. McAuley and Mac- Donald returned with us to spend the holidays at Victoria, father having promised to go to the Mountain Fort directly after New Year's day, for the two-fold purpose of meeting the Mountain Stonies, who were expected there then, and also of marrying Mr. McAuh^y to j\riss Brazeau, the (laughter of the second officer in charge of the fort. 130 PATHFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. On our return trip to Victoria, in company with the Hudson's Bay officers, we did not camp, but leaving Edmonton in the evening we journeyed all night, reaching Victoria early next morning. As I had father in my cariole, and the rest of the party were comparatively light, the run of between ninety and a hundred miles was a, hard one for my team. But old Drati'an and his driver did not come in last by any means. Readers of " Forest, Lake and Prairie " will remember that in the autunm of 1862 Gladstone and I began this place. In loneliness sublime our leather lodge stood on the north bank of the big Saskatchewan. Little more than three years have passed, and this is now the rendezvous of se/eral large camps of Indians. Wood and plain Crees and wood Stonies have frequented the spot. A colony of some twenty-five families of English half-breeds have settled beside us. The P^'dson's Bay Company have established a post alongside the Mission. The Mission party has been augmented by the arrival of father and mother, and part of the family from Norway House, and of my brother and sister from Ontario. I have taken unto me a wife, and we are no more alone at Victoria. The holidays of 1865-66 were full of pleasur- able excitement. Religious services and literary PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 131 more entertainments and concerts occupied the even- ings, and out-door games, such as football, snowshoe and dog-train races and foot races, were provided for the day Thus the fun and enjoyment were kept up. Then came watch- night with its solemnity and New Year's day as the culmination of our feasting and innocent frolic. The second day of Januai;v , 1866, found us driving our dog-teams westward for the Moun- tain House. Again I had father and the cariolo as far as Edmonton, and from that point we had the Chief Factor of the Saskatchew%an District, William Christie, Esq., as one of our company. The distance between Edmonton and the Mountain House is 180 miles. We left the fort about four o'clock one dark morning, our train comprising in all nine sleds. I had a load of baggage, a portion of which gave me quite a start. As I jumped on the sled while going down a gentle slope, there seemed to be a living, moving object lashed in my load, for it moved under my moccasined feet. Instantly I sprang into the snow, and then it flashed upon me that it was a bag of mashed potatoes which a friend was sending to the Mountain House and which had not yet frozen. I laughed at my scare, but at five o'clock on a dark stormy morning in a narrow winding forest path, a very little will 132 PATJIFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. I' startle one. The cold was intense, a keen cutting wind making us keep n sharp lookout for frost- bites. The road was drifted and very heavy, so that when night came on we were glad enough to make camp, wliich we pitched in a spruce grove at the eastern base of the Woodpecker Hills. Pile on the logs as we would, still the cold was bound to assert itself, and our clothing alternately steamed and froze as we turned before that fire. The Chief Factor and father, who had been constrained to sit in one position in their coffin-like carioles since five o'clock in the morning, were now making uj) for it by indulging in lively anecdote and joke and repartee. Pemmican and hot tea went a long way towards heating the internal man, anride<^rooni-elect. During our second afternoon's run, while mak- ing through a rough country, we came to an exceedingly sidling place in the trail. Having sent my own load past and lielped fatlier over it, I thought I would wait and see what our rear- guard was doing. After some time I heard '* Marse, Pat!" coming from the little Scot's big lungs (for have you not noticed that Nature in the nice balance of her equity generally gives the little man a big pair of lungs), and soon Pat hove in sight, his tongue protruding, and the breath from his big mouth making little clouds of frozen vapor in the sharp cold air. The cun- ning old dog was making the appearance of doing it all, but all the while I could see that his traces were slack. Soon dogs and sled were on the sidling road down the hill, and over went the cariole and down the slope rolled its contents. Pat and his companions felt the load lighten, and just then remembered that they were far behind, and in itflf > - PATHFIXni\(^. ON I'LAIN AND IMtAIRIK. 1^0 vain my IViontl .slioiitod " Wluja, Pat, \vlj which for a couple of miles we reached the temporary fort. It was early morn, but up went the flag, and the little metropolis was all excitement inconse- quence of our arrival. The Chief Factor in those days was supreme in his ow^n district. And 138 PATIIFIXDIXG ON PLAIN' AND PRAIRIE. what a (liHtrict ! From below the junction of tlie two Saskatchewans it stretched to tlie Columbia, and from the forty- ninth parallel it extended to the north tributaries of the Peace River. Father's field was still larger, in that it stretched eastward down to below Oxford House and close to Hudson Bay. No wonder the roughly built but strongly made fort was en fete when such ecclesiastical and commercial dignity came suddenly upon it. Our welcome was hearty, and that of our " rearguard " doubly so. We were fortunate in meeting here numbers of Mountain Stonies and Elackfeet, hardy, muscular mountaineers and wild plain Indians, both comparatively new types to 11 :e. The temporary fort was built on a low flat near the river. The permanent new fort was to be placed on a higher bench. I found that the site of Mountain Fort was about sixty miles from the real base of the mountains and on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan. We spent a Sabbath at the fort. Father held services for both whites and Indians. In due time the marriage was solemnized, and the wed- ding supper eaten, and we began our return journey. As the cold had intensified there was no loitering by the way, and early the third day we were back at Edmonton. Sixty miles per PATHFINDINTJ ON PLAIX AND PRAIRIE. 139 day was not bad travelling in sucli hard weatlier. The last night we left camp about midnight. I wrapped father in his cariolo and kept it right side up until we stopped for breakfast. The next day we started for Victoria, and camping once, arrived there early the second day, right glad to be at home once more. 140 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRATRIE. CHAPTER XIV. Home occupations — A course of lectures — Mark and Jimmie as raconteiirs — Mark's success as a deer- killer — A buffalo chase on a dog-sled — Our first child is born — Chickens at eight shillings apiece ! The big open fire-places in the Mission house were delightful spots beside which to spend a few hours after a trip such as we had just concluded ; but such was the extent of our moving circuit, and such our circumstances, that we could spare but very few hours at home. Many camps must be visited and many mouths must be fed. Mark and I and a lad named Jimmie Horn were kept pretty constantly on the move, now bringing in loads of fresh meat, and the next trip loads of dried provisions wherewith to make pemmican for summer use. We generally managed to keep Sunday in some Indian camp or at the Mission. If the former, the whole day was one continuous series of meetings. I would go from one chief's tent to that of another, and the respective fol- lowers would crowd the lodges while I did my best to tell the pagan and barbarous people the old, old story o Jesus and His love. ■.-(»«■ PATHFIXDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIi:. 141 Many a night, at the close of a long day's run, I would give informal lectures on civilization and e kept out south of these camps, and sometimes were a long distance from them. But now that there was a regularly established post beside the Mission, trading parties and settlers and Indians kept passing to and fro, giving us comparatively PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 148 c-oofl roads, and thus enabling us to travel (juickly. Once well loaded with either dried provisions or fresh meat, we lost no time oa tlui road. It was on one of the trips we made at this time that we were stepping for the day in Ka-kake's camp, which was situated beside a pound for catching buffalo, when, hearing of another cluster of lodges some ten or twelve miles distant, I made a run over to see the people, and while coming back the same after- noon 1 ran across a fine herd of buffalo. As my leader was obedient to the word, I thought " now is my chance to run that herd over to the pound." I had no load whatever on the sled, so I gripped the ground-lashing with both hands and feet, and sent the dogs after the herd, or rather to one side of it. My dogs went into the hunt most heartily, and sometimes hrought me dangerously near to the flying mass. Then I would get them under control again, and on we went from side to side, but always nearing tlio point of timber where the pound was. Presently we came within the lines of " dumb-watchers," and now these helped us, and I kept looking, when I could spare a glance, to see some move in camp. But as the lodges were behind the bluff, and the Indians did not look for buffalo at the time, no one saw us until 144 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIllIE. "I' it was too late to prepare and run tlio herd into the pound ; so, after brinfz'ing the buffalo close up to camp, I had the bitterness of seeing them break through tlie " head sentinels " and dasli away. But what a ride I had that afternoon, my bio- dogs jumping together, and with long leaps making the sled leap also. It required a tirni grip to stay on that narrow sled, and also dex- terous poising to keep right side up. Down hills, across valleys, over knolls, jumping the I'ough frozen snow where thousands of buffalo liad rooted and tramped only a few days before, certainly that was a toboggan ride with a race against a herd of buffalo thrown in ; and the only disappointment was that after bringing the bunch to the pound, the Indians were not there to receive them. When Ka-kake came in that evening he loudly lamented that we had not been seen in time, for, said he, " It would have given a name to tliis part of the country and to my camp, and men would have pointed to this as the place where John brought buffalo into the pound with his dog- train." One day in February, 1866, while I was at home, my mother, coming down stairs, congratu- lated me on the birth of a daughter, and when 1 knew that niotUer and cliild were well I mentally #.c«^ PATIFFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRATRIE. 145 }ind consciously made a step forward in hoin*;. It was as God would liave it. We fja\'o our tirst-born tlie good old Scotch name of Flora, which also l)elonii Tifiko Old .lostipli — Paul Cliiaii — S.imson Our larder ddMltitcd Wa (»ri;!Uii/-c a liuiit PrucariouN livint^- Old Paul proves liltusolf a skilful j^uido— Samson tolls of a traffic luurdur l)y lilackfeut We move cautiously liroiled owlets as a delicacy — \ shoot an elk — Little Paul's tiint-lock hangs tire — Samson's brilliant hunting fea. , — Feasting on antlers. Just before the winter was brcakin*^ up, my hrotlier David and niysell' made a trip to Lac la Biche to try it' we could procure some seed wheat. The Roman Catholic priest was the only person wlio had any to dispose of, and wo traded a few bushels from him, j]fivin^ him penuiiican pound for pound. Very dear wheat that, costint^ us, independent of frei<^ht, at least ten cents per pound, besides a two liundred mile tramp to get it. But we needed it, and it was good grain. The reader will notice that here was wheat grown eight hundred miles west of the Red River, and one hundrec' miles north of the North Saskatchewan ! The spring was now upon us, the Indians vverc coming in in large numbers, and the time ii 148 PATIIKINDFMJ OX PLAIN AXD PF^AIRIE. I! 4' was at hand for our ^oin<^ back to Pigeon Lake in acconlanco with our promise to tlie Creesaud Stonics. ThoreFore our Hiiiall party, consistint^ of my wife and young child, an elderly widow and her boy ol' .some seven or ei((ht years, and Mark and myself, bade the rest of the Mission party <^ood-bye, and crossing the Saskatchewan just before the ice broke up, turned our faces westward on the southern trail. As food was limited, and our means of transport by no means large, we hunted on our way as much as possible, saving what dried provisions we had for futun; use. Ducks and rabbits formed the principal part of our fare. In due time we were at the end of the cart-road, and then packing the rest of the way we came to the new Mission, and found some Indians there already waiting for us. Among these wer-e old Joseph and Paul Chian, the latter a French half-breed, but a staunch Protestant. The readers of " Saddle, Sled AND Snowshoe" will remember Joseph as a consistent Sabbatarian and a really plucky fellov;. Paul but now comes on the scene of our narrative. He was a true man, and havii><4^ embraced Christianity and espoused Protestant- ism, was invaluable to me. These and others heartily welcomed us, and our daily meetings were seasons of blessing. Camp after camp came in, mountain ancj PATHF1NI)IN(} n\ PLAIN AND IMlAllllK. 14!) wood Stonie.s und Civos — pagans and (In'i.s- tians — ours was a truly eosniopolitaii i^at'icrin*;'. (JaMi))lin<^ and conjui'in<;', lieatiicn feasts and our own sinpn^ and preaehino- and prayinj^ wtTc interchanging^ exercises of day and ni*;lit. Wlicn r was not holding meetings or attending councils 1 was hunting or fishing, or trying to garden ; ])ut as to tlie latter, our means were limited and seeds few. Among the wood Crees who came to us for the first time; was one called Samson. He was old Paul's son-in-law, and he and I became fast friends from the first. There was an instinctive Uhuit clump of trees " (pointing to a dense body of timber not far from us). " See, his track passes straight on to the windward of that spot, and he will make a circle and come back close to his own track. I think he is there now. Let us go with the wind from here, and come around and meet his track." This we accordingly did, and sure enough, as we came in on our circle, which was opposite to that of the moose, w^e presently met his track. The canny fellow was outwitted and we had but to follow him to his lair, which we proceeded to do with great caution. As we approached the clump of trees close to the westward fringe of which his outgoing track passed, w^ were moving IGO PATKKIXDFXG OX IM.AIX AND PRAIRIE. • y • \ 'i , t i i --• on tiptoe, I stepping very carefully in Samson's steps as he bent and wriggled around and through amongst the twigs and brush. Soon we came to where he had first lain down. Here was his bed. Samson looked troubled i'or a moment, and whispered, " He may have Hed." Then he looked and said, " No, he is only moving his bed," and with renewed caution we mov(3(l on slowly and carefully. Presently we heard him cough as if a leaf had stuck in his throat. I'he brush was very close, and now we could hear him breathe, and Samson signed for me to ste[) ahead and shoot him. But I considered that we had been out nearly all day, and as we wanted the meat badly, I did not want to take any chances on myself. So I signed back, "You shoot him." Samson thereupon stepped ahead and fired, and I jumped beside him. We heard the crash of the huge animal making from us, and sprang forward in his track ; but to our sur- prise there was no blood to be seen. On we ran until we came to where I had sat and waited so long and patiently. Samson saw that tJie moos(^ had passed within three yards of this place, and as there was stdl no sign of blood on his track we were forced to the conclusion that there could not have been a ball in Samson's gun. This might occur but once in a lifetime, yet it was the only way of explaining the case in hand. He rATIIl'INI)IN'(i ON IM.AIN AND rUAIUIK. IGI couM not iuIhs liitn, th(i moose was so closu ami otl'ei'iMl HO lai-<^i; a tar<^^et. V'eiy iniicli (lisaiJpoiiitcMl, \v(; tunuMl our steps IioiMcvvard. It was ad heen loni;, and wo liad not oaten anything since early morn. Hut optimistic old Paul said, "Tho best of hunters often come home like you have. Wo are not starving, there is plenty in camp, let us he thankful." Wo could not but bo cheered by th(^ old man's words, but even to this day, thouf^h thirty years have ^one since then, I repent me that I had not taken that shot. About this time my cow presented me with a fine calf, and from thence on we had milk as part of our provender. Of course the calf could not keep up when we moved camp, so an old widow woman, Maria, made a travois, and the calf was placed on it and thus was moved from camp to camp. One day Samson and I set off on horsisback to reconnoitre tlic country down east of whein; we had been hunting, in order to assure our- selves that the enemy was not in the vicinity. We rode all day, and towards evoninj:^, when about to make camp, Samson killed a jumping deer. Next morning we shot a cow elk, and I found her calf, so we conclu«led that with those we had about all our horses could paek home. 11 162 rATUFiNDiNx; ox ri.Aix anu ruAiuiE. ill Jul m I had little Bob, or "Split Eur," us tli.- Indians culled him, und I put the two smallrr .-.kins und half of th(^ in<'!it of the three unim.ils on him. all the time apolo^nziu^ to the littlt' fellow for doing so. Then we started for hoiiic, leadinj; our loaded steeds. Everything went well until our moccasins guve out. Tlie country we were in was rich in roses. Beuutiful tiny prairie rose-bushes, crowded with crimson ami pink and white blossoms with their deiicatt' shadings and fragrant aroma, were all around us, and everywhere under us, as our bare aiiATHKIX1)IN'(} ()\ PLAIN AND THAIUIE. 105 fi.sh in a creek wliicli r.au from Spotted Lake into Buffalo Lake. So one day I took a boy with me and a pack-horse, and whi.stlint^ tlie d()(^s after us, we j^alloped on to tlie creek. This I found to be made up of a lon<; bar on whicli the water was shallow, and deep holes, and sure enough in the deep holes the tish were found in L'reat numbers. I saw these were suckers and jacktish ; but while here were the fish in plenty, we had neither nets nor spear, nor even a hook. How were we to kill the tish ? I sat down on the bank to study out some method for this purpose. The day was clear and fine, with small clouds scudding across the sky. Presently one of these clouds came between us and the sun. As the sky dai'kened, I saw to my deli<,dit that the fish came up out of the dee}) holes and started across the bar and down stream. They were in the process of mioratin*^. I calh'd to the boy to makc^ ready, and he slipped oft' his le(r(rin(rs and I took off my trousers, and we got some sticks and watched the sky. Now another fleecy cloud was sailing athwart us and the sun, and up came the fish, and down we ran, and chased them across the full length of the bar, each of u:; killing (piite a lunnber as we ran. These we threw out to the dogs, wlio ate them eagerly, and in a few hours we had killed all our dogs could eat and aP our horses could carry 166 PATHFINDINO ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIK. liome. Indeed, tlie boy's horse seriously objectcfl to carry int( any, for no sooner liad we "ot tlic animal i)acked and the boy astrMe of the pack, than there was tlie bi^^est kind of a circus, an^ ^ ;\ > 172 PATFIFIXDIXG ON PLAIN AND PIlAIllIE. son's wife and children were the only residents of the Mission. Reaching Victoria, I found that father wanted me to take charge of the transports from Whitefish Lake and Victoria Missions and go with these to Fort Carlton, to bring from that point the supplies needed for these Missions; it having been arranged that the Hudson's Bay Company sliould bring these supplies to Carlton, but no farther. The party from the sister Mission joined forces with ours some little distance below Saddle Lake, and we journeyed on as fast as was consistent with conserving the strength of our stock for the return journey. I was glad to find my old friend Peter Erasmus in charge of the carts from Whitefish Lake Mission, and in great harmony and good-fellowship we jour- neyed eastward. My friend Samson was a decided acquisition on such a trip. He was dead sure on stock, up early and late, and was ever an inspiration to the rest of our Indian drivers. We made long days, and in short time compassed the three hundred and more miles to Fort Carlton. I camped my party on the north side of the river, at the foot of the high bank of the Sas- katchewan, and crossing over I met the Chief Factor, who had just come across the plains from Fort Garry, and who told me that our supplies PATHFINDIXC; OX PLAIX AXD PKAIUIK. 173 was liad not yet reached Carlton. This was a dis- appointment, but I at once asked him to give us Hudson's Fniy Company freiglit instead, and have them brinir ours on later, to whieli he at once acceded. Within an hour of our arrival we were cartinij: H. B. C. freiLdit from their store- house within the fort to the river bank, and crossing this in a small boat aud loading it into our own carts on the north sMe. It was while rushing this work that a small party of Chippewyans from the north were looking on as we worked, and speculating as to who I was. Was he a Hudson's Bay Company clerk, a free trader, or a traveller bent on sport ? " Who is this fellow, anyway ?" was the question which engaged their attention just then. Pres- ently the " Solon " of the party, doubtless wish- ing to evidence the fact that the East liad not a monopoly of wisdom, said, " I will tell you what he is," and stepping up to me he offered to shake hands, and in doing so, turned up the palm of my hand and saw the marks of blisters, for I had been working hard. Seeing the condition of my hand, he turned to his fellows and said, " He is only a common fellow." Like many another man who lives under more favorable conditions, his judgment of men was peculiar. Early the next day we were on the road westward, and with incidents no more excit- 174 I'ATHFIXDING ON PLAIX AND PRAIRIE. ing than breaking axles and aplitting fel- loes and snapping dowel-pins and handling balky horses, and in my own case fighting a wretched toothache, we very soon rolled into the valley at Victoria, and were complimented by my father on having made an uncommonly (juick trip. We remained at Victoria until the Hudson's Bay Company brought along father's outfit. Helping in all matters around the Mission kept us busy with hands and head and heart. While we were at Victoria my eldest sister, Eliza, was married to Kichard Hardisty, of the Hudson's Bay Company's service, who was then in charge of the Mountain House. Immediately after the marriage they and Nellie, one of my younger sisters, started on their long overland trip to the distant trading-post. Some of us accom- panied them out for a few miles, enjoying some good shooting by the way, for the fowl were now starting south. , Hardisty and Philip Tait, another Hudson's Bay Company officer, chal- lenged my brother David and myself as to size and quality of our several hunts, and we kept about even up to almost the last minute, when David and I luckily saw a flock of geese light in a shallow swamp at some distance from us. There was no cover whatever to aid our approach, so I said to David, " Let us separate E. PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND I'llAIUIE. 175 g fel- mdling iting a id into nented iiuonly idson's outfit. n kept While za, was iidson's charge ter the unger rip to ccoin- some were Tait, chal- las to id we [inute, geese from Id our tarate and charge that swamp at full speed from two sides. Perhaps we will bamboozle those geese by so doing." This we proceeded to do, and urging our steeds to full speed, we came upon the birds so suddenly that they did not know what to do. When they rose on l^avid's side he knocked two down ; tliat sent them over to me, and I was equally successful, so that we were thus put four birds ahead of our competi- tors. This sport gave us a good time in giving our newly-married friends a " send-off" on their honeymoon trip. Away up at the foot of the Rockies, among the wikl tribes of the mountains, my sisters were to make their home for a time ; but we all had great faith in our new brother, so we wished them a hearty God-speed and returned to Victoria. When the goods came, father helped us all he could, and we soon were on the way back to Pigeon Lake. As I hoped to build a small church, I took with me an English half-breed, Francis Whitford by name, a handy fellow with an axe and saw, to aid in the build- ing operations. It was now late in September, and we had a house to build for my man, and a stable for a couple of oxen I had secured and for the calf, whose mother we found had committed suicide while we were away ! The foolish old thing had started off in search of a mate, and despair- T vi^ 176 PATHFINDIXG OX PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. ing of finding one, went into a miry lake some tliirty-five miles from home and there died. And now that our Mission was permanently establislied, tlie Indians came from long dis- tances to sojourn for a little time with us, to attend our meetings and listen to our message. Stonies and Crees and mixed bloods, pagan and Roman Catholic and Protestant, all came to us and were eager to learn. We were busy all day long and on into the night, when by the light of the camp or chimney fire we preached and lec- tured and sang and prayed, till out of the old life and old faith men and women came into the light of the Gospel and into the life that is born of the kingdom of Christ. ^^' M. E. PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIUIE. 177 J SOUIG d. nently i^ (lis- L uw, to es.sa^c. an and [) to us all day ight of nd lec- the old nto the is born CHAPTER XVIII. Father visits our Mission — A dream tliat proved a pf)rtent — Drowning of Mr. Connor — "Straight fish'' diet — • We are visited by a war party of Crees — T am given a problem to solve — Francis and I set out to seelc fresh provisions — Feasting on fat bear steaks — A lonely Christmas — Mr. Hardisty visits us — We in turn visit Mountain House — A hard winter in the Saskatchewan Country — Rations on short allowance — A run to Victoria — David and I have a hard ex- perience — Father and mother as "good Samaritans.'' During the autumn father visited our Mission, and as a large camp of Stonies had gone west- ward, among whom there were children to be baptized and couples to be married, I prevailed upon him to follow them up. Accordingly we set out on their trail, and after two days of steady travel, during which we made a consider- able detour, we came up to them at Buck Lake. We spent a day and night with them, father marrying several couples and baptizing some children. On our way back father had a strange dream, which he related to me ihe next morning as we rode along. It was to the effect that Mr- Connor, who had returned from Ontario and gone into Lac la Biche to trade for the winter, 12 178 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. * -I I was drowned. Father said he could not shake off' the spirit of depression which the dream had created in his mind. Reaching E(hnonton, he met the word that Mr. Connor was drowned, and, stranf^ely enougli, this had occurred at the time we were camping between Buck and Pigeon lakes. Readers of " Saddlp:, Sled and Snow- shoe" will remember Mr. Connor as the gentle- man who travelled with my party across the plains in 1864. Cutting and hauling timber, building a stable, whip-sawing lumber, making dog-sleds and horse-sleds, and fishing entailed an immense amount of work as winter came on. We made new nets and mended our old ones, built stajjinffs and hung the fish until the real cold weather set in, when we froze them on the ice and then packed our catch. But while the fish were plen- tiful, they were of a very poor (juality, both wormy and lean, so that out of hundreds a very small percentage was fit to eat. It was a case of over-production. Later, when some scores of thousands had been caught, there was a very perceptible improvement in quality ; but that took years to accomplish. It was at this time that a war party of Crecs came to us. Fortunately there were (juite a num- ber of Stonies camped beside the Mission at this time. It was in the evening, as Francis and my- E. shake ini had -on, he !lI, and, le time Pigeon Snow- gentle- oss tlie . stable, Is and nmense e made anfinffs r^eather d then e plen- botli a very a case ores of 1 very t that Crees num- ,t this id my- PATIIFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PRAIllIE. 170 self were working the whip-saw for all it was worth, in order to finish our number of planks for the day, that these fellows, some thirty in number, filed into our clearing. As the Stonies did not look upon them with favor. Fox, their leader, an old acquaintance of mine, brought the entire party of warriors into our house. Fortu- nately our one room was a big one, and in the interests of peace and the future of our work it was better to put up with a crowd for one night than to liave turned them out, though the Stonies would have stood by us in such a case. We told them plainly, though, that we would have no nonsense this time ; they might stay with us for the night, but I would issue ammunition to the Stonies, and have them guard the place all the time that they were with us, and if they attempted to play any tricks their own lives would be the forfeit. Fox protested against any evil intention on their part. He said they were tired ai d hungry, and were on their way back home, disappointed in their attempt to make a foray against the Blackfeet. Said he, " Let us stay with you one night, John, and we will leave quietly in the morning." We therefore sheltered and fed them and guarded them from the Stonies, who very naturally were resentful of the conduct of the Crees at different times in the past. However, 180 rATHFINDlNG ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. I r II .♦. old Mark took cliarge of the watch, and assured me that it would be all rif^ht. I have no doubt that some of those men for the first time listened to the Gospel message sung and spoken in the language wherein they were born. We entertained our guests as best we could, and spent the long evening by the light of our big chinmoy fire, opening to their minds visions of peace and predicting to them the near approach of the time when they should go to war no more. During the evening an old warrior, who had evidently been listening to what we had to say in an unbelieving mood> said, " You white men think you are very wise ; now I will give you something to count which you will never be able to find out." " Well, let us have it," I said, when I saw that the crowd was interested in the matter. So the old fellow propounded his great puzzle. Said he, " There were seven buflfalo bulls. Each had two horns and two eyes and one tail, and each foot had a split hoof, and above the hoof were two little horns. Now, for the seven bulls what was the whole number ? " and the painted warrior gave a contemptuous grin, as if to say, " There, take that for your boasted wisdom to grapple with." T mentally worked out the simple question, and (juickly gave him the number, and then Fox laughed and said, " Did I not tell you you could Lssured t doubt istoned in the J could, of our visions 3 near I go to an old ling to ■ mood> y wise ; which ^ell, let crowd fellow There horns had a > little as the gave take with." n, and in Fox could PATHFIXDIXO ox I'LATX AND I'HATUIK. 181 not catch John? He is very much wiser lli.in we are." Hut the old man, heing much mor*' obtuse and ignorant than Indians gcnci'ally ai'c, would not believe that I had answei'cd his (juestion, so he got a small ])()le and faced it on all sides with his knife. Then he took a piece of charcoal and began laboriously to make marks for the horns and eyes and tail, etc., of the bull. But his companions chafed him so unmercifully that he was soon lost in his calcu- lations and gave up in chagrin. This incident fjave me a chance to enlarixe on the benefit of schools and of education. I told that old mathematician that the little boys and girls in our schools would laugh at such a simple question as he gave ; that the white men went on into millions upon millions in their calcula- tions. Fox then said, " We are worse than children in all these matters, and we are foolish to gainsay the white man. But I believe John when he says that what has been possible to the white man is also possible to us Indians, for I notice that in some things our minds are quicker than those of most white men. But as for John, j''ou cannot play with him ; he is both white man and Indian put together." I warmly pro- tested that I was but a child in wisdom ; that I was learning about the Indians every day, and wanted to be their friend in truth. t > 1H2 l'ATirFI\l)I\(J ox IM,AI\ AM) IMIAFIMK. r r ■ « 'i Kai'ly next iiioi'iiin;^' the party took thoir dc- pjirturc, uikI Mark and I saw tlieiii oW some dis- tance on their road, for it was liard to n^strain Home of the mor«; turbident and revengel'ul of tlie Stonies — they liad too many old scores to wipe out. Winter was now upon us, and our people scattered in ([U(;st of food and furs, so that by the first of Decend)er Francis and myself and our families were the only ones left at the Mission. At times the solitude was oppressive, and would have been much worse but that we were constantly busy huntint^ and fishing, taking out timber, gathering in firewood, etc. Breaking in dogs also took some time, for the old stock was about used up. Old Draffan and his contemporaries were gone, either dead or now too old for hard service. About the middle of December Francis and I started out towards the plains with dog-trains. My object was two-fold — to visit the people, if I could find any, and also to try and obtain some provisions. We were growing tired of fish. We had abcyut a foot of snow to break on the trail, and were glad towards the close of the third day to find the track of a solitary hunter, which we followed into his camp. Here we found Samson and old Paul and other of our own people, all very glad to see us, but, like ourselves I'A'I'IIKINDINt; ON I'l.AlN AND I'KAUUK. [H^i on " sliort c'onmionH." 'V\\v. ItiiH'alo wen; i'ur out, Jiinl these jtcopK? Were hardy oxistiri;^ on an oeca.sionai *\cvv and a few porcupint's. Hut, fortunately I'oi us, Honicone luid run across a deer and killed him just hc^t'ore we arrived in camp, and we FeasttMl with the rest on u;<)od t'at meat. It was a rare treat to taste some tatty suhstance once more. We held a meetin7 tlui Hr« pcd and nfludncHH ,^e would the trip. ;lic best, ty OHHcn- ,hc hoart t'tor day hero was le second ken with uckneHs." id sinews il, worse, It kept went out op along in sheer o-round. \ey could extreme '^hile our :e sorely Iwas not for the itoes and During our ahsence young Hamilton liad ctraordi- ract that IS really wounds ardly in a meal winter, intensi- seemed I boss of narrow- a sump- palatial ar taken s lodge, it recol- J'ATiinNDING ON I'LALV AND PRAIIUE. 209 lections as of this in the skin lodc^e, spread on nevvly cut spruce brush and served in homely style. ^ Nevertheless, as Samson relate.l his winters experiences, and I listened and ate. this atter was done sparincrly. for there were others to be thouglit of. and to these also such a spread would come as a heaven-send. ^ ^^ 14 210 PATHFINDING OX PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. fl'! CHAPTER XXI. Alfcernate feasting ar d fasting — We start <)ut on a iMiffalo hunt — Old Paul l)rings down a fine moose — Provi- dential provision — Enoch Crawler kills another moose — Magnificent landscapes — Entering the great treeless plains — Wonderful mirages — We come upon the tracks of buffalo — Our men shoot a huge gri/./.ly — Charging a bunch of cows — A lively chase — Sam- son's plucky plunge over a bank after the buffalo— I chase and kill a fine cow — The camp busy killing and making provisions— Guarding against hostile Indians. All through April and May we had quite a multitude around the Mission, feasting or fasting with us, as circumstances dictated. Sometimes the moving ice on the lake kept us for days at a time from visiting our nets, and then there was hunger in the camp. But again the ice moved out, ajid we were provided with food sufficient in quantity if not all we would like in quality. About the end of May, after putting our garden in shape, with a few families wo started for the big plains and the summer ranges of the buffalo. During the past winter the buffalo kept fai* out and great destitution conseciuently ensued. Spring came and found the forts and Mission w E. a huifaln — Provi- another the great Dine upon ge grizzly ise — Sam- buffalo — sy killing it hostile quite a r fasting metimes ays at a lere was 3 moved ufficient quality, r garden 1 for the buffalo, kept far 7 ensued. Mission PATHFINDING OX PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 211 stations without the usual stock of pennnican and dried meat. There was no use of our look- ing for help from these sources ; we must act for ourselves. I had talked the plain trip up among our people, but only a few would attempt it with us. Nevertheless, these few were picked men. There was old Paul and Samson, and Mark and his father and brother, and a Moun- tain Stony, Enoch Crawler by name, and Francis and myself. We counted ten men in all and two boys, besides the women and children. The most of our party struck straight for the first edge of the thick woods, while Francis and others went around to bring our carts from where we had left them the previous autunm, We left the lake on Monday morning. Wednes- day evening we were camped together a united party. Saturday afternoon we went into camp early, in order to give everyone a chance to do some Imnting for Sunday. Our tents were pitched in a beautiful plain, by the shore of a stream called Pipe Stone. Thus far no large game had been killed. Rabbits and ducks and the few dried fish we had started with formed our food. Saturday evening I shot a brace of rabbits, and carrying them back to camp was surprised to find that nearly all the women had disappeared. Encjuiring tlie reason, I was told that old Paul had killed a moose. Noh\ 212 I'ATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. old Paul was our invalid. He could only by crawling or with crutches move in any way, and I was surprised that he of all our party should kill the moose. But presently my wife and the other women rode into camp bringing with them the most of old Paul's kill. The old man had crawled to the edge of a small lake to try and shoot some ducks, and while slowly approaching this had detected the splash of a large animal Coming into the lake from the other side. He saw io was a moose, and taking in the lay of the country, he concluded that it would come out about where he was. Hastily seizing his gun-worm and fixing this to the ramrod he pulled out the charge of shot and put a ball in its place. Sure enough the old hunter's instinct Iiad told him right, for presently the huge animal came out of the lake and through the fringing of the timber right up to where he lay. Old Paul's shot was straight and true, and our camp rejoiced in the prospect of moose steaks as a change of diet. As this came on the eve of the Sabbath, it was very significant to our simple faith as an evidence of the favor of Providence and an endorsation of our Sabbath observance. Early Monday morning the tents were folded and we were on our way south-eastward. Wednesday we were given another moose, this time Enoch Crawler beinrj the fortunate hunter, « '■ IE. PATHFINDING ON PLAIX AND PllAIHIi:. tll.S only by k^ay, and ' should and the ith them nan had try and roachin^ e animal ide. He le lay of aid come sizing his ,mrod he a ball in s instinct yQ animal fringing ay. Old )ur camp laks as a ^ve of the Lr simple :ovidence fservance. ire folded eastward, pose, this e hunter, Quite a number of beaver were caught and shot during the week's travel, and on Satui'day, a we camped at the last point of woods, we Killed our first buffalo. Here we or(]i:anized our num- ber into two watches, five men and one boy in each, to keep guard alternate nights. We spent a part of Monday in cutting and peeling poles and laying in a stock of dry wood ; for while our fuel for some time would consist almost wholly of buflfalo chips, yet it was essential to carry wood to guard against storms. We were now entering the treeless plains of the great North-West. During the week we got several straggling bulls, and another Sunday came without any recent signs of either men or buffalo in numbers. We were now three weeks from home. For the first two our course lay through woodland and prairie, an undulating country, rich in succu- lent verdure, beautifully watered and with magnificent scenic properties. If our living was often without change, nevertheless we always had a sumptuous variety, to serve as both tonic and dessert, in the exceeding beauty of the land- scape through which we were passing. Speaking for myself, these scenes were a constant stimulus and blessing to me. My fare might have been hard, the crossing of a creek or the climbing of a hill difficult, a balky horse exceedingly trying, t 214 PATH FINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. a childish and often unreasonable parishioner very perplexing, but as I stood on some noble vantage ground and " viewed the landscape o'er," I remembered these little worries no more for the time, but with intense pleasure drank in the scene before me. There lay spread a splendid panorama of slope and vale and natural lawn, of terraced banks and lofty hills, beaver meadows and grand prairies, mirrored lakes and gently liowing p^reams. The forces of Jehovah had been at work. His turning lathes had shaped and rounded. His storms and deluges had washed and laved for centuries. His gardening winds and currents had carried and planted germs and seeds. His rains and dews and light and heat had caused these to grow. His resurrection agencies had covered and swarded and forested and blossomed, and clothed the rich and lovely vales and hills. For man all nature and nature's God had thought and planned and carried into execution. In gratitude and thanksgiving I beheld and worshipped, and with a feeling of growing dignity moved on to another vantage ground. For the last week we had been out on the real plains. Nothing bigger there than herb plant or tiny rose-bush — grass, grass, everlast- ing grass, everywhere. Like ocean waves the plain dipped and rose. What gorgeous sunsets TRIE. arishioner )ine noble cape o'er," more for ink ill tlie I splendid il lawn, of : meadows md gently lovah had lad shaped uffes had gardening Qted germs light and jsurrection d forested and lovely id nature's arried into csgiving I feeling of er vantage )ut on the than herb 3, everlast- waves the )us sunsets PATHFIXDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 21$ we witnessed ; what surpassingly beautiful sun- rises we beheld as we steadily pushed out on this great upland ocean of grass and plain. And those wonderful mirages, who can describe them ? Here was photography on a magnificent scale. Here was direct substantiation of the old assertion, " There is no new thing under the sun." The focusing of light, the developing processes of the chemical properties of the atmosphere, verily we may believe these have been at work, if not before, at any rate ever since the " morning stars sang together." I had never until now launched out on the treeless plains. Though in the prairie country for five years of constant travel, yet this is my first trip into this bigness and wideness and strangeness of land and grass and mirage. By the agencies of the latter I have seen the fac- simile of an immense district of country lifted into the heavens, and there upon atmospheric canvas were clearly reproduced hill and dale and stream, and herds of buffalo and camps of In- dians. I believe I have seen in this way photo- graphs of scenes that were from ten miles to six hundred distant from me. I have noticed that where this occurs there is a distinct condition of atmosphere and climate. It would seem as if a mysterious change were going on, and one could feel this in himself. ' t- t 21 6 PATHFINDINQ ON PLAIN AND I'KAIRIK. Oni' ilay, after a thiinder-Htorm luid pa.sHod, my wife ami I were driving* un tlie lii^li land near the Red Deer River. The sun liad come out clear and bright, and presently the whole country was under the spell of a mirai^e. We were one hundred and tifty miles from tlie mountains, but tliese were brou<^ht near to us — so close tliey seemed that, as our horses trotted alonING ON PLAIN AND I'UAIKil:: CHAPTER XXII. lil , i A busy camp — Process of butcliering ami drying meat — H(jw pemmicau is made — Our camp in peril — Chasing a herd of buliaU) up a stitt" bank - Mark- scores a point on me — We encounter a war party of BUickfeut — A fcjrtunate rain-storm — A mirage gives us a false alarm — Unwritten laws as to rights of hunters. There were no idle liours in our camp. Huntino- by (lay, and on ^uard every other night ; when not running buffalo or butcliering and hauling and packing them into camp, then drying tlie meat and rendering grease and making pemmi- can, or mending carts and harness — there was always something to do. Some of our party had become rather alarmed at our venturing so far into the enemy's country, and already they were talking about returning. But I told them that we must load right up ; that we had not come all this way merely to have a feed and turn back, but to prepare food for the next winter. So by precept and example we kept the whole camp stirring. Sunday was our only day of rest, when, outside the care of the horses and camp, we absolutely refrained from labor. And IK. PATHFINDrNa ON PLAIN AND PIIAIHIE. 221 g meat — I i)eril — k— Mark party of ■aj^e gives riiihtH of :; when haulin<( tlie pemmi- ing ere was rty had y so far y were m that )t come id turn winter, whole day of ies and And now as we are actually engaf;ed in dryin<^ moat and making pennnican, I will describe this work in detail. In the first place, the Indian and plain huntci- did not butcher the carcase in the white man's way, but followed the anatomy of tlie animal. There were the tongue and little boss, the big boss, the back and rump-fats, the sinew pieces, the shoulders and hams, the brisket and belly piece and ribs. Each of these came out separ- ately under the skilful hand and knife of the hunter, and when brought to camp were cut into broad wide flakes, not more than a quarter of an inch in thickness. These flakes in turn were hung on stagings made of clean poles, and the wind and sun allowed free work at them. When dry on one side they were turned, and kept turned every hour or so during the day, and if the camp moved they were loaded into carts and taken to be spread out again on the clean grass, all being turned at some time during the day. Thus in two or three days, according to the weather, the first lot would be ready for sorting. The back-fats and rump-fats and the briskets and ribs and bosses would be folded into a regu- lar size, and baled up into packs of from eighty to one hundred and twenty pounds weight. These bales were bound up with rawhide, and the contents were known in camp and Hudson's 222 rATHFINDINO OX PLAIN' AND IMIAIKIE. Vmy posts, and ovcrywliere in the Territories, as " dried meat." Thoiif^li only air and sun were utilized in the eurin<^', still this was sweet and perfect in its efKect, and the meat would keep lor years. The other parts of the meat — that is, those portions which came from the hams and shoul- ders, and the sinew pieces — were, when dry, taken and cooked over a slow fire. In our case we made a lar<,^e jj^ridiron by di^gin^ a lon<^ grave-like hole in the ground, in which we made a fire and across the top of it placed willows, whereon we spread the meat. After cooking it carefully and thoroughly it was put away to cool, and then pounded by flail until it became pulp. This when finished was termed " pounded meat." In the meantime all the tallow or hard fat of tlie animal killed was cut up into small pieces and cooked or rendered, and watched closely that it might not burn. This boiling tallow was then poured upon the pounded meat, about pound for pound, and the mass thoroughly stirred up until all the meat was saturated with the hot grease. Bags w^ere made of the hide, nicely fleshed and prepared, and sewed with sinew. And now the hot mass of meat and grease was shovelled into the bags. Then those were quickly sewed up, and a level piece of ground was chosen, or a E. PATIIKINDING ON PLAIN' AND 1M;\II{II:. 223 u'les, as in w(3rc L'ct Jind :eep for H, those \ shoul- jn dry, ur case a lon<; e miuh /illowH, kin<^ it way to became blinded )r hard 3 small atched boiling I meat, Duglily d with edand 3W the d into ^ed up, 11, or a flooring of side-boards from the carts mad(;, jind these hags were plac<'d on this and shaped Mild turned until cool and hard. A hag thirty inclu's long, eighteen wide and eiglit thick would weigh from 120 to 135 1I)S. This was "hard grejise peinmican." Sometimes dried berries, or the choke-cherry, would be mixed with the soft fat pcmmiean, and this would be called " Ix'rry pemmican." This pemiiiican, like tin; o climV) e uplands fFairs, but )ur eager- and some it us as if the steep caught in vs should mce of us )ur horses Lud climl). to fifteen for these hill, and his own ■j. I had keeping not do to lot theui reach the top. However, as I was next to the bulls, I thought mine would be the first chance. But in this I was beaten by old Mark, whose experienced eye had seen a better way. As we reached the summit and the bulls jumped into a hard race at once, as if the climb had been nothing, I was pushing my way after them when in came Mark ahead of me, and " bang " went his old flint-lock right into the best bull of the crowd. Of course I took the next one, and another also, and felt if I was to be beaten — why, I had rather it be by Mark than another. We took home more good meat and fat that day than at any time on our trip. Another time we went far from camp, and ran right into a hunting party of Blackfeet. They were more surprised than we were, and left their hunt on the field and fled. As we did not know how many there were, or how near the camp might be, we made haste to load our horses, and started for home by a roundabout way, but not until dark did we make direct for our camp. Here Providence interfered on our behalf, for before daylight next morning a heavy rain-storm set in and continued for two days and two nights, not only washing away all our tracks, but keep- ing the enemy pretty constantly imder cover. We were thankful for the storm, and vet were miserable all through it, as we had not sufticieut J9 226 PATHFINDING ON PLAIX AND PRAIRIE. Ill fuel to keep us warm. When the third day opened with bright sunshine the whole camp was glad. Not a soul in our party had even an overcoat, much less a waterproof. Tliere were no long boots or rubbers to be found in our outfit at that time. And to remain out with tb.ose horses in the cold rain all night long was not child's play. With returning sunshine we moved camp westward and northward, and making a good long day settled at evening in as good a spot as we. could find for the hiding and protection of our camp. Then we went to work finishing up our drying and pounding and preparing provi- sions, and arranged our loads in order to make them water-tight and storm-proof as much as possible with parchments and hides. When this was all done we resumed our homeward journey. When moving one day, word came in that we were being followed by a troop of Blackfeet, and immediately I sent Mark out to reconnoitre. Riding back a couple of miles he signalled to us " They are coming," and again he signalled, " They are many." The first was done by riding his horse to and fro, and the second by throwing dust in the air. This put us to making strenu- ous efforts to be ready for attack. We arranged our carts as a bulwark on one side at a spot where a sm>dl hill gave us protec- Kf" PATHFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 227 tion on the other. We gathered and picketed our horses close up, saddHng the speediest, and got all our ammunition ready. Then Samson went out to join Mark. Presently the two came in on the jump to tell us that a mirage had deceived everybody, that the trailing party was nothing more formidable than a big pack of wolves ! Our alarm thus allayed, we journeyed on, not unmindful, however, of the episode, for I had run around rushing in the horses and placing the carts quite regardless of the numerous beds of cactus, and now the soles of my feet were like fire because of the many small points which had entered them. The unwritten law as to hunting rights which obtained at that time was as follows : When on the journey from one part of the country to another, say, to and from a Mission station or between Hudson's Bay posts to the herds of buffalo and back, everything killed was com- mon property — that is, all who came to the kill had common share of the meat ; but when fairly into the buffalo range, and at the work of making provisions, then each man handled and kept his own hunt. There was also a well understood law that the owner of a buffalo horse also owned whatever was killed from the back of his horse. Many a time after I became proficient in the art of sebcting the fat ones, and If-; 228 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. liad gained a reputation as a shot, Indians would bring me their best horses to ride in a hunt. And as I was often in camp merely visiting, many an exciting time I had with the strange liorses, and many a man and his whole family came to hear me sing and preach because I had won their admiration by my handling of their pet horse. \ PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 229 CHAPTER XXIII. Into the timber country cigain — Craving for vegetable food — Wild rhubarb a treat — I shoot a big beaver — My horse objects to carrying it — A race for tlie life of my child — Terrific light between my dogs and a huge wolverine — Reach Pigeon Lake and find father there — Anxiety felt for our party — A meagre bill of fare — A visit to Victoria — I narrowly escape drown- ing — Father leaves for Ontario, taking with him my three sisters — Francis leaves us to return to Victoria — My varied offices among the Indians. On the twenty-sixth day from our leaving tiie points of timber we again entered them, and as all in our party were "forest people," there was joy in every heart. We Are tremendously governed by sentiment. Our spirits like the barometer rise and fall, subject to environment. And now with carts and travois and pack- animals loaded, and with our stock and scalps intact, we were once more in the outer stretch- ings of the great northern woodlands. More- over, we were so hungry for something vege- table that we eagerly partook of the first edible food that was found. We roasted and boiled and ate freely of what is known as the wild rhubarb, 230 PATHFINDING OX H.AIN AXD PRAIRIE. ^ and also ate the inner bark of tlie poplar and drank the sap. I remember with what joy I came upon a bed of wild rhubarb as we were approaehino- the timber. Flinging myself from my horse, I cut a bunch of the rhubarb, and quickly making a willow fire, roasted and ate ravenously of it, and felt it did me good. The same afternoon, as our party was travelling on, I rode away to one side to watch for beaver. The ripple of the water breaking over the dam told me where they were. Fastening my horse I quietly drew near, and by ana by heard the splash of one as he came out of h;« house into the pond. Pres- ently I saw the beaver swimming towards me, and, waiting my chance as he drew near, I shot him. But now that I had my beaver I found that the horse I rode "would not let me place him on his back. I worked for a long time to pacify the sensitive brute, but of no avail. Finally I determined to tie the end of mv lariat to the baaver, and mounting first, pull him into the saddle ; and after a lot of backing and plunging I finally succeeded in landing the beaver across in front of me, and thus rode on into camp, but determining all the way to take a quieter horse the next time I went beaver hunting. On we rolled, crossing the streams tributary I'ATHFINDINTJ ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 23l to the Battle River, and when we had crossed the river, I concluded to send Francis round by the new cart road we had made in coniinir out. while with my own family I should strike straight in by Bear's Hill for Pigeon Lake and the Mission. All of the Indians who had not carts would come the same way, but follow more slowly. While on this trip I had two experiences worth relating. I was riding ahead and had riy little daughter Flora in the saddle with me. My sleigh dogs, who were now big and fat, were with me. Presently, passing near a shallow lakelet, I caught sight of a moulting goose mak- ing for the grass. Dropping my little girl down by the path, and telling her to pick flowers and stay quiet, that " papa would come back soon," I galloped over to the spot where I saw the goose disappear. Of course, all the dogs came with me, and very soon we found the goose. I quickly wrung its neck, and remounting my horse dashed back to where my child was, and away bounded the pack of dogs also. The goose hunt had excited them, t.nd they were racing one another ; and now I saw that if I did not reach the child before they did, the strong possibility was the wild brutes would tear the little one to pieces. The race was short and quick, but my intense fear made it seem like an age. m • > 232 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. The dogs and I reacliod the child about tho same time, and I fluiijif mvselt* from tlie horse and clutched my little girl, and then fairly danced lor joy that I had her safe in my arms again. Going on we came to Bear's Hill Creek, and as the day was warm both horse and dogs began to drink. As I sat in the saddle talking to my child, I happened to look down the stream, and there I saw a big wolverine come out to the water's edge to quench its thirst. Close to me was a hound called Bruce. I quietly said " Bruce," and pointed down the creek. The quick-eyed fellow saw the wolverine, bounded away, and was close upon him before the wol- verine saw him. Then he made a jump for the brush, but Bruce ran his nose between his enemy's hind legs and fairly turned him over with the impetus of his run. Then the whole pack came up, and I sat on my horse and looked on a terrific fight between the dozen dogs and the one wolverine. It did not seem fair, but the wolverine was a big fellow and a born fighter, and he was fighting for his life. He scratched and bit every one of those dogs, and held his own for some time, but at last a big black dog, a powerful brute, got his massive jaws on both sides of the wolverine's brain and crunched it right in, and the wild fellow was PATHFINDINO OX PLAIN' AND PllAIUlE. 233 a big dead. I verily believe that in all the big North- West there will not be a single mourner for him, such is the Ishmaelitish record of these animals. As we were approaching the lake the next afternoon I noted fresh tracks coming up from the Edmonton and Victoria trail. Anxious to see whose these might be, I urged on my horse, and when I came in sight of the house I saw some horses standing at a smudge, and recognized them as belonging to our people at Victoria. This made me jubilant, and I gave a regular Indian " whoop," and then I heard father say, " There, that is John." As I jumped from my horse father and a young man, by the name oi' James Connor, ran out of our little home over- joyed to see me. Away down at Victoria word had come of several serious battles between the tribes. Scalps and horses had frequently changed owners, and strange rumors had come in from the plains. These had become connected with our small party, and our people were so intensely anxious about us that father and James had started for Pigeon Lake, and finding the place deserted were now setting nets and drying fish in order to go out on our trail and seek us. Father embraced me as if I had come from the dead, and James was only a little less demonstrative. They were at their meal when > 234 I'ATHFIXDIN'fi ON I'l.AlX AND PUAIIUE. they heard my hIiouI. and here is the bill oi fare : WOODVILLE MISSION, PIGEON LAKE. Dinner, Jvi.v, 1807. Boikid Jack fish without salt. Boiled Rliubaih without sugar. DESSERT. Thinking and planning and talking about loved ones, said to be massacred, but of which tliore is no certainty. Father brought us uew.s from the outside world, and of the people on the Saskatchewan. He said he was read3'' to start for Ontario, and was going to twke my three sisters with him that they might go to school. He was arrang- ing with Mr. Steinhauer to come as often as he could to Victoria during his absence, and he hoped I would visit them when I could. The next afternoon I accompanied father and Jim on their return journey. We camped for the night with Francis at the edge of the dense and heavy timber, beyond which point we had not as yet been able to bring our carts. From here, as father said provisions were not plenti- ful at Victoria, we took a cart with about halt* a load, and went on in a blinding rain-storm, camping that night in a flood, with no tent and but a small covering for the cart. fiHH**! AIUIE. the bill of LAKE. it loved ones, no certainty. he outside katchcwan. ntario, and with him ^as arrari'.'>) S4--^ ■• . ■■■■\ ^ :-i»'S PatjeM-,) PATIIFINl>I\r: ()\ PLAIN AND I'PAflUr:. 23.") The next, day we Iwul a lively time crossinf^ the White Mud. W'lieii, at'tfr p;u'l:iiii( evrry- thinjij across on horsehaek, aiwl lioldini;' the pro- viHions up over our shoulih'i'H, I afterwards undertook to (hive across with tlie empty cart, we were swept away hy the; ra u ) the fur on it and turn fiercely on me 'nit II. shot from my gun would quickly keel him <."Vt>r. Later I found that one of my dogs could kill a '.^ nx at one bite across the small of the back, and then I let him do the killing, for ammunition was none too plentiful in those days. I made several trips to Victoria and visited a number of camps, and in March took my family through to Whitefish Lake by dog- train. When we reached home, towards the last of the month, winter was breaking; but what nearly broke our hearts was an epidemic, a sort of distemper, that took hold of my sleigh-dogs, and one after the other I had to shoot the poor brutes. They seemed to have a kind of liydro- phobia. They did not attack human beings, but we thought it best to kill them. I felt the part- ing with the faithful fellows more than the loss of their usefulness. A pagan Cree who had come to us asked permission to skin two of my biggest and swiftest dogs, and I told him he could. The reader will note this, and see later what his pur- pose was. pi«V' iiii:. 1 creation ras in tVie jumpinjr, came to he steady ) his back, lercely on ickly keel p my doj^s e small of killing, for those days, md visited took my p by dog- 'ds the last but what rnic, a sort leigh-dogs, ot the poor of hydro- aeings, but t the part- lan the loss o had come my biggest ;ould. The hat his pur- PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND I'UAIUIE, 245 And now our people were straggling in to tlie Mission. That spring a number of mountain Stonies visited us for tlie first time, and our week-day and Sabbath services were full of in- terest. More of our own people than ever before were desirous of doing some gardening, and we helped all as far as our means allowed us to do. Moreover, a good many expressed a desire to accompany us to the plains for an early summer provision trip, and as we wanted the j 'uv' sions for the year, and as this was the ver\ bet- vay to have .<- number of our people w**: • \'« for a time, I arranged for such a trip, to sta i. ;i,bout the middle of May. This time our camp was quite large, number- ing about forty lodges, and we felt quite able to go anywhere on the plains. We followed for the first hundred and fifty miles our route of the previous summer. We lived on ducks, rabbits, beaver and a few deer and antelope, until about thirty miles out from the last point of woods, where we found our first buffalo, and from the?«ce on unvil we reached herds of them we were never without food. At the spot where we found the first bulls Samson and little William and myself were of the party, and I came very near being killed. We had come suddenly upon the animals, and I was crossing in front of William to higher ti4G i'A'mi'iNniN<3 on im.ain and ruAiniM j^roiujtl wluMi he, n()( iioticiii;^ iiw, (if«Ml at (linn, ami tho l)all \vlii//('K '>'>H'^- 'I'liis nan'(>\v oscapo botluTiMl poor William for some time, ami I vt'rily lu'liovo iuid lie killed nu* \>y a('C'ii)an!nt. In hwi I wan hoping Tor HJ^riH of tln^ «in 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)873-4503 A 6^ 260 PATHFINDING ON I'LAIN AND PKAIUIE. CHAPTER XXVI. Another visit to Victoria — Fall in with a war party of Kootenays and Flatheads — Samson and I go moose- hunting — A Sabbath afternoon experience — A band of moose enjoy Sabbath immunity — I start out tf) meet father returning from the East — The glorious Saskatchewan Valley — Call at Fort Pitt — Equinoc- tial storms — Entertained by a French half-breed family — Meet Mr. Hardisty and one of my sisters — Camp-fire chat — Meeting with father — Rev. Peter Campbell and others with his party — Father relates his experience in the East — Rev. Geo. Young sent to Red River Settlement and Rev. E. R. Young to Norway House. When we were nicely settled at home I made a hurried trip on horseback to Victoria, for I knew mother and the rest of our people would be extremely anxious about us ; and it was with joy they met me as I rode into the older Mission. Father was expected home in September, and mother said he hoped I would meet him some- where down the Saskatchewan with some fresh horses. Here I learned that there had been con- siderable fighting on the plains east and south of where we had been. A number of scalps had [■■^ HUE. PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 2G1 rar party of I go moose- ice — A hand start out to rhe glorious t — Equinoc- 1 half-breed my sisters — -Rev. Peter ather relates oung sent to Young to le I made )ria, for I >pie would was with ir Mission, nber, and lim some- )me fresh been con- d south of jcalps had been taken on both sides, and the reports of these encounters had made our people very anxious about our party. I spent a Sabbath with the Victoria people, and then made for home. At Edmonton I lost my horses for a whole day, and did not succeed in finding them until evening. In the mean- time a war party of Southern Kootenays and Flatheads had come across and spent a few hours at the fort, where they were on their very good behavior. Had I not been delayed by the losing of my horses I should have been alone amongst them that morning, and when I sized the wild fellows up I was exceedingly thankful that I had been frustrated in my desire to push on. These strangers went back the same evening, but when I swam my horses across about sunrise the next morning, and started up the hill to take the trail for Pigeon Lake, I almost ran into the same war party. They had gone across my road just as I came up, as I could tell from the tracks on the grass, on which the dew was still heavy. I imme- diately took to cover, and went on the steady gallop, never stopping except to change horses until I was thirty-five or forty miles from Ed- monton. The greater part of the time I kept away from the trail, and early in the afternoon was once more at home, having swam my horses across the big Saskatchewan that morning, and 262 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. >» pi*' 'if with the two made the sixty miles in less than three-quarters of a day. This same war party took a number of horses from a camp of Indians situated at the time some fifty miles south of us, and I was very thankful they did not take mine nor yet have a s. t at myself. And now what with hay-making and doctor- ing and preaching and teaching, our time went quickly. Soon September was with us, and I was thinking of starting for Victoria, when Sam- son came in, and we went for a moose-hunt. On Saturday afternoon he killed a huge buck moose, and we camped beside the carcase and spent a very quiet Sunday in the woods. During the afternoon I took our horses down to a lake about half a mile from our camp, there being no water nearer, and while the horses were drinking I sat upon the bank admiring the scene. The lake before me was several miles long and about half a mile wide. The banks were quite high and densely covered with forest trees in the full rich glory of their autumn tints. The day was calm, and the whole picture was exceedingly beautiful, specially fitting to the Sabbath evening. My horses, having slaked their thirst, were lazily browsing on the rushes which grew on the edge of the water, and I was being lifted up into a higher, purer atmosphere of experience consistent with my environment, when suddenly my ear LIRIE. PATHB'INDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 263 1 less than war party of Indians )uth of us, take mine nd doctor- time went us, and I v^hen Sam- hunt. On ick moose, id spent a •uring the ake about no water king I sat The lake ibout half high and e full rich was calm, beautiful, ling. My ere lazily L the edge up into a consistent f my ear caught the splash of water, and looking across the lake I saw five moose doing exactly the same as my horses. Having waded out into the water they were biting at the rushes, and as I watched them one swam out into the lake straight for Soon the whole five were quietly and me. gracefully swimming towards me, and I confess that as I watched those fine big moose coming* I for a moment wished for my gun (which I had left in camp), and wished, also, that this was any other day than Sunday. But as all this was of no use, I decided to keep perfectly still and note how close those moose would come before detecting my presence. Soon they were touching bottom close to my horses, and then there was a moment of mutual surprise, as horses and moose stared at one another. Both, however, again took to nipping rushes, and by and by the big cow moose which was leading came up the bank within a few feet of where I was, and shook herself, sprinkling me copiously with the water from her big sides ; another fol- lowed, and then all of them went on into the woods, quietly browsing as they disappeared from my sight. For them, also, it was the Sab- bath day. Monday we went home, our four horses hav- ing all they wanted to carry in the meat of the one monster moose. The fellow was in such it * "r. 264 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIK. good condition that I made a big Lag of pennni- can with liis inside fat. Soon after this I started with my family and two Indian boys for Victoria. Reaching that point, I took witli me the two boys and started with the tliree carts and some loose horses to meet father. Mother had not heard from him since I was last at Victoria, but we thought he must now be on the north side of the Saskatche- wan, between Carlton and Fort Pitt. Our horses were in good flesh, and this was hardened on them as we drove early and late down through the northern slopes of the great Saskatchewan valley, the lovely country which had so enamored my more youthful senses when first in 1862 I rode through its rich pastures and over its richer soils. Six years of wider range and larger view had been mine since then, but now as I ride over the many leagues my previous judgment is but strengthened. As we pass Saddle and Egg lakes and cross the Dog Rump, and Moose and Frog creeks, and wind between and over the Two Hills, and all the time behold fresh and picturesque landscapes, and note the wealth of nature's store, self-evident on every hand, my patriotism is enthused and my faith invigorated. And to one born on the frontier, and already having witnessed great changes, it is easy to imagine this easily reclaimed part of our great '!te*» E. PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 205 pern nil - ily and ig that started jrses to )ni liini io;ht he katche- [• horses ned on trough chewan amored 1862 I s richer er view I ride tnent is id Ego )se and rer the sh and alth of id, my orated. Iready asy to great heritage dotted with prosperoiiH homos. All day long (and somehow those autumn days were unsurpassable in the combination of their glori- ous make-up) as I rode on in advance of ni}^ boys and carts, I was locating homes, and select- ing sites for village corners, and erecting school- houses and lifting church spires, and engineering railway routes, and hoping I might live to see some of this come to pass, for come it would. While my boys went straight on I rode in to Fort Pitt, hoping that I might find word of father's coming up the country, but receiving none, I spent an hour or two with my friend John Sinclair, who was for the summer in charge of the fort Then I rode on fast and steady, and late in the evening rejoined my boys. On we went, leaving Frenchman's Butte far in the rear, across the Red Deer Creek, past Horse Hill, through Turtle River valley, and across the river, all the while constantly on the look- out for signs of our friends or tidings of them. Mornings and evenings and long nights and many miles came and were passed, and still no signs. Then the equinoctial storms burst upon us, with winds from the north and ice-cold rain in torrents. We drew up our carts in the shelter of bluffs of timber, and hastily covering them built our fire, and piling on the dry wood became ourselves the clothes-horses on which to i:0 206 l'ATHFlNDlN,i ON JM.AIN AND PUAlllIt:. dry our so<'iked ganncnts. Then when partially warmed and dried we would resume our journey. And now our matches were all but run out, and wet and cold we sought shelter under the lee of }!. wooded hill, and making cover did what we could to ensure the success of our last match. But alas ! the first scratch sent the brittle thing into many pieces, and it took time and prepara- tion to ignite some old cotton with a percussion gun. Hands were cold and wet and everything was wet, but after what seemed hours our fire blazed, and all through that long night we kept it blazing as in turn we gathered wood and piled it on to slowly dry and burn. And those boys ! children of the wood and plain, full of healthy optimism, "Theirs not to sulk or sigh, Theirs to grin, and bear, and fry. " We kept those soaked logs frying until day came, and fortunately for us the storm stayed and we rolled on in hope. That afternoon we saw a lodge to one side of our course, and while the boys kept on, I rode over to it and found a French half-breed and his family, who received me gladly and treated me as if I was one of their family. They were on their way from the Red River to Edmonton. They made for me a pan- cake, for they had a small quantity of flour. i i PAT1IFIN1)IX(J ON PLAIN AND PIIAIRIE. 207 What a treat this was ma}' be iina(^niio-f¥ 274 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. . H * the altitude and the large percentage of sunshine vouching for the purencss of atmosphere and liealthy condition of climate. This is my sixth trip through this part of the North- West Terri- tories, and as I felt in the morning of my first acquaintance with this immense garden, I now, as the sunlight of my growing knowledge of its many resources is rising and enlarging, am fully convinced as to its great wealth of soil and grass, its water and timber and climate, not to speak of the mineral developments which in all probability will come in the future. On the twelfth day after father left us, while breakfasting on the bank of Saddle Lake Creek, having come some eight miles already that morn- ing, we were delighted to have my brother David gallop into our camp, bringing us word from home. Father had made a marvellously quick trip, and the whole settlement was now looking for our coming. David not only brought us news from home, but his jovial noise and wild western boisterous fun put new life into the tenderfeet of our party, who had begun to think the distance without end and the hardships too much to bear, and were constantly reverting to the " onions and garlic of former Egypts." More- over, his coming lightened my work, for now the roads were newer and the necessity of careful PATH FINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 275 driving more constantly witli ns. By noon of the thirteenth day of my takin