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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.

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

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

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.

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,
<lurintr the cold winter months, the furnishing of
wood to keep those hu<jje hres goino^ gave them
constant employment. It must be said, how-
ever, they accepted the labor and drudgery with
cheerful alacrity, and could be seen at all hours
of the day stringing over the hills and across
the plains with dogs and liorses and travois,
their own backs loaded to the utmost carrying
capacity with wood.

The life of an Indian woman in those early
days was, indeed, an extremely busy one. Pack-
ing and unpacking dogs and horses, making
camps, providing wood, making and mending
moccasins and wearing apparel, cooking, cutting
up, dr^'ing and pounding meat, rendering grease,
dropping bones to get out the marrow fat,
making pemmican, stretching, scraping and
dressiuiT buffalo hides to make robes or leather
— a long, tedious process, in which not only the
brains of the worker were needed in order to
excel, but also those of the dead animals as
well — kept her going early and late. Besides
all this, the manufacturing of saddles, travois,

PATIIFINDING ON PLAIN AND I'RAIUIE. 13

tents and s]ia<x^anap|)i also devolved upon the
women; and yet, notwithstanding all this, they
Hcenied, generally speaking, to be contented and
happy, and with true feminine resource still
found time to give to attire and adornment, and
the practising of all those mysterious arts which
have charmed and magnetized the other sex,
doubtless through all the past of our race. No
wonder these women and girls were at a pre-
mium, and cost all the way from a blanket up
to a band of stolen horses ! The more of them
a man had, then the greater man was he.

Nor was the life of the male Indian altogether
that of a sinecure. Somehow or other the idea
has gone abro.ad that these Indians led a very
lazy life. But if the man who thought this
had spent some time with either wood or plain
Indians, and had accompanied them on their
hunting and war expeditions, he would have
materially changed his views.

To follow a wood hunter on foot from before
daylight in the short days, through brush and
copse and heavy timl)er, over big hills and across
wide valleys, on and on for many miles, some-
times until noon or late 'in the afternoon before
a " kill " is made ; or, having started game, to
run for miles at a terrific pace, hoping to head
off the quarry and at last secure a shot ; then,
having killed, to butcher or secure from wolf, or

14 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

coyote, or wolverine the desired meat and strike
as straight as possible for the camp, sometimes
many, many miles distant, with thick forest and
dense darkness now intervening ; or it may be
to have all the labor and exhaustion of such a
chase without the chance of a shot, reachinir
camp late at night wearied and disappointed.
To continue this for days, sometimes feasting
and again famishing— and all this not from
choice but of necessity — could be counted no
easy matter. It is not for fun, but life ; health,
income, influence, iionor, respect, all these are
dependent on your efforts.

It may be with the same wood hunter you
start a prime buck moose or elk during those
glorious days in the beginning of autumn, and
he bounds away in his strength and swiftness.
Your Indian says, " We must run him down,"
and leads off" in long, regular strides, and for a
time you feel as if your lungs were in your
throat and your heart is beating a double tattoo.
Over and under fallen timber, down precipitous
banks, up steep hills, and it takes some time for
you to " catch your second wind," and to brace
up your will and say to yourself, " I am also a
man," and then settle down like your Indian to
steady work.

He, however, is doing more than you, who are
but following him. He is noting lay of land

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIlllE. 15

and direction of wind, calculating in order to
cut across where your game may have gone
around, watching the tracks, gauging the dis-
tance the buck is ahead of you, noting the
settling of the earth at edge of pool or creek
where the big fellow left his tracks as he ran,
and you are encouraged and spurred on, or
contrariwise, as the crafty hunter tells you in
hushed tones what he knows.

Then, by and by, after an hour or two, or
three, perhaps, of such work, you stand beside
the fallen carcase and wipe your forehead and
wish you had a dozen towels; but while your
exultations and congratulations are hot within
you, a word of caution comes from the Indian
beside you : " The sun is low and the camp is far ;
let us hu^ry," and the work of butchering and
skinning the meat goes on, till presently, with a
load of meat on your back, you start for the dis-
tant camp. Suppose, as you tramped and climbed
and panted, some one had said, "What a lazy
life yours is," you would have shouted back,
" No, sir ; not in any sense is this a lazy life ! "

Or it may be your hunter friend is in for a
" fur hunt," and you start with him to make a
line of dead-falls for marten, or to hang a hun-
dred or so of snares for lynx. The snow is
deep, and at every step several pounds of it fall
in on your snowshoe ; but from early morn until

16 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

I, I

late in the evening you tramp and toil, chopping*
and stooping and grunting over snare and dead-
fall, and when night is on, having carried your
provisions, blanket and kettle all day, besides
the baits for dead-falls and snares for lynx i ps,
you dig away the deep snow, cut some wood and
make a fire for the night. While the fire burns,
you doze and chill, and pile on fuel and wait for
morning, only to repeat yesterday's work, and
so on, until, having made a big detour and hung
your snares and carefully fixed your dead-
falls, you in three or four days reach home.
Then in a short time you must visit all these,
and in the intervening days make your forays
for food. No one who has tried this manner of
obtaining a living will pronounce it a lazy life.

But suppose you were with some plain or
buffalo Indians, and, as was about the average
condition in the winter time, the buffalo were
from fifty to two hundred miles from your
camp — the rigor of the winter and the condition
of grass and wood forbidding the camp moving
any nearer to them — the hunting parties had
constantly to be organized and the meat and
robes brought from long distances home. Under
such circumstances the hunter not only had to
undergo great hardships, but also to run very
great risks. Storms on the bleak, treeless
plains, with deep snow, and travel of necessity

PATIIFINDIXG ON PLAIN AN J) PRAIRIE. 17

slow and difficult, wore indeed as " the powers
of the air " and darkness to encounter and over-
come, and the really indolent man was not in it
when such work was engaoed in.

Then it was incumbent upon every al)le-
bodied man, under the code of honor of the time,
to make an annual or bi-annual or even more
frequent foray for horses and scalps. Tliese
trips generally took place in the sprino;' and fall.
With the melting of snow and ice in spring, or
the making of the same in autunm, parties large
and small would be made up. Each with lariat
and a few pairs of moccasins, and, if possessed
of a gun, with as much ammunition as he could
obtain, or armed with bow and quiver full of
shod arrows, in the dead of night these men
would start for the enemy's country, depending
on sustaining life by the chase on tiieir way.
Journeying on, sometimes by day and sometimes
by night, fording rapid streams and swimming
wide rivers, what signified the breaking up of
the season or the plunge into ice-cold water of
river and swamp to them ? These must be con-
sidered as trifles. By and by, when the enemy's
presence is felt there will come the weary watch-
ing and waiting, amid cold and hunger, fov cun-
ning and strategy are now pitted the one against
the other, and endurance and pluck must back
these up or the trip will be a failure. One, two,

18 PATIIFINDING ON PLAIN AND PllAIllIE.

three hundreds of miles of steady traiiipinfT^ with
your camp always facing in the direction oi
where your enemy is supposed to be. Every
day or night the scouts, making thrice the dis-
tance covered by the party, keep up their con-
stant effort to discover and forestall counter war-
parties, or to find the enemy's camp ; and when
this is found sometimes to hang for days on its
movements, and, following up, watch for a favor-
able spot and time either to make a charge or to
steal in under cover of storm or darkness and
drive off bands of horses. Then in either case to
start for home, and push on regardless of
weather so long as men and horses will hold out.
After a successful raid those long runs for
home were great tests of horse-flesh and human
endurance. With scalded legs, blistered feet and
weary limbs, and with eyes heavy for want of
sleep, these men, now exultant wuth victory,
would vie with each other in the race for camp,
A lazy man assuredly had no place in such trials
of endurance and of hardship. Furthermore*
upon the men and boys of the camp devolved the
care of the horses. The herding and guarding
of these gave many a weary tramp or ride, and
many a night in cold and storm, without sleep
or rest. And finally, the constant need of pro-
tecting their camps from the wily enemy was a
source of permanent worry, and always rested
as a heavy responsibility upon these men.

TATIIFINDIXG ON PLAIN AM) I'llAIllIE. 19

CHAPTER II.

lie

(ep

L'O-

Camping in tlic snow — Our costuiue- -lirilli/inf siniri'so
effects — Miiple find ho" puits found at last- Striking
exaniplu of "dog sense " — The Fort (larry [lacket.

Just now we are surrounded by both w(jod
jind plain hunters. J\hiskepetoon in my time
always had a followin<^ of both parties. The
gambling and conjuring drums are beating in
several lodges. In others, as in ours, the evening
hynni is being sung and prayer offered, and
presently we roll in our blankets and robes, and
sleep, though it takes me some time to forget my
lost train of Maple and her pups.

By 2 a.m. we are up boiling our kettle and
snatching a bite of breakfast. Then by the clear
moonlight we begin the loading of our sleds.
This is tedious work, and had it not been for the
iinmmerable host of dogs, our own to boot, we
would have had this over and all ready last even-
ing. Now in the keen cold of early morn even
old Joseph has to move quickly to keep from
freezing. To put from five to six hundred
pounds of frozen meat on a narrow dog-sled, and
as nearly as possible to maintain the e([uilibrium
is no light task. But by four o'clock sleds are

20 I'ATIIFI\I)r\(; ()\ I'LAIN AND PRAMUE.

IojkIimI and do^^s luiniesscd, we bid ]\Fr. tuul Mrs.
Muddy Bull a hasty fjjood-byc, and an; ott' to
nuakc tlie sixty-mih^ drivohonio in the day if we
can. And who d()u})ts our doing it ? Not our-
selves, at any rate, for the road is fair, our dof^s
fresh and stron<^, and we, costumed as we are,
must move or freeze.

Perhaps I am the best clad in the party, and
my clothes altogether will not weigli much. A
flannel shirt, moleskin pants, full length leggings
with garters below the knees, dutfil socks and
neat moccasins, a Hudson's Bay capote, unlined
and unpadded in any part, a light cap, and mit-
tens which are most of the time tied on tlie load,
while I wear a pair of thin unlined buckskin
gloves. This is in a sense almost " laying aside
every weight," but the race which was se^j before
the ordinary dog-driver in the days I am writing
of was generally sufficient to keep him warm.

In my own case, I did not for several years
wear any underclothing, and though in the buf-
falo country, and a bufialo hunter, I never had
room or transport for a buffalo coat until the
Canadian Pacific Railroad reached Alberta and
the era of heavy clothing and ponderous boots
came in, with ever and anon men frozen to
death in them! Not so with us; we run and
lift and pull and push, and are warm. Old
Joseph has for a leader a big dog called " Blu-

I'ATII FINDING ()\ IM.AIN AND I'UAlUli:.

'2\

clier," and every littK* while tliere rin^s out in
tlie cri.sp air the call " liuehen," for in JoHeph's
Hof't, euphonious ton^^ue there is no use for " 1 "
and " r."

J^efore daylif^ht we have pulled up in the lee
of a clump of poplars, an<l, kiekin^^ away the
snow and ^fathering wood, hav(; built a glorious
fire. A hasty second breakfast, and a<^ain we are
otf, while the day-sky is still faint in the east-
ern horizon. And now the cold seenjs to double
in ri<^or ; old '* Draft'an's " breath solidilies ere it
disappears into tlie infinity of frozen air on every
hand. Even the smooth tobo<,f<j^an and the soft
moccasin are not noiseless on the hard crisp
snow of tlie road. It is cold, but the colder it
becomes the harder we drive. " Marse, Buchen 1"
from old Joseph, " Yoh-ho ! Put-eyo," from 8usa.

The only dog inclined to sneak in my train is
"Grog." I ring out his name so sharply as to
make him think his last day has come, and he
springs into his collar with such vim as to
(piicken the Wiiole train into a faster step.

Now the morning is upon us, and presently
the clear sunlight glorifies the waking w^orld.
Tiny shrub, .willow bush, timber clump, valley
and hill, with their millions of glittering ice crys-
tals, are brilliantly illumined. The scene is daz-
zling and beautiful in the extreme. For miles
on every hand as we run the shadows give way

22 I'AtllFINhlNTJ ON PLAIN AND I'UAIIllM.

to tho most brillijiiit li^lit, and hero ntnl j'oiidcr
tlu; (lark spots, diMiotin^' })iin)ilo, Hiii^Iy oi* in
•groups, stand out with startling- distinctnoHs on
the ji^rcat white oxi)ans('.

Stoi)i)inn; for our niid-(biy nu'al, wo jerk our
do<^s out of tlieir coUars to j;'iv(; them a ehanee
to lick snow and <^and)ol around and fn'shen
themsL'lveH <;'enerally, while we hurri(;dly hoil
our kettles and i^^et out our supply of dried meat.
While doin<^ this we also <iive our doiis ahout
two ounces each of the dried meat, just to liven
them u[) and ^'ivc thcun an aji^reeable antici[)a-
tion of their supper — the one scjuare meal in
twenty-four hours they will liave at the end of
the day's journey. As we (^naw at our dried
meat, thaidvful that what teeth we have left
are sound, we drink hot tea and discuss do^^s,
Indians, white men, and the broad questions of
civilization and Christianity. Susa is thoroughly
optimistic and joyously sancruine. Joseph is
also as to Christianity, but civilization and men
and do^s, " well, he kinder doubts" — at any rate
he will wait and see. But we cainiot wait lonu'
now, so we tie on our kettle and cups, catch our
do(^s, and start away, leaving our camp-tire to
burn itself out. As the shades of nitjjht are
connnencing to fall we turn our loads on their
sides, and thus run them down the steep long
banks of the Saskatchewan, then righting them

rATIIFINDINfJ ON I'LAIN AND PRAIRIE.

jit its foot, <lasli jiomsH the l)i^' river, and witli
(lo<jfH pulling for all they are wortli, and \vr push-
in*^ Vxiliind, we eliinl) tli(3 othor nion' moderate
hank, and arc at home once more.

There is t^eneral himentation over tlie Iohm
of Maple and her pups. The <;'irlH slied tears.
Little (i(H)rmi cannot understand how h\vr l>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<j^s, visit with our
fi'iends, and long before daylight next morning
are on the out-bound journey for more meat.

Reaching the Indian camp that evening, I was
disappointed at there being no tidings of my lost
train. But again we loaded, and started home in
the night, and before daylight we came to the
camp of a solitary hunter, John Whitford by
name, where to my great delight we found the
missing team. They had come to John's camp a
few hours before us. John said that he heard a
jingle of bells, and expected some travellers
were either coming to or passing his camp.
Then, hearing no further sounds, he went out to
see what it was, when he found Maple alone in
harness, but dragging the other four sets of har-
ness behind her. Evidently the sled had caught in

24 PATHFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

some busli and the young dogs liad become im-
patient, and one Ly one wriggled out of theii*
bonds. Then tlie wise old mother dog had gone
back to the sled and bitten off the traces close
up to it, thus freeing herself from the sleigh ami
saving the harness. She then started for home,
and concluding to rest by the way at John's
camp, we found her there with her pups.

One often hears about " horse sense," but
here was a good large sample of dog sense.
That this dog, with her own traces and those
of four other dofi^s between her and the sleio-h,
should pass all these and go back to the sleigh
to cut away and liberate herself, and thus save
to us these harnesses, was amazing. I would
have rejoiced over the dogs alone, but to receive
these back with the harness was great good for-
tune. I hitched Maple and her pups beside my
own train, and taking some meat from Joseph
and Susa, lightened their loads and on we went
at a much ([uickerstep. On reaching hometluit
evening I need not say there was general rejoic-
ing over the recovery of our lost dogs.

As the buffalo moved so did also the Indian
camps, and gradually our meat trails went west-
ward for the month of February. This trip
it was fresh meat, and the next it would be
a mixed load of pounded and dried meat cakes
and bladders of grease and tongues, and as the

t ll

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

distance was never more than a Li<^ day's run,
we would put on tremendous loads, so that
gradually our storehouse was being tilled up.

Through storm and cold, and sometimes very
heavy roads, or no roads at all, Joseph, Susa and
myself kept at the work of providing for our
mission party. Those at home in the meantime
were constantly busy holding meetings, doctor-
ing the sick, taking out timber, whipsawing
lumber, or hauling hay and wood. Indeed, there
was no time to become lonely or to think of the
onions and garlic of the former Egypt. Our
party knew it was out in a larger wilderness,
but, full of Christian resolution, each one felt
as did Joshua and Caleb.

The event of the winter was the arrival of
the February packet from Fort Garry. A few
h'tters from Eastern friends it miglit bring, with
two or three newspapers several months old ; but
this was the one connecting link, and the dwell-
ers in the Hudson's Bay posts and at mission
stations in the North-West, though far apart,
felt a common interest in this packet, for it not
only brought news from the far East, but also
from one another. For days before its expected
arrival at the post or mission the packet was the
chief itein of conversation. Many an eye was
turned to the direction whence it should come.
Many a person the last thing at niglit would

2G PATHFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

stand out in the cold and listen for the sound of
bells which mi^ht indicate the approach of tlie
eagerly looked-for mail. And when at last it
came, how many were disappointed. The one
lone chance, and still no news where ro much
had been expected.

And for the swarthy-faced, wiry-built, hardy
men who brought this packet, as you looked at
them you could see fifty miles a day stamped on
their every move ; fifty miles and more through
deep snow, blinding storms and piercing cold.
Picked men these were, and they knew it, and
held themselves accordingly, heroes for the time
being at every post they touched. Nor did these
faithful fellows tarry long at any one place.
Arriving in the morning, they were away the
same afternoon. Coming in late at night, off
before daylight next morning. This was the
manner of their faithful service to the great
Company which somehow or other had the
faculty of inspiring its employees with splendid
loyalty to itself.

PaTHFINDING on plain and I'llAlRJE. 27

CHAPTER III.

We visit Edmonton — Nature's grand cathedral — Adven-
ture with a buH'alo bull — A trip to Pigeon Lake —
Racing with dog-teams — An intidel blacksmith — Old
Joseph i)roves an unerring guide — Caching our pro-
visions.

About tlie last of February fatlier determincMl
to visit Edmonton, and niotlier also went for a
change. Father took Joseph's dogs, and drove
himself. Peter, witli the team 8usa liad been
using, drove the cariole in which mother rode.
I had charge of the baggage and camp equipage,
the provisions, and the wood-work of a plough
which we were taking to the blacksmith's to
have ironed. We kept the river all the way
and made the hundred or more miles in less than
two days. It has always seemed to me in
travelling up or down our ice-bound northern
rivers, either by night or by day, that a solemn,
reverential feeling well befitted the scene. The
long gentle sweeps, and the succeeding abrupt
turnings of the river's windings ; the high
and sometimes precipitous forest-covered banks,
always like great curtains casting shade and
gloom and sombre colors ; the fitful gleaming

2s PATHKIXDIKG OX PLAIN AND PRATlltK.

of sun or moon, or tlio brilliant flashes of the
aurora liglit; the howling of the timber wolf
or the barking of a family of coyotes, send-
ing echoes to reverberat(3 through the canyons
formed by tributary streams — all these could n(3t
fail to impres,; the traveller. To me, thought-
less and light-hearted as I was in tliose early
days, there always came a feeling as though I
were in the aisles of a tremendous cathedral.

Tlie great temple was completed. The Master
Architect was satisfied. The glorious creation
calmly waited. By and by the thronging multi-
tudes would enter. In the meantime in humble
faith and trust we worshipped. From a little
ledge of bank in the thickly clustering pines,
whde our camp-fire lit up the nook wdth ruddy
glow of warm light, our evening song of praise
made the steep banks and the tall woods ring
with lofty cheer.

We spent the Sabbath at Edmonton, fathei*
attending to his duties as chaplain and our
whole party enjoying for a day or two the
sojourn in the depot fort or miniature metropolis
of this great West ; then back down the great
river, reaching home early the afternoon of the
second day, which enabled Joseph, Susa, and
myself to make ready for an early start the next
morning to the Indian camps.

During the first part of March w^e made several

lie

\U(l

Ixt

-4^

11
ti
t(|

tl
III

ill

111

I I

st
cc
d:

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-

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

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 do<j;s, and I saw my
chance ; so did ol<l Draff'an, and with a (juick
" Chuh " my noble dogs sprang past, and once
more we had the road, and on we went. Gradu-
ally widening the distance between us and
Smith, I knew tliat both Susa and Josepli would
also watch their opportunity to pass. At any
rate with even one ahead our credit as a travel-
ling party was safe. After two or three miles
of steady run in the loose snow, I looked back,
and was delighted to see that Susa and Joseph
had passed Smith and were coming on splendidly ;
and now our quondam companion was far in the
rear. I waited for my men, and when they came
up we congratulated ourselves, while old Joseph
made us laugh wdien he said, referring to Smith,
" He likes being behind anyway ; let him have
what he likes so much." And on we went to
the Fort, reaching there a long time before our
friend did.
The same eveninfj I met with what was to me

a new experience. I had gone to the black-
3

34 I'ATIII'IN'DING ON PLAIN AM) PRAIiaE.

Hiiiitli's .shop to Hco about tho |)lnu<^li, and tlie
l)lackHiiiitli b»';4aii to (|U('stioii iiit3 a.s to what W(3
intendticl to do at IM^coii Lake. I told him that
father hoped to cstahliHh a Mi.s.sioii there. "Oh,"
.said he, "you want to dehi(K' .souk; iiionr ])eo))le
H'ith your fanciful storie.s al)outCj}od and heaNcn
and hell."

" Wliy," .said I, "do you not helieve in God ? "

" No, I do not," wa.s i]\v, cn»i)hatic an.swer I
received, and a Ktran<;e feelin<( came over me. I
was afraid of that man, and took the plough
away a.s ([uickly a.s 1 C(juld.

The wild .storm, the lonely ni<4']it, the .sava<j^e
beast, or even more .savage man, how often 1 had
come in contact with these, and all this had not
worried me very much. But liere was .some-
thing new and awful to my youn<;and un.sopiiis-
ticated mind. No God ! I found it liard to
shake ott' the thought su<^'gcsted by that man's
expression.

The next day, wlien we were away from the
Fort on our journey, I told my companions.
Su.sa's eyes fairly bulged with astonishment, and
Joseph said, " He nuist be without any mind,"
and we dismissed the subject ; but as my father
thoroughly believed in God, and we were abroad
to do his bidding along the line of that faith, we
tied on our snowshoes and took the straight
course for Pigeon Lake. Old Joseph now be-

•J

PATIlFINDlN'c; ON I'LAIN AND 141A11UK. 35

camo ^'uido. This wjia tho scono of liis yoinifj
niiiiili()()<l. Horo ha luul tni))|HMl heaver ((nrr
and anoii wo crosstMl tlie creeks and saw tlu;
(lauiH), lierc lie liad tracke«l and wlain many a
niooHc and elk. In this vicinity hu«Te ^nM/zJies
had licked the dust at the crack of his (*ld flint-
lock. Lon^ years a^o he had hel[)ed to make
this small \vindin«jj trail which he now hoped to
pick up and to keep to the lake. Bi<^ tires and
wondertul growth had changed the scene. More
than twenty years had elapsed since this road
was freipieiited, but with unerring memory and
skill the (jid man picked up the road, and on wo
went slowly through the deep snow, across bits
of prairie, and while all around looked tho same,
witliout a miss we would again enter the bush
on the unused trail. It must have taken cen-
turies to develop a brain capable of thus having
photographed upon it the topography of a
country.

Saturday night found us some seven or eight
miles from the lake and in a dense forest, with
the snow about three feet deep on the level.
Here we camped for Sunday, and again I noticed
Joseph's consistent Sabbatarianism, for except
for supper he never ceased to chop and pack
wood until midnight, and thus obviated our work-
ing any on the Sabbath. From early morn this
India,n had been tramping down the deep anow

36 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

ahead of our trains, and working liis brain in
order to pick up the old trail. He had lifted
thousands of pounds of snow in the course of the
long day's travel, and now he willingly and
gladly works until midnight to provide wood
for our camp, which, being an open one, consumes
a very large quantity. And all because it is
written, " Remember the Sabbath day to keep it
holy." I do not know what my readers will
think about this, but I do know what I thought
at the time, and it was this : I would undergo
hardship and danger with such a man beside me
a great deal rather than live in the same house
in comfort and plenty with the man who a few
days since said to me, " I do not believe there is
a God."

We spent the Sabbath quietly, and early
Monday morning continued our way, reaching
the site of the proposed Mission about noon.
Here we found the cache Oliver and I had
ma'^^.e, still secure, but surrounded with the tracks
oi a wolverine, who thus far had been baffled.
Into this cache we put the balance of the pro-
visions we had brought, and making it doubly
secure, as we thought, placed the plough on top,
and then retraced our steps back to the camp we
had left in the morning. From this we reached
Edmonton Tuesday night, and were home early
Thursday afternoon.

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 37

CHAPTER IV.

top,
I we
lied

M[iidemic breaks out among the Indians — Snow-blind-
ness — I take to me a wife — Our modest dowiy — My
father otHeiates as a Stationing Committee — Fearful
mortality among the Indians — Our journey to Pigeon
Lake — The epidemic attacks our camp — A rude
liospital — An exciting buffalo hunt — Chased by a
maddened bull — Narrow escape.

At Edmonton we heard an epidemic was raoincj
.iinong the southern Indij.^.ns, and tliat many were
dying. As to the nature of the disease or par-
ticulars concerning it we had no information-
But even the rumor of Its approach was start-
ling, for in the absence of any Government or
other quarantine regulations and with tribal war
existing this disease would soon cover the whole
country with its ravages. In the meantime, as
tlie season was advancing, we redoubled our
etlorts to bring in supplies. To do this we had
to travel largely at night, the March sun making
it too warm for our dogs in the daytime. This
night-work with the strong glare of the bright
snow was exceedingly hartl on the eyes. Many
a poor fellow became snow-blind, and the pain of
this was excruciating. Fortunately for myself,

38 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRATRIE.

my eyes were never fiffected; but it made me feel
miserable to witness so much suffering and be
lielpless to give relief.

The Indians as a preventive would blacken
their faces with charcoal or damped powder, but
as nearly all the natives had dark eyes, they wei-e
most susceptible to snow-blindness. My experi-
ence was that those with lighter colored eyes
were generally free from this dreaded malady.

Old Joseph, Susa and myself made a number
of quick trips to and from different camps dur-
ing these March days and nights ; and about the
end of the month we gave this up for the season.
Then it came to pass that I put into execution a
project I had been contemplating for some time
and that was to take unto me a wife. My bride
to be was the daughter of the Rev. H. B. Stein-
liauer. I had met her in the autumn of 1862,
when I accompanied father on his first visit to
Whitefish Lake. Our acquaintance, which had
grown into a courtship on my part, was now be-
tween two and three years old. Our parents
willingly gave us their consi^nt and blessing.
Father and Peter accompanied us to Whitefish
Lake, and father married us in the presence of
my wife's parents and people. Our "honeymoon
trip " was to drive from Whitefish Lake to Vic-
toria with dog-train, when the season was break-
ing up, and in consequence the trip was a hard

•J

I'ATHFINDLVO ON PLAIN' AND PRAlUlE. 39

one. Then after a short sojourn at Victoria w 3
set out for the purpose of establislnn<^ the new
Mission at Pigeon Lake, father liaving signified
his stron"" desire that sucli should be done, not-
withstanding that the Board of Missions had
not as yet either "-onsented to or approved of
such a course. But father was tliorougldy im-
pressed with the wisdom and necessity of such
action, and finally told me I ought to go and
begin work out there; and, said he, "You can
live where uiiy man can." Of course I ^vas
proud to have father think this of me. His
knowledge of the work required, and his con-
fidence in my ability to do this work, more than
made up to me at the time for the fact that
there was not a dollar of appropriation from
the Missionary Society. But father gave us a
pair of four-point Hudson's Bay blankets, two
hundred ball and powder, and some net twine,
together with his confidence and blessing; to
which in all things mother said, "Ameii."

In the meantime the epidemic we had heard
rumors of came to us, and proved to be a
dangerous combination of measles and scarlet
fever. Among the Black feet and the southern
tribes hundreds had died, and already the
mortality was large among the northern Crees.
From camp to camp the disease spread. As
winter still lingered and the deep snow was

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

again turning into water on tlie plains and in
the woods, these lawless, roving people without
quarantine protection, lacking the means of
keeping dry or warm, and altogether destitute
of medicine or medical help, became an easy
prey to the epidemic.

Already many lodges of sick folk were camped
close to the Mission, and others were coming in
every day. Father and mother and Peter had
their hands full m attending to the sick, minis-
tering to the dying, and burying the dead. And
as this was a white man's disease, there were
plenty of the wilder Indians to magnify the
wrongs these Indians were submitting to at tlie
hands of the whites. Some of them were
exceedingly impudent and ugly to deal with ;
indeed, if it were not for Maskepetoon and his
own people, many a time our Mission pa,rty
would have suffered. As it was life was con-
stantly in danger. Men and women crazed and
frenzied because of disease and death were
beside us night and day. Nevertheless father
said " Go," and we started from among such
scenes on our journey to Pigeon Lake.

Father had loaned us two oxen and carts for
the trip. I had some eight or ten ponies, about
all I had to show for five years' work ; but as I
had been helpful to father in educating my
brother and sister in Ontario, I was thankful I

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 41

luid come off as well as I did. A groat part of
the way was under water. The stn^ains were
lull, but on we rode and rolled and rafted and
forded.

Our party consisted of my wife and self
Oliver, a young Indian, Paul by name, and his
wife. Our provisions were bufi'alo moat, fresh
and dry and in pemmican. We had five bushels
of potatoes with us, but these were saved for the
purpose of starting the new Mis'sion. I purposed
1 laving every Indian who might come to me
begin a garden, and these potatoes were for seed,
and should not be eaten. Paul and I supple-
mented our larders by hunting. Ducks and
geese, chickens and rabbits saved the dried
provisions and proved very good fare.

We scouted carefully across and past those
paths and roads converging from the plains and
south country to Fort Edmonton. Not until we
had made sure, so far as we could, that the
enemy was not just then in the vicinity, did we
venture our party across these highways of the
lawless tribes. Then passing Edmonton we
struck out south-westward, into a country
wherein as yet no carts or waggons had ever
rolled ; and now it kept Paul and myself busy
hunting and clearing the way, while Oliver and
the women brought up the carts and loose
horses. Our progress was slow and tedious, but

• !

42 PATHFINDIXG ON 1»LAIN AND PRAIRIE.

we were workiiifij for the future as well as tlie
present.

When up here in the winter I concluucu that
we could on the first trip with carts take them
to within some twenty-five miles of the lake to
which we were going. Working along as best
we could, Saturday night found us at this limit,
and as we wore very tired, and the weather was
tine, we merely covered our carts, made an open
fire in front, and thus prepared to spend the
Sabbath in rest and quiet.

Because of the dense forest and brush we had
come through, and also as we were some thirty
miles from Edmonton, we felt comparatively
safe from any war parties of plain Indians that
might be rosiming the country, as these men
were more or less afraid of tlie woods. Sunday
was a beautiful day, but towards evening there
came a change, and during the night a furious
snowstorm set in. Monday morning there was
nearly a foot of snow, and the storm continued
all day and on into Tuesday night. We kept
as quiet as possible under our humble shelter
without fire or any warm food until Wednesday
morning, when the sun came out and the storm
was over. Then to our dismay Mrs. McDougall
and Paul's wife were taken with the measles,
and sending Oliver to look after the stock, Paul
and I sought the highest ground in the vicinity,

FATHFIXDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

cleared away the snow, cut poles and put up
our leather lodge.

This we floored thickly with hrush. Then we
laid a brush causeway from our carts to the
lodge, and moved our sick folk into the tent.
In the meantime I liad put some dried meat and
pounded barley into a kettle to l)oil over the
tire, and as the only medicine we had was cay-
enne pepper, I put some oi this into the soup,
and this was all we had for our sick ones. Just
then Oliver came in, having found the stock,
Imt was complaining of a sore back and head-
ache. I gave him a cup of my hot soup to
drink, and as he sat beside the are warming his
wet feet and limbs and drinking tlie soup, I saw
he was covered with the measles. So I quietly
told him to change his clothes and go into the
tent. Thus in our small party of five three
were down with the epidemic which was now
universal in the North-West.

For the next five or six days Paul and I liad
our hands full to attend to the sick night and
day, to keep up the supply of firewood (for the
nights were cold and we consumed a great
amount) and to look after the stock.

Our patients in the one-roomed buffalo-skin-
walled hospital were very sick, and as we had
no medicine to speak of, and nothing in the way
of dainties to tempt their appetite, often caused

■ M

' (■

44 PATIIFINDING ON PLAIN AND IMIAIIIIK.

lis extreme unxiety. Hard i^rojise peminicjin,
• Irit'd ino.'it, oi" pounded meat and jj^rease are all
ri;;lit when one is Htron<;j and well, but it wa.s
iiKji'e than we could do to cook or fix these up
i'or sick folk. When we could Paul and I took
it in turn to seek for ducks and chickens to
make broth with, but there were very few of
these to be found near to us, and it was not
until the fever abated that, by leavinij^ wood
and water ready and making our patients as
comfortable as possible, we went farther afield
for game, and were successful in finding ducks
and geese and the eggs of wild-fowl as our
reward.

It was on one of these hunts, and while our
sick people were steadily convalescing, that we
came upon the fresh tracks of a bufialo bull. As
we thought he might provide good meat we
determined to follow him up. I think we had
kept his track steadily for three hours, when all
of a sudden my sleigh dogs, whom I had left as
I thought secure at camp, came up to us on the
jump, and now took the lead on the track, and
very soon were at the bull, as we knew from their
furious barking. We rode as fast as we could
in the soft ground and through the dense bush,
and presently galloped out on an old beaver-
meadow. Sure enough the dogs had the bull at
bay, and the old fellow as soon a' we came in

I'ATHFINDINO ON PLAIN AND PllAIllIE. 45

KiVht clmrjijcd Htrai<jjlit at uh. As there was
an opoiiinji^ into another part of tlie meadow I
tliouj^ht h(; was nialcino^ for tliat, ho sat my
horse, ^nn in liand, ready to slioot liini as lie
passed. But tliis was not in the bull's pro-
n;rannne. He was in for a fif^ht and puttin<(
down his head came ri<jfht at me. My horse
knew what that meant, for he already had been
^^ored by a mad Imll, and the little fellow did
not wait for a second dose, but bounded on as
fast as he could. My ^un was a sin<^le-barrelled,
mu/zle-loadin<]f shot-gun, and thouoh I had a
ball in, I did not care to risk my one shot under
such circumstances. In fact I very soon had all
I could do to sit on my horse, keep my gun, and
save my liead from being broken ; for in a few
bounds we were across the meadow and into
the woods, where, the ground being soft, my
horse was hard pressed by the big fellow, who
was crashing .along at his heels. Fortunately
" Scarred Thigh," as the Indians called him, was
no ordinary cayuse, but strong and rpiite speedy.
Yet owing to soft ground and brush the bull
seemed to be gaining on us at several times.
Paul afterwards told me he was so close to me as
to raise my pony's tail with his horn, but could
not come nearer to his much desired victims.

I knew that my horse could not, sinking as
he was at every jump into the soft ground, keep

46 PATHFIXD1N(J OX I'LAIX AM) IMIAIRIE.

this rfii'it up much lon^nT, {ind hecan.se of the
trees and brnsh I had no cliance to slioot ])ack
at tlu; })ull. I was nionicntarily expecting to
feel liini lioistin^' us, wlien I spied a thick
cluster of bi;L:; p()j)hirs just aliead. Now, I
tliouglit, if we can dod<^e behind tlicse we niay
<^ain time on our (Miemy. So I urf^(Ml on my
noble ])east, and as if to lielp us, just as I pulled
him around the chimp of poplars, a projectin<^
limb knocked my cap off". This fallin*;- right in
the face of the bull for tlu^ moment blinded
him, and with an angry snort he went thunder-
ing past as I pulled behind the trees.

" That was close," said Paul, who was follow-
ing up as fast as his pony would bring him ; " if
he had loeen a bear he would have bitten your
horse, but every time he put liis head down to
toss you, your horse left him that nuich." I
Jumped from my horse and patted his neck,
rubbed his nose, and felt thankful for our escape.
Then we tied our animals in the shelter of the
large trees, and followed after the bull on foot,
for in such ground and such timber we were
nmch safer on foot than on horseback.

Already our dogs had again brought the bull
to bay, as we could hear, and approaching with
^^aution we soon saw him fighting desperately.
Alert as we were he heard us comino; and ati^ain
charged, but we met hini with two balls, and

1^ y,,

lie

ill

^•«4t

PATIIFINDlNfi ON PLAIN AND IMIAIKIE. 47

tlio old fellow stji^j^eri'd back to the nii*Mlc of a
swamp of ice and Hiiow-watcr and fell dead.

" That fellow had a had licai't, or \h\ wouM
not have ^(jne ont into the middle of a pond of
water to die," said Paul; and it was cold enon^di
work skiiniin^ and hntcherint]; hin», with the
ice-water np to our knees. J^ut thosi; were the
days when stockings and hoots and ruhhers were
licyond our reacli in more ways than ouv,.
However, the meat was (;ood and a providential
supply to us and our sick folk. Ah^reover, our
doo-s needed an extra feed, and they got it.

It was late in the day when two heavily hulen
horses and two tired men came in sight of cam]),
and it was as good medicine to Oliver, who saw
us approaching and noted the fresh meat with
a smile all over his gaunt and pale face, for the
disease liad wofully thinned the i)oor fellow.
Only those who have been in such circumstances
can truly appreciate the relief experienc<3d by
our sorely-tried party.

this is found sometimes to hang for days 0)i its
movements, and, following up, watch for ji favor-
able spot and time either to make a charge or to
steal in under cover of storm or darkness and
drive off bands of horses. Then in either case to
start for home, and push on regardh^ss of
weather so long as men and horses will holdout.
After a successful raid those long runs for

48 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PKAIRIE.

CHAPTER V.

Our caravan moves on — Difficulties of packing — Oliver's
adventure with a buffiilo — Novel method of "blaz-
ing" a path — Arrival at Pigeon Lake — House-
building — Abundance of tish — Indians camn about
the Mission^ — I form many enduring friendships —
Indians taught fishing with nets.

Now thai; our people were convalescing \ 3 began
to make ready for a fresh start, this time with-
out carts. Everything had to be packed on the
backs of our oxen and horses, entaiHng no small
amount of work on the part of Paul and myself.
As the ground was everywhere wet, I was afraid
to run the risk of a relapse with any of our
patients, and would not let them, step off the
brush flooring we had placed to keep them out
of the water. The distance we had to travel to
bring us to the lake was about twenty-five miles,
and we purposed making it in two days. Our
sick folk would find twelve miles far enough for
one day, and our thin and weak horses would
also find the distance sufficient.

Paul and T had two oxen and eight horses to
saddle and pack with sick folk and tent and
bedding and all our household stuff* and while

li \

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 49

aid
our
the
out
to
les,
3ur
for
uld

to
Ind
lile

we did not seem to be possessed of much of
anything, yet it was quite a problem to arrange
all on the backs of those ten animals. Some-
times while we were fastening the one pack on,
three or four of our horses would lie down with
their loads, and in thus getting down and up
disorfranize the whole work.

We put our wives on the strongest and quiet-
est horses, and placed Oliver on a quiet but very
Imngry Blackfoot cayuse, giving him our guns
to carry in addition to his own. Thu^ we set
out along the almost obliterated bridle-path
v^liich I had gone over but once and that in the
winter time when the snow was deep, and which
neither Paul nor Oliver had as yet seen. My
memory was sorely taxed to make out the trail
where there was open country to pass through.
In single tile and with slow and solemn steps
our sick people rode their steeds, while our
horses labored under the burdens of their weak
packs. Paul and I were kept busy arranging
these packs, for as our saddles were crude and
diu' binding material rawhide, this would stretch,
and the saddles or packs become loose, so that
we were kept rushing from one to the other of
our transports. This made progress so slow that
it did seem as if even the twelve miles we hoped
to cover would prove too much for the long
spring day. But notwithstanding all the worry-
4

50 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

ing and the work we had some fun as well.
During the afternoon, while we were behind the
rest fixing up a pack on one of the horses, I
heard Oliver in a greatly excited voice shout-
ing, " John ! John ! Hurry — come quick !" I
sprang away to the front, and found that our
train was crossing a small bit of prairie, and
from one end of it, and coming out of the woods,
there was a buffalo bull charging right straight
for Oliver.

My dogs were worrying the big fellow, but it
was Oliver who demanded my attention. He
had our three guns on the saddle before him,
but seemingly never thinking of them, he kept
shouting to me to " shoot the bull." In his ex-
citement he had let go his bridle, and this had
fallen on the ground, while his hungry horse
was intent on cropping grass and would not
budge from the spot. In vain Oliver kicked
and shouted ; what cared that Blackfoot pony
for the charge of a buffalo ? He was accus-
tomed to this, and moreover was hungry, and
here was grass, and so far as he was concerned
all else might "go to grass." Not so philosophic,
however, was his rider. He was all excitement.
With a big muffler wrapped around his face, a
blanket around his body and legs, and our three
guns in his arms, he kept s^ outing vehemently
for " John." As I ran, not even the possibility

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PllAIRIE. 51

of the bull hurting some of us could keep me
from laughing.

Oliver dared not jump from his horse into the
water that surrounded us, for I liad tlu'eatened
liini all manner of punishment if he got wet
and ran the risk of a relapse, and he was in
mortal fear of the huge bull that was now com-
ing quite close to him. But as I ran up, and
before I could reach for my gun from (Jliver,
the brute took away in another direction, tlius
happily relieving the situation. He evidently
was, as Paul put it, " a good-hearted fellow,"
and as we had all we could very well manage, we
did not fire any shots after him. But this excite-
ment and fun helped to break the monotony of
our journey.

It was late when we reached a point that I
thought would be half way to tlie lake, and we
hurriedly cut brush for our patients to alight
on, and unsaddled the oxen and horses. I had
put the whole of our seed potatoes on my sad-
dle horse, " Scarred Thigh," and he had behaved
extremely well all the day, carrying his load
without a jar or disarrangement, as if he instinc-
tively knew we had enough trouble with the
rest. But now he insisted on my taking the
load from him before I shouM relieve the others.
As soon as I went to a horse to unpack him the
little fellow would step in between me and the

'■ I-

:.:!

52 PATH FINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

other horse, and plainly say by his actions that
his was the first claim, so all our party said,
" Help him first, he deserves it." To unsaddle
the ten animals and unpack seven of them, to
cut lodfi^e-poles and erect the lodge and floor it
with brusli, to chop firewood and cook supper
kept Paul and I on the jump until late, but our
patients though tired were gaining strength and
appetite, and we were thankful.

The next day was a repetition of the one just
described, only more so — water deeper, timber
denser, and creeks multiplying. My wife and I
each had an old-fashioned Hudson's Bay trunk.
One was painted blue and the other red, and we
packed these on the biggest of the oxen, firmly
securing them by the handles before and behind,
with collar straps and breeching of harness ;
and now as these boxes rubbed alternately on
the trees on either side of the narrow path, one
could track them by the paint, this side red
and the other blue, which often was a source of
wonder to travellers who came later along this
path.

When we came nearer the lake we were glad
to find that the land around the lake, being
higher than that over which we had come, was
comparatively dry, and that spring was further
advanced than anywhere else along our route.
Thankful for this, we put up our skin lodge

.Ji

•i...

PATHFII4DING ON' PLAIN AN!) PRAIUIE.

near the phice where we proposed to build our
liouse.

We wore not the first in the s<amo line on this
spot. Nearly twenty years before Benjamin
Sinclair, a native lay agent, under the direction
of the Rev. R. Rundle, began a Mission, but the
coming into the vicinity of a party of Blackfeet,
and their killing of some of the people, had
created a stampede from here to Lac la Biche,
some two hundred miles north-east, and this
place was abandoned.

The little clearing had well-nigh grown up
again, and with the exception of the lake in front
we were surrounded with dense forests. The
surrounding country was altogether more like
my native land than any other spot I had seen
in the North- West. The lake was approximately
some five by eighteen miles in size, and full of
fish — too full of the whitefish for these to be of
good quality. But just now we could not teat
them, as the ice was in such condition that it w^as
not safe to attempt to S'et a net under it. There
was nothing to do but to wait until it melted
before attempting any fishing.

Our first work was to put up a house. Humble
though it might be, we hoped to make it better
than the " smoking skin lodge." As we had
most of the logs on the ground, we were not long
in raising the shanty. It was another thing,

54 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AXl) PllAlRlK.

liowever, to whip-saw the hiinbor for floorin<:^,
etc. Tlie building of the cliimney, too, was
altogether a new experience to ine ; and when I
had built tliis to the proper height, I was terribly
disgusted to have it smoke worse than the lodge
did. But I soon saw my mistake, and pulling
the greater portion down began anew on a dif-
ferent plan, which proved a great success.

One morning bright and early Providence
sent us a deer. Paul took his gun and went
towards the lake to get, as I thought, a shot at
some ducks. But it was a deer he had seen, and
soon he had it secured, for which we were very
thankful, as our stock of fresh meat was now
low. But what is the meat of a small deer to
the eating capacity of five healthy people —
especially those nf our party who were now
fairly over the epidemic ? When you are on the
one diet, and that wild meat, the consumption
thereof is rather startling. In the meantime the
ice melted, and we made a raft, set a net and
caught some poor whitefish. We caught plenty of
pike and suckers, too, and to ourselves and dogs
these were a wholesome change.

The first Indians to come to us were some
pagans, having with them two genuine old con-
jurers, whose drums and rattles and medicine
songs were thum-thumming and yah-yahing
almost all the time they stayed with us. As

PATHFTNDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

some of tlie older members of tliis camp, and
nearly all the youn<,^er ones, came to our services,
which we held every evenin*^ and three times on
Sunday, these " high priests of this old faith "
renewed their efforts, if one might judge by the
noise they made ; but do what they would they
could not keep their young people from our
meetings. After a time a larger camp came to
us, nearly all of wdiom were Mountain Stonies
and ^TT ,Uy Christian or semi-Christian in adher-
ence, and our gatherings became very much more
interesting. But as all of these people had the
measles or were convalescing from the epidemic,
and had lost many friends because of the fearful
mortality which this caused, we were hard
worked in attendino- to the sick and in comfort-
ing the bereaved. As to the former. Providence
smiled upon us, and all of our patients, young
and old, recovered, which helped us in our first
acquaintance and gave us the beginning of an
influence which grew with the years.

Here I first met many who became my warm
friends and bosom companions around many a
camp-fire and on many a hunting field, when
danger and darkness and hunger and storm
alternated with peace and sunlight and plenty
and calm. Here was great big Adam, who from
being a first-class Pharisee, with demeanor a
voicing of " Lord, I thank Thee," etc., became.

56 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND I'KAIUIK.

througli the iiistruinontality of a liyinn T taught
him to Hiii<^, luiiiiblcd and penitent, and sou^dit
forgivenesK and lit^lit. He found it ; and oh, how
clianged he became ! And tliere was his son
Jacob, one of the grandest men I liave known,
for whom both nature and grace liad done great
things. When J first saw him lie was recover-
ing from tlie prevailing scourge. A noble fellow
he was in form and feature. He had a big record
as a moose-hunter, and was famed as a long dis-
tance runner. As he spoke both Stony and Ci'ce
fluently, I very soon saw he was a man to be
cultivated and made useful for God and country.

Then there was " Little Beaver," a Southern
Mountain Stony, who very soon let me know
that while he was glad to see me, he could never
make up his mind to live down here in the
woods and lowlands, but was always sighing for
the mountains and foot-hills of his own section
of the country, and who by his desci'iptions made
me wish to start west with him and view for
myself the land he loved. Another genuine
character was " Has-no-hole-in-his-ear," an old
man with a large family of boys who became my
allies and faithful friends. The father was an
ardent Christian in his way, and thoroughly
loyal to the new Mission and the young mis-
sionary.

Later there came in a camp of Crees, amongst

li i

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

whom was Samson, then in his prime as a hunter,
and who afterwards became thi; successor of
Maskepetoon as cliief of tlie wood Crees. Sam-
son and I soon found that we were congenial
spirits, and our warm friendship continues to
this day. Tliere was also Paul Chian, a French
mixed blood, who had j^rown up amongst the
Indians, and was one of them in everything
hut appearance. He had been a noted gambler
and warrior, and the blood of men was on liis
hands: but he had found that the blood of
Christ is efficacious to the cleansing from sin,
and he became a splendid character, a solid
man, a class leader and a local preacher,
always in his place, and a " genuine stand-by."
And there were many good women in tliese
camps who became our staunch friends, and in
whose lodges we received true hospitality and
many real evidences of a solid appreciation of
our w^ork and message.

These various people came and w^ent at short
intervals. I suppose during our stay at Pigeon
Lake for about two months that spring of 18G5
no camp of Indians remained longer than two
weeks at a time. Until I provided them with
nets they had none. Indeed, some of the plain
and wood Indians did not know how to set a net,
much less how to make or mend one. To pro-
vide twdne and teach them to make nets was an

•f

08 i'athf:ndixo on plain and PUAniiE.

undertaking;' that took time tc ac'conipli.sli. Then
to live in one place very lon<]j was a har(lHl>ip in
itseir to theHC nomads of wood and plain, while
to live on H.sh alone would be i'<>olish to them ho
]im<j; as buffalo were cm the ])lains or moose and
elk in the woods. No matter as to tiiiK^ in the;
ol»tainin(jj ot* these animals. Tlu^ days and
months mi^^ht come and m) — these men did not
vjdae time; that ap[)r('ciation is an e.'olution
belonging to a permanent or settled life.

PATHFlNOIKG ON PI.AIK AND IMIAIIU?:. 59

CHAPTER VT.

Wo aro visited l)y a band «>f 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 durin<x
the second night they stole out of our lodge, took
a bunch of the Stonies' horses and put for home.
Awakened by their retreating footsteps, I roused
Paul and we struck a light and found our guests
were gone. Then we ran down to the path lead-
ing eastward, and lighting some matches found
the tracks of the horses. Immediately we aroused
the Stonies, and presently one after another of
these started on foot after the thieves. Fortu-
nately for the Crees most of these men were
still weak from disease and not at all up to tlieir

00 PATIIKI\I>IN(} ()\ 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 an<l policy dic-
tated tliat I shoidd stay ait the camp.

Knovvin^^ tlic road for tlic fii'st thirty milcH aa
we did, wv know that tlic footmen had the best
of it, and it was just a (pjcstion of how nmcli
start tlie men with tlie liorscH liad. It was a
time of <^reat anxiety to me because of our bav-
in*^ slieltered these treaclierous thieves. And the
njore I worried over tlie matter the more I felt
tliat tlie oiuis of blame would be phiced upon me.
Thus the lon<^ hours passed away until about
noon, when nomc youn^ Stoniea came back
thoroughly played out and discouraf^ed and
sullen. Then others began to come in, also ex-
hausted. Measles and scarlet-fever had taken
the wind and nuiscle from them, or else it would
have been child's play, they felt sure, to catch up
to those horses on that miry brushy trail, where
they could go only single file.

In the meantime all of the stock had been
hunted up, and when they found that twelve of
the best horses in the Stony camp were stolen,
there w\as lamentation on the part of the women
and children. Only my new friend Jacob and
Little William were still away of the whole
number that started in pursuit last night.

rATIIFfXDINCJ ON IM-AIN AND PRAIIUK.

)le

it.

TIhto woro fivo Crocs in the party tlmt lia<l
visiti'tl UH, and tlirro "my have been more wlx)
(lid not coiiui into our camp. Many anxious
j)('o))l(' ^^atlicrcd around our lod<^(3 that ai'tur-
iiodii, but I tliink I myself I'elt most anxiety.
Presently, tliou^h, out of tlie thick woods to tlio
cast of our small clcarin<( Jac(jb rodt^ in si^lit,
astride of the bi<^ white mare which was as tlio
apple of old Adam's eye. And beliind him one
after another trotted the rest of the hoi'ses, one,
two, three, and we counted carefully until Little
William came in view on tlie twelfth. Ninc-
tenths Indian as I was, I gave way to the one-
tiiith wliite man in me and clieered. All were
rejoiced except some of the wilder younji^ men,
who would have delighted in slaying those
('rees.

Jacob told n>e 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

62 PATliFINDxNG ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

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-
<lay we travelled with the Indians that day,
holding services morning and evening, and then
spent Sunday with them,greatly to their delight.

It was a beautiful valley that we were camped
in. The newness and beauty of the young sum-
mer were richly apparent on every hand. The
people were eager and hungry for the Word

2' r^

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 65

und

the

ht'ii
;lit.
pcd
iin-
rhe
lord

of God, and there seemed to come a hallowing
hlcHsedness upon the day's experiences, making;
such an impression on my own mind that this
has remained with me as a pleasant meniory all
through the years. Several were married accord-
ing to Christian rites. Quite a number were
baptized and many souls quickened, and with
thankful hearts we rolled into our blankets
that Sabbath night and slept tlie sleep of the
weary. Another service Monday morning, then
a general handshake, and we started for our
return journey, this time by another route,
making as straight as we could to the place
appointed as our rendezvous with my party.

The first day out, as I was leading the way, a
huge buffalo bull sprang suddenly from some
" bush " close to me, and quite startled both my
horse and myself. Then I saw him, and as he
took across an open stretch, I carefully threw in
a ball on the top of the shot in my gun (for we
had been shooting ducks that morning), and
dashed after the brute. " Scarred Thigh "
seemed to think that this was now his turn to
be the pursuer, and very soon carried me up to the
big fellow. I blazed away at him, and saw I
liad hit him in a good place ; but as he did not
stop at once, I threw in a charge of powder, put
a ball on top of it, fixed on a cap, and was going
to fire at him again, when in grasping the gun I

< I

G6 PATHFINDING OX PLAIN AND PIlAIllIE.

felt a big rent down the barrel ! Looking at it
I saw that it was burst badly, and that I had
great reason to be thankful that my hand was
not hurt. But one does not at such a time think
so much about v. hat might have been as about
what has actually occurred. H(»re was my gun
burst, and though it was oi-iginally only an old
flint-lock, and pot metal at that, still I mourned
over its loss. But the bull was mortally hit, and
soon tumbled ovei*. We cut up the carcase,
packed the greater part of the meat, and reached
our friends the second day from the Indian camp.
Then all moved on together down the countiy,
keeping on the so\ith side, scouting across the
rotids leading into Edmonton, and coming out on
the Saskatchewan at Victoria.

We swam our stock, crossed our passengers and
stuff in a small skiff* and found mother and the
children with Larsen, the carj^enter, holding the
fort. The Indians had gone out on the plains,
and father was off' on the long trail to Red
R ' or Fort Garry for supplies, also trusting to
me , at that point with my brother David and
H.Jotir Eliza, wliom we had left in Ontario in 1800.

The large camp of Indians, and the fearful
amount of sickness and death, had wearied
mother and the rest of our Mission party, so
that our coming brought them a glad respite
from the constant worry and excitenient of

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 67

liaving as close neighbors a people who were as
excitable as these, and who were still in the con-
<lition 01 active war with the other tribes. Sev-
eral war parties had arrived during our absence
bringing in scalps and horses and also the tidings
of the death of some of their companions. Tliese
occurrences would cause a furor of intense
excitement in the large camp, and lamentatiohs
and scalp-dances resounded ail around the Mis-
sion house. Moreover, to help the sick and
sometimes to pacify the unruly had drained tlio
resources of our storehouse and larder, until I
found mother and family with very little pro-
visions. At the time we arrived they were
making meal after meal on wild duck eggs.
Mother had neither tea nor coffee, the sugar was
all gone, and she was obliged to fare as the
children did, on water and milk. Neither bread
nor vegetables were forthcoming. But the heroic
woman was thankful for life, and did not seem
to mind the lack of even the simplest luxuries.
The little church was finished, and Larsen was
getting on well with the interior of the Mission
house and the necessary furniture belonging
to it.

It is perhaps hard for people who have always
had the opportunity of buying factory-made
furniture to understand how tedious the hand-
making of such is from the tree right to the

(j8 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

finish, iiiv], after all, your articles of furniture
erude and Konietinics very awkward in appear-
ance. Larsen was a Norwe^nan, and he gave us
tlie style of his native land in his hand-niado
i'urniture.

PATHFINDINO ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

CHAPTER VII.

T tnavcl witli M.iskopetooii's camp — Kllocta of environ-
ment on tlio Tndiiina — N.ituro's t^r.-indiMir iuul he.iuty
— DogrudHtion through paganism The noble Chief
Maskepetoon — Indian Cduncils— On the fringe of the
butiuh) herds — Indian boy lost — A false conjurer —
The lad recovered.

Maskepetoon's camp had now been gone about
two weeks, and my instructions were to accoiri-
pany this camp for part of tlie summer in
its movements, and to do what I could towards
the Christianizing of the people. Accordingly,
taking Paul with me, and leaving our wives and
Oliver with mother, we started for the big camp.
We took two oxen and carts and several horses,
as father had made arrangements with Muddy
Bull to make dried provisions for home use.
Our course was down the valley of the Vermil-
ion, and then out through the hilly country
that runs by Birch Lake to Battle River.

We killed several moulting geese as we
travelled, and enjoyed them as food. On our
fourth day out we came up to the camp, and
turning the oxen and carts over to Muddy Bull,
we domiciled ourselves in his lodge, and at once
became part of this moving town. My work

70 PATHFINDINO ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

was all around me. Hero was paganism
intenHoly conservativo, the outcome of many
centuries of tradition. And here were its high
priests, and tiie novitiate following which
thronged after them, seeming to me as " the
blind leading t le Minder," if this were possible ;
thi; whcie C;' isi:ig a devolution which was
lowering tS" !;\nge of thought and life and
ideal, and ad the ' hile producing a profundity
of ignorance as to things moral and spiritual
which in turn, as a logical sequence, affected the
pljysical and material life of this people.

Doubtless environment has a great deal to do
with the formation of character and being, but
in the environment of these men, outside of
buffalo and tribal connnunism, I failed to find
anything that might be thought degenerating in
its tendencies. The great herds of buttalo as
abused by man were hurtful to himself, and
therefore in the fulness of time the Great Father,
in the interests of His children, wiped them from
the face of the earth. Tribal communism has
always been hurtful to individuality, and with-
out this no race of men can progress. But
apart from these factors in the life of this
people, the rest of their environment was, in
my judgment, of the nature and kind to help
them, and to give them large, broad and fine
views of life and all things. Why, then, this

PATIfFINDIXO ON PLAIN' AND PRAIRIE. 71

ut
lis
in

ne
His

dcf^radation witnes.sod on every hand ? Tliis
intense .supei'stition and ignorance, to my mind,
is all due to the t'aitli and reli^^ion ot* tliis people.
Their faith is a dead one ; no wonder they are
dead in trespasses and sins. We believe we are
now comin^; to them with a livin<^ faith, but
even then we reijuire infinite patience. The
change will come, no doubt, but when ? O
Lord, Thou alone knowest when.

To come back to environment. So fft;; f:tM
nature's realm affected the sojourners i; thin
part of the valley of the Saskatchewa ; t). ^se
should be among the best of men. BetitUty
and wealth and power and a mighty rpose
are apparent on every hand. These liundreds
of miles of territory, these millions of acres of
rich grass and richer soil, these hundreds of days
of glorious sunshine in every year, these count-
less millions of cubic feet of healthful atmos-
phere, surcharged with ozone so that one ever
and anon feels like " taking the wings of the
morning " — what a splendid heritag(^ !

Look at this delightful spot where we are
encamped for the day. It is now nearing the
midsmniner, and the hills and valleys are
clothed in the richest verdure. Take note of
these hills and valleys. Beiiold the shapeliness
of yonder range of hills, and the sweep of this
vale at your feet. See the exquisite carvings

72 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PHAIIUE.

of iliis ascent, and tlie l)eautirul roundino- of
tluit sununit. Drink in tlio wonderful synniietry
displayed in ])lantin<,^ those islands of timber.
Beliold as yon fleecy cloud conies between tlie
sun and the scene of sylvan beauty, how the
whole is hallowed and mellowed by the shading
of liirht ! Think of the corrosions of ice and tlie
cleansin<^s of flood necessary to create such a
variety of hill and dale as this. Ponder over
the ages of later development, and calculate the
layers of vegetable matter needed to make this
wealthy soil and produce this infinite variety of
flora and herb and forest and grass. Now to
my mind all this is exceedingly helpful, and
every time I look upon such environment I am
made a better and stronger man. Then why not
all men be thus helped and made better ? All ?
— there it is, our faiths are not alike. Even a
wrong faith is mighty to the pulling down of
" strongholds," and man under such influences
descends.

But even here there are exceptions, and en-
vironment has its way in a meaf ure. Amongst
these men and women you will come across
those who are big and broad and giand and
noble. Blessed be the Lord for this ! And one
of these latter even now is calling to me and
speaking in broken English, " John Mak-e-doo-
gal-un, come here now," with big emphasis on

PATHFIXDINO ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 73

tlie "now," and I ivadily vvc()<f\\\'/.o the voice
an<l valk over to tlie lodge ol* tlie old Chief
Maskepetoon.

" So you hav(! come, John ? I asked your
lather to let you eonic with my camp for a few
weeks. There is plenty i'or you to do, my boy.
Hut I called you just now, as my tent is empty,
to tell you that I am sorry and ashamed that my
son was with those young rascals who tried to
steal horses from the Stonies at Pigeon Lake.

" I told him that under the circumstances I
could not have done anything if he and his
party had heen killed : that he must remember
that all men were now my friends, and espe-
cially all missionaries, and if I ever fought agaiii
it would be on the side of the missionary. That
he should have gone from your lodge to steal
the horses of your people made me much
ashamed and sorry in my heart. I told your
father about it, and he said the young men were
foolish to act in that way towards you — that
you were the Indians' friend ; and I believe
that, and I want you to work hard, and will
pray the Great Spirit to 1 elp you to gain a
power over young men."

I thanked the old Chief for his confidence, and
told him I should always expect his advice and
help in my work. Then I gave him my news,
and he told me what the camp's movements

74 IV\TIM"I\I)IN'(; ON n„MN AND IMIAIUIK.

NViTc ((> 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'<l of
luifljdo; and TurtlKM' int'ornuMl nic tliat th<' jx'acc
was ctlcctually ln'okcn on l)o(h sides, and \\r
nu«;ht (»xp«'('t nioriM)!' loss trouhh^ all suiniucr.

1 sat and chattiMJ with the CWwi' au<l had sup
JKM* in his lo(l<jf(\ and then a,rran;;;«'d i'or an even-
ing sorviec in the open camp, 'rhcsc services
elicitetl much interest. Paul, who was a ^^ood
sintj^er and a tine younjj^ fellow, would take liis
stand by my side. Then as we sanj:^ the people
j;athered,and oui* service would l)e«j;in. 1 would
take advantajjje of our su»*roundin«:fs or the
occurrences of the day in the selection of my
subject, and then call upon our old Chief or some
one of our native Christians to lead in prayei\

In the meantime wai'riors and hunters on
horseback and on foot an<l curious women and
children with " tattooed " and painted faces
would come around and watcli and listen, but
with native courtesy keep silence and act
orderly and seem interested.

Thus day after day we publich' proclaimed

f',\'niriNI»l\<J UN I'l.AIN AND IMtMUli:. 75

tlir (i(»s|)<l Mini t«»Jicliin;^«»r llw Mnslfi- iM'<Mn<liMj^
to (Mil' ultilily, Tor I was l»ut. n <'liiM in tlifsr
l,liiii;;H inyHcir ; ami yet Mic lionl i|i<i not «l('.s|»i,st'
(licHiiyor MiiiM.ll lH';^nniiiii;^rs, Imt McsHcd lis junl
imi" work. Wliilr diirin;;' llic wcrk conjiiriiii^
and <raiid>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 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 liHt<!ned to ar;4U!nent
and oratory, and belicdd gt^nuinf; f^esticulation,
natural and true;. Sometimes the Chief would
ask nic to t(dl about white men and how thoy
conducted] niatters. I would respond with a
short ad<lri^HH on government and niunicij)al
organizat, >n, 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 <fcmo to school, he has
listened for years to that wise man his father"
Then at the closin;^ up of these council gather-
int^s Maskepetoon would j^ive judgment on
what had been said, either approving or con-
denniing, and settle the matter in discussion in
his own way, when tlie Council would break uj)
for the time.

Day after day we moved slowly out on the
plains, the prairie openintijs gi-owing larger. All
this time strict guard was kept, and the cam[)
travelled, when the country wouM permit of
it, in several parallel lines of march. At night
scouts were sent out in eveiy direction, and all
of the horses either tethered or hobbled up close
within the circle of tents.

On every hand were scenes which acted as
stimulators in the exercise of care to most of the
inhabitants of our r^.ovinof village. Here had
been a fight. Yonder some on(; would point out
where many had been killed. ** This is where
the camp was when we brought in so many
scalps and horses ; " and as I listened to these
people I could in a measure begin to realize how
exceedingly romantic their lives had been, and
how constantly the excitement of tribal war had
followed them.

One evening we were startled by the wail of a
mother. Her eight-j^'ear-old son was missing.

PATHFINDING ON pr.AIN AND PRAIRIE. 77

Tlic camp was searched and the hoy not found.
For two ni<;lits and a (hiy we remained in the
one place and made dili<^ent search; but as we
were now in the frin^inos of the large herds of
huflalo, and the whole country was tracked up,
it was impossible to find any trace of the lad.

One old conjurer drummed all night, and said
that the boy was killed, locating the place of
his death in a little valley near the line of our
march the day the boy was missed. He was so
particular in his description of the place and as
to the n)anner in which the Blackfeet had way-
laid the boy, that <nany thought the old con-
jurer was telling the truth, and quite a number
went with the " Medicine Man " to the spot he
had so vividly described. But while they found
tiie spot just as he had indicated, there were no
traces of the lost boy, nor yet any signs of the
enemy. Nee<lless to say, the party came back
very nuich disgusted with theii* " false prophet."

Another " sight-seer " went into his myste-
rious lodge, and when he came out he said the
l)oy was alive, that he had passed to the east of
our course, and gone on until he was bewildered,
and continuing his wanderings he was found by
Indians from another camp which was now
coming up country from the east to intereept
us. This was more comforting, but who could
vouch for its truth ? Nevertheless this did

78 PATIIFIN1)IN'(J OX ri.AIX AND PKAIRIE.

prove true, for some throe or four days later,
after we liad encampiMl for the day, some
stran<;('rs wore seen .-ipproacliiii^, and wlieii tliey
were formal ly seated, and each had taken a few
whifls of the l)i<;' pipe, one of them deigned to
open his lips and tell us that a stran^^e boy had
been found and was now in their camp; that at
first he was quite out of his head, but after a
day or two came to himself, and told them where
he came from, and the place to which our camp
was heading, and thus they had intercepted us.
These couriers also told us of several other
camps which were coming up to join ours for
the Thirst Danee Fi\stival. The poor mother
was overjoyed to hear of her boy's safety, and
our whole camp rejoiced with her.

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PllAlllIE. 79

CHAPTER VIII.

The "Thirst. Diinco"—*' Tobacco ino.ssa,%a!S "— The hrad
conjurer — *' I)}incin<^ lod^os" — Tlio reiulo/ATjus -
Tlio " idol truu "- Moetini; of the head conjiner
and tlie chief of the warrioi's — An anxious moment
- — liuilding the " tejuple " Self-t<»rture, dancinjjj and
H/icritices— The festival conchuled — Romantic situa-
tion for our camp.

Wk now were drawin;]^ close to tlie spot wliieh
luul been indicjited by the chief pric^st ol' the
season as a desirable place for the annual reli<^-
ioiis festival. Couriers came and went from the
several camps. The excitement intensified, and
our camp was all astir in anticipation of meetint^
with the multitudes who, like us, were makinjnr
for this conniion ground of a])pointinent. I will
lu're give my readers a brief description o£ this
;'reat festival, known as

THE THIRST DANCE.

This reli«,n(nis gathering has been for ages an
annual occurrence. It is an occasion for the
fultilment of vows, and an opportunity for the
more religious of this pagan people to make
sacrifices and to endure st^'lf-inHicted torture

iifsameau^Mi

80 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

and liardship in meetin<]j the requirements of
tlie traditional faith of their fathers.

As the season for this approaclied some Icadino'
men s(^nt " tobacco messa<ijes " to different camps
near and far, intnnatin<;f that the time had come
for tlie annual festival, and suf^gesting the most
desirable locality. This latter was detennined
largely by the proximity of buffalo and the
c(mditions of tribal war.

These tobaeco messages were carefully worded
and wrappecl in the presence of trusty couriers,
who would make all haste in reaching their
several destinations, often travelling night and
day, and generally on foot. When they reached
the camps to which they were sent their message
was received with solenni diii'nity and themselves
treated with hospitable respect.

Then in (piiet council the tobacco was un-
wrapped and the proposition discussed. If as-
sented to the tobacco was smoked and the head
man commissioned to send a return message sig-
nifying assent and willingness to come to the
appointed place. And now from long distances
these camps would move steadily towards the
location indicated. The big meeting, the rites to
be observed, the blessings that would ensue, the
character and prestige and the temporal and
suP/f^rnatural ability of those loaders expected to
attend to all these things, were the constant

PATHFIXniNG ON PLAIN AM) PUAIllIE. 81

topics of conversation of all these converging
camps.

The conjurer rehearsed his medicine hymns,
sorted over his medicine ha<^, fixed his rattles aiMi
bells, and retouched his (ghastly costume. The
warrior went over in memory his bravest deeds
and most notable exploits, and carefully arran<;ed
his war dress, mending here and fixing there, and
generally burnishing up for this grand chance for
glorious display. And the women and l)elles of
the camp, notwithstanding all the work of con-
stant moving and making extra provisions to be
used during the festival, missed no opportunity
to make ready their finery for special use on
this great occasion, though all they might have
Wv)uld be contained in a small bajx made of calf-
skin, and would consist mainly of beaded leg-
gings and shoulder straps and a much-brassed
leathern girdle.

In the meantime the oriijinator of this -on-
eentrativc movement was having a hard ti e of
it. The responsibility of the whole ga! ling
lested heavily upon him, and to prepare 1 mself
lor his duties he fasted and thirsted, ' ft liis
home and camp, and stayed nights and d. , .-. alone
in cold and wet with little or no coverinnr for his
naked body. He petitioned and prayed tn "the
Spirits," and seemed to connnun(* with them.
Jle grew wan and wasted physically ; but he
6

82 PATHFIXDTXr, ON TLATN AST) PRAIRIE.

? f

developed spiritually, and there seemed to come
to his very appearance that which was super-
natural. As the time drew near this intensified.
There was a weird mystery about this man,
which was felt throu<j;h all the camp.

The conjurers prepared their medicines, and
night and morning before camp moved the drums
beat furiously, " dancing lodges " were erected at
every encampment, and the four orders of dancers
took their turns. The " wood partridges," the
" prairie chickens," " medicine rattlers," and tlie
" kid foxes," each in turn to vocal and drum
nmsic went through their evolutions of move-
ment. Sacrifices were got ready and consecrated,
and amidst night and day alarms from the enemy,
and till tlie necessary huntin;; for the mainten-
ance of these camps, this work of preparation
went on fox days and sometimes ^veeks. And
now the chosen spot is reached, whicli is accom-
plished almost at the same time, for the scouts
and couriers have kept the different camps in
touch, and the movement of each has been
governed for the purpose of reaching the rendez-
vous about the same day. But this strange
crowd is gathered for a specific purpose, and no
time is lost. The conjurers and medicine-men
convene in one part of the camp, the warriors
in another ; and while the priests and iucdicine-
mcn intensify their petitions and incantations,

* .-.—I

PATIlFIN])IX(i OX PLAIN AND Til A HUE.

the warriors (;o out to scout tlie country and
Hcarcli tor a suitable tree to be used as tlie centre
or " idol tree."

A sharp watch is kept for tin; f*couts, and when
these are seen returnin<; to camp the medicine-
men form in procession witli their chief (/>?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

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<l th«^
complete circle, and the air rin^^s with joyous
acclamations. The feast »s to take place, an<l
the time is now.

This beinf^ settled the warriors parade around
the camp in full revi(!W. Otliers ^o and cut
down the " idol tree," and now the warriors
break ranks, and dashin*^ into the camp open
the lodges and take from them the youn^ women
of the camp and hurry these ah^ng with them to
haul home the idol tree. Many lon<^ lines are
fastened to this tree, and the women on foot and
the warriors on horseback take hold of these

86 PATIIFINDINO 01^ PI.ALV'aND PUAIHIF!.

lilies and pull together, and thus procu'ed homo-
ward. OtherH net as driverH and Hhout and tiiv
(jtt' their ^uns to ur^u on tht^ men and women.
As the camp is neare<l innnense crowds of tlie
old and infirm and of women and children join in
the march, and thus the idol tree is brought to
the spot where the temple is to stand.

Meanwhile others are cuttinjr and haulin*^
home the posts and pillars and beams rcijuired
for the "big lodge." Not a nail or pin is used
in this structure. Each joint and splice is firndy
secured with green hide, which as it dries be-
comes very tight and strong. All work with
alacrity. Everything about the erection of the
t(;mple is done on the principle that " the king's
business requires haste."

When the idol tree is raised in place the con-
jurers make a special effort with medicine-rattles
and religious singing. Some make the " nest "
in the idol tree, or, as it might be called, the
sacrificial table, and fasten in and on this the
sacrifices which had been purchased long before
at the trading-posts for this purpose. All the
timbers in place, the whole is covered with the
lodges of the principal men of the camp, it being
thought an honor to have these used in this way.
And now the high priest approaches. He has a
big buflfalo head mask, both himself and the head
well covered with earth. Stepping slowly, and

PATIIFIXDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 87

Arailint^ as he walks, lie onters tlie tciuplo.
Iminodiately on his entrance is made tlie inner
circle for tliosc who have vows and will dance
throufjh the loiif^ hours. Then a spot in the
temple is selected for the drunnners and singers,
and these come in turns, so that the choir is con-
tinuous day and night during the festival. Fire
is placed in four places, and on these tires are put
sweet smelling herbs, which as they burn create
incense. Then the high priest takes a \vhole
parchment and speaks to the (Ireat Spirit, and
to all the lesser powers ; then swings the parch-
ment four times, while all the dancers blow their
horn whistles. The high priest now throws the
parchment into the centre, all the drujnmers and
sing(Ts start up, ami the entire company join in
the chorus. In the inner circle, and innnediately
around the " idol tree," the real dancers who are
to undei-go torture are arranging themselves.

Some of these attach long lines to tlie ** idol
tree," and then passing the end through the
muscles of their arms thus dance and swing
around the circle. Others hang guns to the
tendons of their back, and dance with these
swinging and jerking about them. Others go
from out the camp, and finding a bull's skull
with horns attached, pass a line through the
eyelets, and then hitch themselves to the other
end of the line through the tendons of the back,

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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 to<i^etlK!r.
Neither Maskepetoon nor myself took part.
When each guest was served an old medicine-
man began to chant in an unknown tongue,
accompanying himself by swinging his rattles.
By and by all who were to partake joined in the
song of bl(;ssing. This over, each one drew his
big bowl to him and at a signal put both hands
into the hot soup, and feeling all through it for
chunks of meat, pulled these to pieces and then
began to cram the contents of the dish down his
throat. While doing this, each one made a noise
like the growling of a wolf. And now the race
was fast and furious as to who should soonest
swallow all that was given to him. The growd-
ing and snarling and gulping was terrible, and
I was glad when it was over and one and another
turned his wooden dish over. I had seen a wolf
feast, but, as I told my friend the old Chief, I
did not wish to see another. It was almost as
nauseating as a drunken carousal amongst the
cultured white men in the east ! I noticed that
it was only a certain class of these pagan men
who thus brutalized themselves — that even in
those early days the larger percentage of the
Indians held aloof from such beastly orgies.

92 PATHFF\I)I\(J OX IM.AIN AXD PKATKIE.

Muddy Bull, mine host, hiuglied wlien I told
liim what I had seen, and said that only a few
of his people ever thus diso'raced themselves.

While the camp was all excitement in pre-
paration for the annual festival, word was
th'ought in that the buffalo had trone into the
nortii between us and the Mission. This made
it possible for war parties to ^o north also ; and
from what I heard in camp I began to be anxious
about our folk at home. Finally I conferred with
^Maskepetoon and he said that it might be better
for me to go in to the Mission. So I left the
oxen and carts with Muddy Bull, held an even-
ing service with our people, and then as dark-
ness was coming on one night Paul and I left
the large camp and took our course northward.

We went out in the dark because signs of the
enemy had been noted, and as our party was
small we did not want to be seen b}'- those hostile
to us. Steadily and in silence we rode, taking
a straight course for Victoria. Some time after
midnight we stopped on a hill to rest our horses.
We had one horse packed with dried provisions,
stored in two large saddle-bags, and unpacking
and unsaddling I tied the end of the lariat which
was on my horse's neck to these saddle-bags, and
with my gun at hand stretched myself beside
them, while our horses fed around us. The
night was very cloudy and dark, and both Paul

PATHFINDIXG OX PLAIN AND PllAIltlE. 03

and I dozed. Suddcuily our horses stampeded
and nia<le back towards the camp. Seizing our
^uiis we ran after them, but when we could not
liear the sound of their lioofs any lonj^er we sat
down and waited for dayli^lit. Wliether it was
hostiles or wolves or buffalo which had stam-
peded our horses we could not tell ; there was
nothing to do but wait for daylight, and be
ready for anything that might turn up in the
meantime. So we sat in silence and in profound
darkness, for the clouds had thickened. Soon
the rain came down, and in a very short time
we were completely drenched. Several times
there were noises near us, but these came from
buffalo who were on the move past. After what
appeared an interminable time, morning broke
dark and cloudy, and we began a search for our
horses.

As the day grew lighter we found that great
herds of b iffalo had passed through the country,
and it seemed as if every inch of ground was
tracked up. The grass was cropped close, and
for hours we walked to and fro, never far from
where the last sound of our flying steeds had
come. At last I caught sight of a buffalo chip
which had been broken by something dragging
over it, and then I found another, and concluded
that my horse was dragging the saddle-bags be-
hind him in his flight.

94 PATHFINDINCi ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

f '

It '

I signalled to Paul, an<I ho, after examinin<T
this clue, came to the same conclusion, and
slowly we followed this our only sign. Slowly
from one buffalo chip to anotlier we travelled,
and when baffled one would stay with the last
trace and the other go on and look for another,
and finding this we continued our anxious search
until about noon, when we came upon all but
one of our horses. As my saddle-horse was still
fast to the saddle-bags, the first thing we did
was to take out some dried meat to appease our
ravenous appetites. Then we retraced our way
to the place we had stayed during the night.
Finding our outfit intact, we saddled up and
continued our journey, hoping that the one stray
horse would be found later by some friendly
hunters. This actually did take place, for some
months later I found the horse at Edmonton,
to which place he had been brought by some
French half-breeds who had recognized him.

Now once more we were on our journey north.
During the afternoon I had a revelation given
me as to the number and nomadic character
of the buffalo. I had by this time spent three
years on the plains in the buffalo country, had
seen great herds of these wild cattle, and thought
I knew something about them. My food had
consisted almost altogether of their meat. My
bed, travelling or at home, was over and under

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1 .THFINDING ON PLAIN AND I'llAIIllE. 95

ilioir robes. But tliat afternoon, na we .steadily
trotted nortliward across country, and ever and
anon broke into a canter, I saw more l)ufralo than
1 liad ever dreamed of before. The w(jods and
])lains were full of them. During the afternoon
we came to a lar^e round plain, perhai)S ten
miles across, and as I sat my liorse on the sum-
mit of a knoll lookin<,^ over this plain, it did not
seem possible to pack another Iniflalo into the
space. The whole prairie was one dense mass,
and as Paul and I rode around this large herd I
could not but feel that my ideas concerning
buffalo and the capability of this country to
sustain them were very much enlarged. 1 had
in the three years seen hundreds of thousands
of buffalo, had travelled thousands of miles over
new trails, but I had seen only a small number
of the great herds, and but a very small portion
of the great North- West. Truly these were
God's cattle upon a thousand hills, and truly
this greater Canada is an immense country.

On we jogged, early and late, watching our
horses carefully and taking extreme precaution
against surprise. Nothing, however, occurred
to disturb us, and by the evening of the third
day we were in sight of home, and could see
our loved ones moving in and out around the
Mission premises.

Crosjsing the big river we found all well and

!MI rAI'IIKINDINd ON ri.AIN AND I'UAlUli;.

<l«'li;;lil,r«l to lia\(' us liornc M;^niii. VVc liad Imcii
a\\n\' a litllc ovit a moiiMi. ami as vrt iJino
was iu» word IVoin IjiIIut or lli(« rasi, comiliN-.

•

Our isolMlioM duriu;^ Mi<»m»' early years was com
]>lrte 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,n<jjo, and the constant walcld'ul-
ness against surprise and dan;^er s(«emed to <^ive
it /est. Tlien the strugt^Ie lor food ke[)t us con-
stantlv l»usy.

One day, shoi'tly after our return, we formed
a ])arty imd made a ilyiu;i^ liorsehack visit to
till' sister iMission at W'hitelisli Ijake, and can\o
back on tlie jump; my wife and sister bein<;
oxcollont horse-women, and a sixty-mile canter
a couimon experience. In our ])arty wo luid Mr.
Ocoro;e Flett and wife. Mr. Flett at tliat time
was post-trader for the Hudson's l^ay (^()m])a.ny.
Later on lie became a successful missionary in
tlie PresbvtiM'ian Church.

Settling down for a little on our n^turn, we
went to work cutting hay. I'hose were the
days when men swuii»2j the scythe, and muscle
and wind told on the unmeasured and unfenced
hay-tields of the Saskatchewan. Hard work it
was from early morn until evening ; but we cut

I'ATIII'INIUNd ON PLAIN AND rilAlim;. I>7

nt(u*

Ml-.

/iine

imy.

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 lia<l trMfiMplnntt'd lliriiiHt'lvcs from
lh»^ vn.lif'yH of tlic llrd and Assiniltoint^ rivers to
(his of tlir SM,HlsMt(di<'Vvan. I well nriiicinlMr
lln' lirsl, Sundny Hri-\i(!(' al'lci- llh-ir ai'iival, how
ahjishol I felt in thi^ pn'sencc of Uichc jm'o[)Ic
wlio conld .s| Nii< hoMi l^iii^^lish niid ('rcr, and
sonic^ ol' vvlioin had liad .s|M(rijil a,dv!Uil)i;^('H in
(Mhicjiiion. I»nl, th(y listened attefitively to my
|ii"e;u'hin^ in the moth(^r-tonjLjne, and were
re<j^nlai' in attendane*; upon all oni* servi(r(!S.
Their })res(!nce, too, made ns \'i'it\ that we \V(!n^
stronger and more able to withstand th(! erKuny
than wo liad boon. Mjiny oi' tliesc; people made
;^ood nc^ij^ldtors, and all were kindly disposcid
to tlie Mission and its work.

In tho R(!d River country tluMr })anc had })een
the intoxicating cup. I Ten^, i'ar i'i*om tlie ti^mpta-

thev h

" circumstances.
I hoso also wore Dunalo people, and this was
anotlicr consideration k;adin^ to tlioir removal
west. Innnediately these people went to work
to put up houses in tlio valh^y to tlie east of the
Mission. T ^ave them to undeistand that the
Indians desired the lau'.! to the west. It did us
7

98 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

ixood to see these luiinble homes beiiifj erected
beside ns. Mother and wife and sisters all
rejoiced that in a measure our loneliness was past :
tliat a semi-civilization at least had come to us.
' Sometime in August we heard that father and
paity were not more than three days away, and
with grateful heart I saddled up and set forth
to meet them, which I did about fifty miles
down the trail. Father had with him my
brother David and sister Eliza. These we had
left in Ontario five years before, mere boy and
girl, but now they had grown into young man-
hood and young womanhood, and the long trip
across the plains had done them a vast amount
of good. My sister was rather astonished to
meet her eldest brother clad as he was in leather
and with long hair curling on his shoulders, but
this was the western fashion, and anything else
would have been singular at that time and amid
tliose scenes.

Within a couple of daj^s we were once more
a united family and mother's joy was full. I
was particularly pleased ^o note the manner of
both my sister and brother towards my wife.
The fact of her being a native did not in any-
wise aU'ect the kindliness of their conduct
towards her, for which I was very thankful.

TATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 99

CHAPTER X.

We return to Pigeon Lake — " Scjirrod Thigh " exchanged
for "Blackfoot" — Planting Gospel weed — We organ-
ize a buffalo hunt — A moose chase— The buffalo as a
*' path-finder " — We encounter a hostile camp — All
night on guard — My friend Mark's daring exploit —
Wood Stonies visit the Mission — Gambling, polyg-
amy and superstition among the Indians.

Now that father was home a^ain I and my party
were at liberty to start back to Pigeon Lake,
which we did under instructions to remain there
until the Indians should start out for the winter,
when we were to return to Victoria. I was very
sorry to part with Paul at this time, he having
decided to go to the plains with the colony of
half-breeds for the fall provision hunt. Also
with him I separated from " Scarred Thigh," my
horse for the last three years.

My readers in "Saddle, Sled and Snow-
shoe " will remember that I mentioned a horse
called " Blackfoot," taken in battle, and the
winner of many a long race. This horse had
come to Paul through his wife. He had been
stolen from him by those who thought that
might wp-s right, but Paul, being a plucky fel-

100 PATHFINDINQ ON PLAIN AND PRAIllIE.

low, had taken him back, and as he had more or
less trouble guarding the horse, I happened to
suggest to him one day that we might make an
exchange. He gladly accepted my offer, and
iiow instead of " Scarred Thigh " I had the
noted " Blackfoot." Nevertheless I was sorry
to see the little sorrel go. Many a glorious
gallop we had had together, and I had grown to
love the gentle fellow. But Paul was a natural
gentleman, and he also must be considered. In
the meantime Muddy Bull had come in from
the plains with our oxen and carts, the latter
loaded with fine dried provisions. Quite a large
camp also had come to the Mission, and from
these father traded more provisions. Thus we
did not start empty-handed on our return trip
to the Western Mission at the lake.

Westward we rolled with our carts, every
encampment our home for the time. Reaching
the spot where we were detained by storm and
sickness during the spring, we left the carts
and packed on through the woods to the lake,
where very soon our people began to settle down
around us. Our gardens under the continued
neglect now promised little result for the earlier
efforts ; but the fish in the lakes were exceed-
ingly plentiful, and upon these we almost
altogether subsisted. Our dried provisions we
were obliged to share with the wandering peopl©

PATHFINDING ON PIAIX AND PRAIRIE. 101

lier
id-

who came to us from the north and wt st, and
who had not been out on the plains as we had.
We held meetings twice a day on week-days,
and, I might almost say, all day Sunday. What
our ministrations lacked in quality they fully
made up in quantity. And some of those simple
services were blessed seasons where souls were
born into the kingdom of our Christ. The
conjurer might sing and drum as he would, and
the intensely conservative pagan decry us as he
pleased, our work kept growing as the weeks
passed in quick succession, one camp going and
another coming to take its place, and we putting
in our best efforts to sow the seeds of Chris-
tianity.

Presently some Mountain Stonies came to us,
men whom I had never seen before. Among
them was Mark, of whom I will have more to
say as my narrative progresses. These brought
word of buffalo near where the village of Lacombe
now is, on the line of the Calgary and Edmonton
Railway, and as my friend Jacob and his stal-
wart brothers and cousins were with us at the
time, we concluded to take a run out for meat.

Mrs. McDougall remained at the Mission with
a few of the older people, and the most of the
rest started off early one day. With these I sent
my pack-horses and necessary outfit, and with
Jacob, Mark and others I followed in the after-

102 l'ATHFINnrN(3 ON PLAIN AND rUATIUE.

noon. Our course was around tho north end of
Pi^(M)ii liuko, tluMi over tlie '* divide " to Hattl(^
Lake, and thenee down tlie J^attle River. My
companions and I \\iu\ not yet I'eaelied tiie head
of the lake, when we saw a hi<^ buck moose
]>Iun<ije into the water across tlie bay and atrik<'
out straight for a point of timb(»r which was
between us and the Mission. Tlie hu^e animal
was makin<j^ (piick time, and liis ^reat antlers
and lon^ ears were hi^h out of the water as
with stron«:j strokes he cut throu<jjh the lake.

The nature of the jj^round where we were
was such that we could make better time on
foot than with horses. Accordinj^ly we left our
mounts, and ran back a distance of about a mile
to intercept the moose. I was on the spot some
time before the next best, and as the bijr buck
was coming strai<jjlit for where I was in hiding,
I fully expected to liave the first shot ; but while
he was still more than a luniih'ed yards away,
and fairly rushin*^ thi'outjjh tlie water by tin;
force of hisswimmin<jf powx^r, and even as I stood
behind a tree admiring the noble fellow, suddenly
there came a shot from down the shore and the
moose fell ov»^r almost without a struggle, being
fairly hit just under the butt of his big antler
I jumped out on the beach, and looking in the
direction of the report saw my friend Jacob
(juietly loading his old flint-lock, a significant

PATH I' IN 1)1 N(J ()N IM.AIN AN I) IMIAIKIK. lO.'^

Kiiiile ovcrsprc.'uHn*^ his race. I HhoiitcMl to him,
' It' you (li<l take my sliot you madu a very ^o<xl
one; " to whirh hoaiiHworcMl, " It was t'liouf^h for
yon to have h^t't uh in tho race," ami tlniH wo woro
inutually a))p('as(M| and comi)h'm('iitc(l.

liut moaiiwhilu Mark had <liveHted liim.self of
his clothiiio- and was swimming out to the moo.se,
which h(i HooM tovv(!d into the sliallow water,
where we all look hoM and j)ulled the immense
carcase up the bank. While Jacob and Mark
skinned and cut liim up I went back for our
horses, l^rin^rjno tlunn up, we packed most of
the meat back to th(^ Mission, and late in tlie
cvcninjjj a^^aiin started after our party of hunters,
whom we came up with away down Battle River,
lloldin^^ an open-air service and stationing our
guards, we went to sk^ep, and with the first dawn
of day were astii* a<^ain. Ifoldin^^ a sliort morn-
ing service, we very soon were jogging down the
winding saddle-patli wliich was but the adoption
and endorsation ]>y 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^ <listan('(\ We eamjx'd
' that uiirht acnvs the narrows of wliat was called
" the lake which runs throu^rh the hills," a Ion;;
narrow body of I'rt'sh water, heavily tindu'rerl
on eviM'y side. Mere W(» I'ldt eoujparative security
IVouj the plain Imlians, for these di-ea4 the woods.
The next day wo moved on down and across
ll'ittle River, below where now our Mission is
situate,and wen^i'ortunati* in killinijjsi'veral bulls,
with which we liad to rest content and return
homewards. If the l^lackfeet had not taken
this circle into the western timber country, which
at this season was an unusual course for them,
we would have had great luck ; but their larj^e
camp etiectually drove the game from us. How-
ever, we were thaukful that there had been no
actual collision and no lives lost. As it was we
took home a little bull's meat instead of the
loads of prime cow's meat we liad hoped to
brinir to reinforce the Mission larder.

Arriving at the lake we found all well, and
noted that some more wood Stonics had come
in. These latter w^ere inveterate gamblers, and
generally pretty wild fellows. Many of them
were polygamists, and our hands were full doing

PATIIKINDINfJ i)S IM-AIN AND I'llAIHIK. 107

OW-
110

we
tlie
to

Mng

wlint/ vv(^ coiild to witliHtMrid lu'atlwMiiHtn aixl
i^^nonnicc. Tlicni vvhh iio rrst day oi* ni^dil,
wliilc tlicHc people? W(M'(' iM'sidr iih. I liad ol'teMi
to act as ju«lf(ci and arl>it<!i'. Old (piarnds,
doiiK'Htic and trihal, wv.vv. hi'oujjjht to u)(\ and
tlicHO I had to settle as best 1 could. \ also
lia<l to act as doctor an<l surj^eon, wliicli taxied
to th(! rulln t limit my small stonM^I* knowled^^e
and ox[)ei'ienc(i in this liru;. hut <.(and)l(? and
conjure and (piaiTiO as they would, nevertlushiSH
those pciopic would come; to our services and
listen with close? att(M»tion. Slowly hut surely
the seed took root ns the mon; thou^htl'ul hc^^an
to consider tin? (Jospcd messa<((\ One idea we
had jj^reat trouhle witli was that tlic^y b(?li<!ved
all sickness and d(?ath was caused by hatn^d
amongst themselves. Some one, they thou^dit,
was working bad niedicine or casting a })lig}it
or spell upon those wlio were taken sick or in
some way met with death. This would generate
a strong desire for revenge, and was a source of
constant trouble to the early missionary.

One day when I had a large crowd of these
people before me I said to them, " I have lived
amongst different peoples, and in every case
these at times have sickened and died, and
from all I can learn this has been going on for
thousands of years. These peoples expect this
to take place at some time in their experience.

108 PATHFTNDIXO ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

Everywhcro I liavo travclhMl I have soon grave-
yards, and plonty of evidence that all men in
the countries that I have been in are visited 1)V
death. But now I have come arnon<^ a people
who, ir they did not hate one another, and work
' l)ad medicines and poison on one another, would
live always — at least, that is what you think
and how you talk. You are different from all
other men. How is this ? Has the Great Spirit
treated you with partiality ? His word says,
' God is no respecter of persons.' Are you not
foolish to think and act as you do ? Come, now,
think about this, and ask the Great Spirit to
i,nve you light." So at service and in the lodge
and around the camp-fire we kept at them ; but
the implantings of centuries cannot be shaken
ofl' in one or two i^enerations.

li i&»"

PATIIFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 100

CHAPTER XI.

■\Ve return to Victoria — War parties abroad— Father's
influcnco over the Tiulians - Wo organize a l»i<^ fn^sh
meat hunt — David's first buftah> 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 furnishin<i^ us with the food
we seek, the (juality of which depends on th(^
skill of the hunter. And right here my friend
Muddy Bull comes in as a reliable guarantor that
what we take home will be first-class. On we
roll. Our only delays are breaking axles and
splitting felloes and snapping dowel-pins ; but
who cares for such trifles as these while we have
the fresh green hides of the buffalos we have
killed. The green hide serves as both wheel-
wright and blacksmith as it dries upon the weak
portion of our vehicle. And while the kettle
boils and the meat is roasting almost anyone in
our party with axe and auger and saw will put
a new axle in working trim. Ah ! those were
the days wherein to cultivate self-h<:'lp and in-
dependence. The man who was not capal)le of
this manner of evolution very soon drifted back
into the older countries.

But here is the river and we are almost home.
Fording our stock in the rapids, about half a
mile down, we unload the meat, *' pack " it over
in a skiff, and taking some qarts to pieces we

ill hA'

t»ATnFlNI)lN*a ON PLAIN AM) PUAIUIK. 117

"pack " tluMu over also in tlu^ skifV f()ruH(^ on tlie
north Hide, Icavin*; the rest until the ic(^-brn"
I'onn.s. Then when all is sale on the sta<^e at
home we feel that unless a crowd oF starving
Indians come to us, we have our larder full for
some time to come. And this was very satis-
factory to us in those days when we were so far
away from any outside help and so d(!p<'nd<;nt
on the movements of buffalo herds and C(jntend-
inv tribes of Indians.

Sometimes the buffalo were far out on tin;
^a-eat plains, and inaccessible to us; sometimes
hostile Indians intervened, so that we dai'e not
leave our people or in any way divide our
forces; but the openin(^ of the winter of ISO.')
found our stage loaded with prime meat and our
party together and in the enjoyment of many
blessings. There generally is in our northern
countiy a short period which is neither sunnner
nor winter, and if possible all travel ceases for a
time. It would not be prudent to start out with
horses, and without snow and ice dogs are of no
use. This time we made u.se of by making
ready for the winter. Buildings were to be
repaired and washed over with white mud,
which by the way is a very good substitute for
lime. Hay was to be hauled, fire-wood to be
cut in the log and hauled home, then to be
sawed and split for use. In the meantime, as

118 PATHFiNDTNO ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIK.

now there was a permanent settlement at
Victoria, and good congregations, meetings of
various character had to be organized. Chris-
tianity, temperance, education, civilization must
be inculcated, and on all these (juestions father
' was thoroughly alive. Then the snow fell and
the ice made, and with Mark as my companion
we began our evangelistic and missionary trips.
Our first was to Edmonton, and thence to
Pigeon Lake, during which time we tried to
preach the Gospel to white men and Crees and
Stonies. Even then it was becoming easier for
me to speak in Cree than in English. My brain
and voice functions were almost in constant use
in the former, and but seldom did I require them
in the language wherein I was born. Steadily I
was becoming able to give the glorious Gospel of
the Lord Jesus to others in the tongue and idiom
of the language " wherein they were born."

PATHFINDINO ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 119

CHAPTER XII.

A visit to Whitefish Lake — A devoted Indian miasionary —
Mark and I go c»ut after buftiilo — Mark proves him-
self a brilliant hunter — Our camp visited by wolves
— Muddy Bull's generosity — We reach home with
full loads of meat.

The first or breaking-in trip for both men and
dogs in the winter of 1865-66 was a three-hun-
dred-mile run, and we lost no time between
camps and posts. Although we had the roads to
break, still the snow was not deep. Upon our
return I took my wife over to Whitefish Lake
to visit her parents and people, and we spent
Sunday in Mr. Steinhauer 's parish, where I
learned more of the Cree language and acquired
a clearer insight into the religious experience
and life and language of these western people.
As I have said before I will say here again, Mr.
tSteinhauer was an ideal missionary. He gave
himself with entire devotion to his work. His
best was always to the frowt, and God blessed
his efforts. The cycles of eternity will reveal the
good this faithful servant accomplished. It was
always an inspiration to spend a few days on his
mission.

120 PATHFINDlXfi OX PLAIN AND IMIAIIUE.

S'l

Hurrying ])ack to Victoria, we iiia<le a (la.sh
out to see where the cainps were soutli and east
ol' UH, and findint^ some ot' these after a two days'
run, we held a series of meetings with them, and
shared in their sliortage of provisions, for we
found tliat the Imfialo had gone far out and theie
had been considerable liardship in consec^uence.
Moreover Blackfeet and southern Indians had
made sevei*al successful raids, in which (|uite a
number of horses had been stolen. There had
been some reciprocity indulged in, too, by the
wood and plain Crees, and these marauding
parties had effectually driven the buffalo farther
out. " But," said the old men, " cold weather is
near, and the men will stay at home, and the
buffalo will come into this north country"; a
prophecy that we heartily hoped would prove
true. We visited several camps and were cor-
dially welcomed, our message being eagerly
listened to. Many in these lodges heard for the
first time the story of redemption.

It vvas on this trip that Mark and T, desiring
to see for ourselves where the buffalo were, and
if possible secure loads of meat to take home,
started out bright and early one morning, and
following a hunting trail, travelled fast plain-
ward for the whole day. Just as night was set-
ting in we met a small hunting party, and camp-
ing with them shared their hospitality, which, as

ft' ■«

PATHFIXDIXn ON PLAIN AND PKAlllIE. 121

■ly

ing

lie,
jid
in-
et-
ip-
as

their hunt liad been a poor one, was very niea(,'re
Tare indiMMl. But even poor meat is better than
none, and as tliese Indians told us of buftido
wliieh tliey liad not disturbed because they were
discouraged with poor guns and bad shooting,
we went to sleep that night fully determined to
have a trial of our luck on the morrow. Accord-
ingly with the first peep of day we were off, and,
continuing southward, about ten o'clock came to
the edge of a large plain, away out in the centrti
of which we could see quite a herd of buffalo.
Going to the last point of timber, we tied our
do^'-s in the centre of a large bluff and started out
on the plain. The buffalo were about five miles
distant, but as we had to keep un'V^r cover
behind hills and along valleys and small gullies
— sometimes having to crawl at full length for a
considerable distance, where it was impossible to
go otherwise without being seen by the advance
scouts of the wary herd — it was late in the after-
noon when we came within four hundred yards
of the nearest buffalo. Here Mark after care-
fully scanning the lay of the land said to me,
" You had better stay here, and I will try aiid
approach alone. You can watch the movement
of the herd and follow up after I have shot "
So I shoved up a small hummock of i now before
me and quietly watched a fine sample of scout-
ing. Centuries of heredity and years of practice

122 pathfintunt; o\ plain and phairie.

wiiiv now ill full play bui'orc my eager eyes. I
was almost ravenous. Some poor meat eaten
before daylight was all I had had to appease my
hunger that day, and miles of travel in the sharp
keen frosty air to where we left our dogs, and
since then hours of running and walking and
ci'awling to this point, had contributed to give
me a tolerably keen appetite.

We wanted meat for urgent present need, and
we wanted loads of it to take home, and now the
whole matter looked exceedingly doubtful. Yon-
der were the lines of great bulls, some of them
standing and others lying down, some feeding
and others quietly chewing their cuds, but all on
the alert. Beyond these huge sentinels and sur-
rounded by them were the cows, the meat of
which was the object of our quest.

Mark had but a smooth- bore single-barrelled
flint-lock. No long distance shooting for him.
He nmst get close. He must pass through the
line of bulls. Could he do it ? That was the
question on my mind as I moved from side to
side on my frozen snowy couch. With his white
blanket belted around him, and the upper half
covering his head and shoulders, Mark was
steadily making towards the herd. Fortunately
the day was calm, so that the danger of giving
scent was small. For interminable periods, as it
seemed to me, I lost sight of my companion, and

VATHKINDINO 0\ IM.AIN' AND IMJAiniK. li2.S

then in >i totally uiu'X])('('t('<l (Hiiirter ho would
reappeai', but always ncaroi' to our ^^anu'. Now
he was ainonj^ the bulls, and 1 almost held my
breath as I saw him push bimsell' past a t^i^at
])io- fellow where a blow from hoi"! or hotjf mi^dit
he instant death to the brave hunter. Hut with
consununate skill he made his way past the bull
and was right in amonost the great black fellows
and (juite lost to sight.

])arkness was coming on fast, and the sus-
pense to me as I lay watching became almost,
unbearable. Cold, anxiety, hunger, each was
doing its work on brain and heart and stomach.
But presently I saw the whole herd start, and
there came in sight a puff of smoke, followed
by the report of Mark's first shot, and away I
went after the flying buffalo. As I ran I heard
another report, and then I came suddenly upon a
dead cow. Concluding that this was the result of
Mark's first shot, and that in good time he would
come back to this point, I set to w^ork to skin the
carcase, and was thus engaged when I hey.rd Mark
approaching. He was glad to see me, and I
delighted at his return in safety. He had killed
two cows. This one we were at was his first.
Then as the buffalo bunched up and fled he had
run to one side and, reloading, bad continued
running until the herd slowed up. He had then
drawn in under cover and shot the second cow.

-il

124 i'ATnFiNT)i\f; ns pr-.\rv an'd iMiAntrK.

1 udmiicd lii.s pluck and skill aiul s])0(mI, and
told him HO, but \w oidy (|ui(!tly roi)li('d, " 'riicsc!
cows iivo I'jit, John, iuul we will have licttcr meat
to-nii^ht than we had last ni<^ht."

We Were liOW on the southerly ed<j^o ol' the
plain, and about ei^ht miles i'roux where we
lel't our do<ifs early in the day. Alter brief
deliberation it was decided that Mark should
remain to butcher the cows and look up the
nearest camping place, while I should cross the
plains and bring ])ack our dogs.

Taking my direction, I availed myself of Imf-
ftdu trails in the snow as much as possible, ami
when I left one to cross country to another, 1
marked the spot as strongly as I could upon my
memory, and took my bearings of the place as
well as I could in the winter's darkness which
surrounded me.

In a very short time I was at the bluff and
found the dogs. Uir'''stening them I brought
my train, with old Drafi'an still in the lead, and
put them on my track, and then brought out
IVIark's train and shouted, " Marse, Draflan ! "
and away we went. Fortunately there was no
wind, and though the night was dark Draftan's
instinct and my memory as to where to cross
from one buffalo path to another worked well.
Once or twice I stopped the dogs and struck
a, match, and w^as deliphted to find we were on a

PATJIFINI)IN(i ON IM.AIN AM) I'UAIIUK. 12.')

hnnl Iniflklo path. Tluis wo came at a j;oo(l pace
l)ack to whore the first cow was. But hcforo wo
roachod tlio .spot Mai'k came looming; up out of
tlio (larkiiosH to moot us. The faitliful follow
IumI hooii anxious; and now ho thou<;ht it was
liis ttu'n to 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 lia<l found tho people and also
the buffalo. We had loads of ofood cow meat to
take home, where our supply wjis rapidly gettint^
low, and as we turned under our blankets in
that small bluff', with the canopy of the sky as
our roof and the horizon as our walls, it mi<rht
be cold, it certainly was isolated, and yet we
were happy in the satisfaction of success. I, a
Scotch-and-English-Canadian, and my Mountain
Stony friend, I believe, did that early morning
more than ever before appreciate the kindliness
of God and the brotherhood of man.

When da^'light came Mark went out to see
how tho meat of our second cow had fared, for

]2G PATHFINDINCJ OX PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

prairie wolves and coyotes were in great num-
bers around us. Mark had built a great fire
before he left, and I was lazily dozing beside it
waiting for his return, when presently there was
a great commotion amongst our dogs. Jumping
up, I saw a monster wolf just across the fire.
He was snapping and snarling at the dogs, who
were barking at him with much vigor, but pru-
dently not venturing to attack him. For this
I was abundantly glad, as undoubtedly he had
some distemper or he would not have thus come
into our camp. I could have shot him, but I
was afraid to do so lest in his death-struggles
lie might wound some of our dogs ; so I went at
him with firebrands, and after some effort was
glad to see him continue his course through the
blufi:

When Mark returned he reported that some
of the meat had been taken by the wolves, but
tliat these had come to the animal just a little
before him, and had not had time to take much.
We then hurriedly ate our breakfast and drove
over to where the meat was, took this on, and
started for home. Notwithstanding our loads
we made good time, and reached the outer camp
of Indians about 9 p.m. We found that Muddy
Bull, who had been away on the chase while we
passed, had returned and, as usual with him,
had made a great hunt. He generously supple-

1! it''

'• I went at him with firebrands." (/*a(je I i>i)

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.

128 rATIlFlNDING ON PLAIX AND PRAIRIE.

CHAPTER XIII.

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

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.

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, an<l
the great fire did something for our extremities.
But the cold was omnipresent. In great chunks,
in morsels, in atoms, it was all about us. You
could reach out and grasp it. You could shiver
in your clothes and feel it. You could almost
smell it and see it, and you could hear it plainly
enough as with might and force it strained the
very earth and made the forest monarchs crack
as if these were so many ends to its lash.

Hours before daybreak we were climbing
the hills and crossing the ice-bound creeks
and lakes, and those of us who had loads or

PATHl'INDIXr, ON PI-AT\ AND J'llAIUIK. IMl}

curioles to drive were " ruiinin^^ with patience "
(at time.s) " the race set l)efure \ih." The bride-
groom-elect beinj^ the Hhoi'teHt-lec^<4'ed of the
party, and I douht not tlie sliortest-winded also,
«ronerally brought np the rear. Even if he
started cut aliead, or in the middle of the
procession, before many miles were passed he
fell behind. The law of gravitation was doing-
its work. From the rear at frequent intervals
would come the shout to Pat (his leading dog),
" Marse ! " uttered with a strong Scotch accent.
Pat was a big white dog with a short bob-
tail. He also had a peculiar twist of the head
and a squint of the eye which gave him a wise,
knowing appearance. If he had lived in these
latter days, and become possessed of eye-glasses,
doubtless he would have been j^iven a de<rree !
The shrewd fellow seemed to know that liis
master was on an important mission, and the
dignity of leading a train the owner and driver
of which was on his way to be married, was
fully apparent to " His Dogness." His demeanor
en route and around camp was simply taking.
Pat and his master gave us endless fun on that
trip. When these would come up, which was
generally after camp was made, the Chief
Factor, the Chairman of the Hudson's Bay
Missions, and the rest of our party became all
attention, and Pat and his master were the

134 PATflFIXDIXfJ OX FLAIX AXD PIIAIUIE.

centre of joke Jind I'un. Their account of the
ni(jriiiM<^'H or afternoon'M I'uri (I say fhf.ir, for Put
would by nod and look contirni Ids nwister's
recital) was sure to *' brin^ tli«!5 house down."
We were unainniously thaidvful during- the days
and in^hts of that very cold trip for the stiniu-
latin*^ presence of Pat and our shortdinibed
l>ride<^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<m!"
On went the train, and now I came u])on tlio
scene, 'ilw hridefjrrooin-elect shouted, " Catcli
tliof^e do<,'H, John ! I say, Jolm, stop those (h)^H ! "
Laugliino- as I ran, I eauglit and pulled Pat u[),
riirhted the cariole and lield the train while the
little Celt gathered up the fraonients, which I
saw largely consisted of presents from Edmon-
ton friends to the marriage supper, now nearly
two days nearer in view than when we started.

Nicely cut roasts of beef and pork, bottles of
wine, and sundry parcels lay around in sweet
confusion. It took some time to gather them up
and pack them in place in that parchment-
sided, primitive vehicle ; and all this time his
owner was discoursing on Pat's good qualities
— " were it not for his big load he would take
the lead," etc. After a time everything was
adjusted again, and on we went, camping trhat
night among the rolling hills west of Blindman's
River.

Another " stingo " night and away long before
day. Roads heavy, snow deep, day so cloudy
and stormy that the promised view of the Rockies
failed to realize. There were some of us in the
party who hud travelled far and wide in the
North- West for from five to fifteen years, and
as yet had not seen the mountains. We were
now looking keenly for the first glimpse of them,

1*^0 PATHIINDINO ON PLAIN AND IMIAIRTE.

l)Ut tlie third nif^lit came, and still l)L'caiise of
(!loud and storm we Iwid not Ixflield tliem.

Our ramp that night was made on tlie wooded
sunnnit ol* a foot-liill. We were elimbinj^ tlie
world fast. IT it had Ix'en moonlight or clear
dayli^lit wo wonld have lookecl ui)on a .sea of
mountains, but darkness and stoi'in and smoke
were our portion instead. The smoke from our
cam])-tire found no vacuum in the overlianirin'"*
atuKJSpherc, but on the contrary was pressed to
the ground about our camp. In fact the condi-
tions were such that I think of that " liill sum-
mit camp" as one of the more di.sagreeable
experiences of my frontier life. Gladly we left
it while hours of the long night were still
unspent, and as daylight came we were ascend-
ing another big foot-hill, from the summit of
which I first beheld the glorious old Rockies.

Spellbound and in rapture I gazed upon the
sublime spectacle before me. How supremely
beyond my largest imaginings those lofty ranges
stood revealed to the delighted senses. The
clouds had disappeared, and in clear, di.stinct
outline hundreds of snow-clad peaks stood out
as if cut by a mighty diamond upon the dimly
lighted morning sky. The beauty of the scene
intensely moved me. The majesty and power
apparent were most satisfying to my soul. Tlie
God who made these made me also. I felt

j.p"

PATHFINDINCJ OX PLAIN AND PRAIUIF.. Hi?

t'xultant in the tliou<^ht. l^nt now the niorniii;;
sun hiul clearly risen, and a.s I looked the hi;,di-
ost peaks were illumined as by electric touch,
and scores of j^reat beacon-Hres seemed to have
sprung into instantaneous bein<;. And the (^vvui
picture (juickly <(rew. Snow-clad sunnnit and
^dacier ^lint and granite wall and Forest ;;rowth
speedily became transformed as with the touches
uf a million brushes. Halos of li«,dit, radiant
and grandly bright, spread themselves upon the
mighty canvas. In rapture I beheld and wor-
shipped. I had seen a glimpse of the glory of
the Eternal, and still I lived. As I reluctantly
left the scene and ran to catchup with our party
over the foot-hills and across the wide valley
beyond, I w^as elated above measure. What mat-
ter the cost in travel and cold and extreme hard-
ship, I had seen the mountains, and the sight
would be a perennial blessing in my life.

When I came up to our party they were
already descending the sloping bank of the Sas-
katchewan. Miles of this, and then an almost
perpendicular jump or slide, and we were on the
ice of the river, following uj> 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<lucation, telling my eager listeners v^hat
Christianity was doing tor man in other parts of
the world ; and all this time I was learning the
language and studying the people. Old men and
i)ainted and feathered warriors and the youth
of these camps crowded the lodges in which I
made my temporary home. There was no rest
while in Indian camps, and not until we were in
our own seven-by-eight-foot hole in the snow,
with wood cut and carried and piled at hand
and dogs fed, would I sit down to rest both
mind and body, and be free for a time from the
incjuisitive and eager listening and questionings
of these people to whom we were sent. Then
Mark and Jimmie would take their turn. Jim-
mie was a lad of nimble legs, but of much
nimbler tongue. Had he not come from the
famous Red River? He had even visited old
Fort Garry, and he would fairly take Mark's
breath as he drew from the range of his wide
experience.

Mark would tell of the mountains, and griz-
zlies and panthers and avalanches, and encoun-
ters with the enemy, till Jimmie's eyes would
bulge with excitement. I would look on and
listen and rest. Then licfore retiring Mark
would lead in prayer in his mother-tongue,

i i

142 PATH FINDING ON PLAIN AND PlUilllE.

wliich neither Jimmie nor myself could under-
stand, though we always said ** Amen."

During short intervals at the Mission Mark-
made severa' hunting excursions, and killed some
moose and deer. One night he came home and
reported one moose killed and another wounded.
Early next morning we went out and killed the
wounded moose and brought the meat of both
home. Another time he killed two deer, and
brought back word that the forest was so dense
the meat would have to be packed to the river
some miles above. Accordingly he and I took
our dogs and drove up the river opposite to
where the deer lay. Fastening the dogs, we
struck into the forest, and coming across fresh
tracks of more deer, we went after these and
killed two more. It was midnight before we
had packed the meat of the four deer to the
place where our dogs and sleds were. Hard
work it was, but the venison was good, and our
larder was handsomely replenished.

All that winter the wood Cree camps were
from one hundred to one hundred and fifty miles
distant from the Mission. The buf%l( > 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)elon<jjed to uiy youngest sister.

About the middle of March father made
another pastoral visit to Edmonton, and as wo
remained over for Monday, I went out to St.
Albert, the Roman Catholic JMission north of
Kdmonton, to find, if I could, some domestic
chickens, as mother had often expressed a strong
desire for some. It took me all day to drive
about twenty-five miles and find the chickens
and buy them, the latter two enterprises being
the 7nost difficult of the three. At last I pur-
chased three birds, two hens and a cock, paying
for them eight shillings each — six dollars to
start a poultry farm in our part of the country !

Wild-duck eggs were very good in their
place, but unfortunately for cooking purposes
these were generally some way on in the process
of incubation before we obtained them, and
mother with lier eastern ideas did long for ii
few fresh egg"*, occasionally.

I was quite proud of my purchase, but was
rather taken aback when at the supper table
that evening the august Chief Factor inquired
of me what I had paid for those chickens, and
when I told him eight shillings each, he pooh-
poohed the whole thing ; and while I was not

146 rATiinxnixrj ox i-laix axd ruAUUK.

prepared for sucli criticism, I could Init answci-
tliat tliis was lar<j;cly a matter of sentiment, tliat
I luul often been where if I liad it I would liav<^
nfivcn all that to hear a cock crow. The oM
jt^entleman gave me up as incorrigible. How-
ever, to the credit of humaTiity it uiust be said
that we are not all Peters. The crow of a cock
or the tinkling of a cow-bel' often have beon
as sweetest nnisic in the ear of a poor lost
traveller.

rATIIKlM)lN(i (JX PLAIN AND I'HAIllli:. 147

CHAPTKK XV.

D.ivid Hiid I visit Tjhc l;i Iliclio — llij^li jtricod scimI wlicut
Oiir |)arty Hots (Hit for Pii,a!<>ii 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

148 PATIIKINDFMJ OX PLAIN AXD PF^AIRIE.

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
Uh<lerstanding between us.

By the middle of May our nomadic congrega-
tion was scattering to the four winds. We had
done what we could in sowing the seeds of truth
and righteousness, as we understood it, though
we were but babes ourselves in tliis great matter.
All we could do was to leave our disappearing
congregation to the Lord.

In the meantime, as provisions were low, w^e
concluded to pitch away on a hunting expedi-
tion, some six or seven lodges accompanying us
on the trip. In our party were old Paul and
Samson. As ours was what might be called a
wood-hunt, it would not be practicable to go in
large parties, for the reason that the food supply
would be a difficulty. Drying some fish to stirt

loO PATIIFINDINfJ ON PLAIN AND PUAIiaK.

witli, W(5 loft tli« lake and Htruck custwai'd
acroHH Battle River, helow where oui* present
MiHsion is Hituat<Ml. ThoUirli we were couHtantly
on ^uanl, day and ni^lit, yet we did not appre-
hend that the enemy were near, knowin;^ that
the buffalo were far out on the plains and that
this was not the usual season for war parties.

Our livino- for the first wcsek or two was very
precarious. We had with us my first cow, one
I had traded from old Jose))h. As there was no
one left at the lake, we had to take her alon^-
with us ; but as she ^ave no milk she was only
a care and burden to the party. Rabbits, ducks,
;^eese, ovvds, hawks, bear, beaver, badger, porcu-
pine, skunk — there was certain variety in our
bill of fare, but there was no certain (juantity of
it. Sometimes w^e were filled, and oftentimes
we were empty, not knowing wdien or how we
should get our next meal. Our mode of trans-
port was on horseback or on foot. As yet there
were no cart or waggon roads in or out of the
Pigeon Lake country. Old Paul, who was an
invalid and could move only with difficulty
because of some spinal trouble, but who kne'*'
that part of the country as other men knew
their quarter-sections, sat on his horse and led
the way. Part of our able-bodied hunters
scouted along the line of march, while the others
struck out on either hand in search of game.

iiW"

PATTrFixnivri on plain and prairte. IT)!

Our wliolo camp, fiR to food supply, was conuiiu-
uistic — we sliared alike.

WeivUjer perniittinf^jind provisiouH tillowing it,
we j,^(?nerally lield two Hervice.s iu tlie day. In
the early morn, while the dew was on the ^rasH,
we siu\<f our hymns and knelt tof^ether in prayer.
And in th(!evenin<^incam{),vvhen the hunters had
come in atid our liorses were picketed or driven
close and hobbletl, a<^ain we met. I would read
a lew verses and connnent on them, and with
hynui and prayer we closed the day. And old
Paul, life-Ion^ warrior and scout and hunter,
what deli<^htful sites he chose for our camp !
Security, utility and beauty were sure to har-
monize in his selection. Beside ripplin*^ stream
or <^listening lakeU^t, with growing ^rass and
budding flowers and leafy foliage, with Mother
Nature's breath full and fragrant of early sum-
mer, how like hallowed sanctuaries those camp-
ing spots were ! Verily God blessed us as we
journeyed, and souls were born again.

Samson and I were inseparable in those days.
I wanted to be the friend of all, but I could not
help being his friend. We became brothers in
the regular native style, and cemented a bond
which continues unto this day.

Soon after w^e crossed the Battle River, one
beautiful morning, bright and early, Samson and
old Paul's son, whom we called " little Paul,"

152 PATHFINDINa ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

and myself left our camp to come slowly on,
while we set out on a scouting and hunting trip
in advance. Steadily we jogged over hill and
plain, through a lovely park-like country, Sam-
son quietly regaling us witli hunting and wa*
exploits. On the brow of a mossy knoll, which
still showed the travois markings which proved
it to have been an old Blackfoot trail, Samson
paused, and pointing to a spot just i front of us,
said: " Right here one of the bravest of our men
was slain. Crowds were in ambush for him, and,
knowing the man, did not give him the slightest
chance to resist. He was a Mountain Stony and
an old friend of mine. He was one of that kind
who know no fear. Men or beasts, it was all
the same. Here he died, and the Blackfeet say
that while they killed him he smiled upon them.
He was one of those who listened to the first
praying men." As we rode along past the spot
where the brave man had died, one could not
help but grip his gun and keep a sharp look-out,
for the same conditions still governed this whole
country.

As we had set out without a mouthful of pro-
visior and now had ridden some hours, I began
to feel hungry. Fortunately about noon we
came athwart an owl's nest, one of the largest
kind, and though it was up in the top of a tall
tree, we could see that the owlets were large.

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 153

Little Paul climbed the tree and brought them
down. There was one apiece, and in a very little
time they were roa.stin«; on willow " broilintr
sticks " before a (|uick fire. The birds were fat
an«l juicy, and most agreeably eased the pangs
of hunger, after which we proceeded with better
spirits. Our course was straight out toward the
big plains. We did not see any game, nor did
we stop to hunt, as Samson desired to travel a
certain distance in order to determine if possible
the presence or non-presence of liostile camps.
Late in tlie evening we camped in a secluded
spot. Little Paul drew the load from his flint-
lock, and putting in small charges of powder and
shot, killed som< .-abbits, which we roasted for
our supper. Tethering our horses close, little
Paul and I stood guard the first part of the
night. After midnight Samson went on guard
while we slept, and with the first peep of day he
woke us ; out before we were fairly astir he
said, " If we do not meet during the day, we will
meet at this place to-night," and he was away.
Little Paul and I saddled up and started out on
our own line. We rode quietly, listening in-
tently for a shot from Samson's gun. Presently
as the sun was freshly gilding the hills, making
millions of crystal dew-drops to reflect his rays,
I caught siii'ht of somethini£ over the brow of a
knoll at the edge of some timber. We cautiously

154 PATHFIXDIXfl OX PLATX AXD PRATIIIE.

scouted for a closer view, and tlici'c before us
were two laroe buck elk feeding on the browse
and leaves.

" Now, John, this is your chance," whispered
my companion, and alightin<^' from our horses
we fastened them and crawled towards the elk.
When we could see them plainly, we found that
one was much larger than the other, and little
Paul said to me, " You hre at the bi<^ fellow,
and I will take the other." We were now at tlu^
(!nd of our cover, and rising up I let drive at
the lai'ger of the two. But when little Paul at-
tempted to shoot, his treacherous old flint-lock
hung Are, and both man and beast had moved
before it went off. Both elk jumped into the
thicket, and reloading we rushed in after them.
We soon came upon mine, still standing, but
badly hurt. I let him have another shot, and
this finished him. The other was gone on the
jump through the woods.

JMy companion and I straightened the dead
elk for skinning, and then went for our hoi-ses.
Having done this we began to skin and cut up
our game, of course keeping watch all the time.
Samson's blood-curdling facts, related so recently,
made us more than ordinarily watchful, for we
knew that our three shots tired in (^uick succes-
sion would be heard a long way in the clear

mornuig air.

isin*,' up I k't .Iriv.' at the lar'a-r of the t

wo."' (f'a'jr /.;.;)

PATTIFTXDTNr} ON PLATX AND IMJATUIE. 1")*)

We liad scarcely (fot stai'tcil at tlic work oF
skinning the; elk, wlicn tlu' nncasincss of our
liorsos indicated sonici movement in si»;lit. We
seized our j^uns and spran*;- to see what it was,
when to our deli<;ht Samson i-ode up. " Well,
what hick r' he asked. We showed him our
" kill," and told him of tlie other elk. He said
he had killed a lar^^e jumping deer, hut that liear-
ing our shots he had galloped to sec what was
the matter. " And now I am hei'(;," lie added,
" I will leave my horse witli you and go on the
track ol" the elk." Saying which, away lie sprang
into the thicket on the trail of the tlying heast.

We were not half through with our task when
we heard a shot, and presently Samson was
hack w^ith us to report tlie death of the other
elk. " Now," said lie, " the cai'case is about lialf
way from liere to where my deer lies. Let us
pack this one over to his comrade, and then
have our breakfast, after which we can cache
the meat of the three animals and take the
hides and part of the meat and sti'ike back to
camp."

As he was the captain of our hunt this was
done. We had breakfast on elk horn and bits
of tripe and the marrow of the shank bones.
Then we made a temporary staging in the
shade and packed our meat on it, taking care
to secure it airainst the tireless w(jlverine. We

15G PATFIFTNDINO OX PLAIN AND TMIATIUK.

also covered the meat with bouj^hn hiden witli
fresli heaves, and then witli a liide on eacli
.saddle and a supply oi' meat we started back
and t'oun<l our people camped not far from
where we had fared so sumptuously the day
before on broiled owlets.

The next day, wliile our camp moved steadily
out, little Paul led a party of one from each
lodge to brin<( in the meat from our cache.
Samson went the other way on foot into a dense
hill of tind)er which was situate west of us, and
in the evenin^^ after we had camped 1 o came in
with the nose of a moose and some other tit-
bits on his back. We were now beginning to
live ! The next day I went with Samson for
the meat of the moose. We found this in a
forest on the bank of a beautiful fresh -water
lake. We lunched beside the carcase, and when
wo were through our meal Samson said, " You
do not need me to take the moat home. I will
take a turn through the timber." The result
was that in the evening he brought in another
moose nose, this time that of a big buck. Both
moose and elk were in the season when their
antlers were growing and wore covered by a
kind of plush or velvet which was considered
very good eating. We would cut the antlers
from the head and throw them into the fire,
when the plush would singe off and each antler

PATHFIXI)IN(i OX PLAIX AXIJ PIIAIIIIE. 157

point split open in the process of cooking. The
portion which spht open, and all the skin cover-
in f^ on the antler, were thou<jjht f]jood food.

It soenied passincr strange that the enormons
antlers of both inoose and elk should be of but
a few months' growth. Nevertheless this was a
Fact, as on this trip I saw the horns or antlers
in various stages of growth, and later on in
con)plete condition.

158 PATlIFINJ)iNG ON PLAIN AND PllAli IF.

CHAPTER XVI.

San'sou «'ui(l I go on a inoose hunt — Samson 'h clover
rackinj^ — lie comes up with tlio mooso and tries u
Hhofc — No bullet in tlie {jfuu -Two (lejecte<l Inniters
return to the camp We liave better luck next time
Roses make a thoi-ny path — Wo disturb a band of
woives — Samson stampedes them with his riding'
whip — "Firing Stony" and I go hunting — I briiij,'
down a noble elk — Novel method of fishing.

One day I went with Stinison on a moose
lumt. We set out early in tlic morning, w? Iking
fast, and sometimes running for awliile. About
ten o'clock, after hours of tramping tlu'ough
dense forest and wading through many swamps,
we came upon the track of a big buck moose.
Samson looked at tlie lioof-prints, and also at
the ends of brush which had been bitten ofi' bv
tlie huge fellow as he fed by the way. Finally
he said, *' Let us sit down for a little while,
and let me think." I watched him as he lit
his pipe and slowly puffed and thought out his
plan of campaign. At last he rose and said,
"That moose may be close to us. You stop
right here, for should I miss him or only wound
him, he is bound to run right past liere. If so,

PATIIKIXDING ON PLAIN' AND PKAIUli:. 159

you will liavc a j^ood shot; ko you.sta}^ horo and
wait I'or mo." I thcroForc sat down at the root
of a stout tree and waited and liHtcnod.

Presently a fine lar^e juinpin;^^ deer canio
within two rods ol' nic, and stood ^(ivin;; a lon<r
startlecl look around. I was stroni^dy tempted
to fire at the liandsome cniature, but refVained
for fear of disturbin*; our larger <^ame. 'i'lien tlie
deer trotted on into the thicket, and I continued
to wait. By and by Samson cj'mio back, and bid-
din;^ me follow him, once mot ^ v. ■ took up the
track. We strode along fo- T)e. . ips an hour,
when Samson remarked, Ti. ;re, we will not
follow the track any longer. jLle is resting, and
I think he is in the centre t>uit 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.

•

• \

, t

--•

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 <lark boTon; wo reached
the tents. Wo liad <^'()ue far, tho day l>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

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 aii<l
bleeding feet evidenced. Under such conditions
we surely had " too much of a good thing."
And yet we did not like to leave any of tlic
meat. While we were thus proceeding pain-
fully on our way we came upon a sleeping band
of prairie wolves. They had evidently gorged
themselves to the full and were now resting. I
held both horses, and Samson tiptoed in amongst
them as they snored, and fetching his riding-
whip down full length across the side of a
tremendous she- wolf, he brought cut of her a
howl of mingled surprise and pain, and then
there was a stampede of wolves in every direc-
tion that was amusing to witness. But while
we laughed heartily and trudged on, the rose-
bushes seemed to multiply, and I bethought
me of my saddle-blanket, and again apologizing

I'ATHFFXDINO ON PLAIN AND I'HAIUIK. ^6'^

," llH tin'
n smaller
e animals
tho littlf
i'or home,
in;^ Weill
10 count IV
tiful tiiiv
mson ami
r dolicat*.'
lH arouml
bare an<i
conditions
)d tliiniT."
ly of tlie
ing pain-
pint; band
ly pr^^e.l
esting. I
n. amono-st
is rid in;:'-
side of a
of her a
and then
ery di rec-
ent while
the rose-
)ethou':;ht
)ologizin;^

to mv horse, I tore a strip I'roni it, and we
wound that around our hleeding and bruised
I'eet. Twice I di<l this, until no more of the
blankot coul<l b«' spart-d from tho horse's back :
and whon tho second wi'api)ing was worn out I
ai^ain made ])rofound apologies to my hoi » , and
mounted on top of tho moat and hides. The
sturdy little follow, nothing daunted, trotted me
into camp, I promising to give him many days
of absolute rest.

Another day I went out with one of oni-
Inniters called " Firing-at-a-mark Stony." Wo
generally cut his name short, calling him
" Kiring Stony." He was a good hunter, but
just then he was sufiering with weak eyes and
had not done much on this trip. We rode fca*
miles, when presently I saw a buck elk in tho
distance, moving across our course. We lieadod
him off, and I said to my companion, " Run to
that blutt' and shoot liim." This ho attempted
to do, but missed the elk. Then said I, " You
have had your chance ; the next one is mine."

We kept on a few miles fartlier, when suddenly
I saw a monster elk feeding along the shore of
a small lake. I seized my companion's rein
and pulled both horse and man out ef sight as
(|uickly as I could. We hastily fastened our
horses and approached the spot where I had
seen tho elk- There was quite a promoxitory or

164 PATUFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

liill down to the spot where our ^Jiiiie was
[Vcding, and he scouied to be coming our way.
So I crawled to the top of this hill, and Firiii<r
Stony came behind inc. " If you miss him I
will fire," he said. "Of course," said I, "you
arc Firing Stony ; you cannot do anythiii;,^
else but tire. However, I am not going to miss
liim, ' and up to the top of the hill we crawled.
When I peeped over the summit the big fellow-
was almost directly beneath me, and still calmly
feeding ; so I rose and shot him right through
the back, and down he tumbled. Firing Stony
then ran excitedly down and shot him in tlio
head. " Why did you do that ? " I enquired.
" To make sure of him," he responded cheerfully,
" w^e already missed one to-day." " You missed
one, but I did not," said I, and we laughed as
we reloaded our guns and straightened the
immense creature preparatory to skinning him.
We made a fire and roasted the antlers, and
were hungry enough to heartily enjoy a sub-
stantial meal.

Once more our horses were h^^vily laden,
especially mine, for l^esides half of the meat I
had the hide;- but this time it was not little
Bob, so I did no!: much care.

I had with me my train of dogs, and as we
were drying all the meat we could spare lor
future use, I was glad to hear that there were

lIRIE.

j;iui\e was
1 our way.
,nd Firiii<if
liss him I
d I, "you
anythin^r

ig to miss
e cra\vl('<l.
big fellow
itill calmly
it through
'ing Stony
im in the
'. enquircul.

checrfuUv,
''ou missed
laughed as
itened the
ining him.
itlers, and
joy a sub-

^ily ladi'ii,
the meat I
; not little

and as we

spare i'or

there were

1>ATHKIX1)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<l
presently down came both boy and fish. Hut
we made the "bucking " brute pack most of tlir
fish home, and the boy rode the other horse as
we rode back to camp.

PATHFINDIXO OX PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 167

ctcil
tlir

)a('k,
and
Hut

' tlw

;e as

CHAPTER XVII.

( )ur camp visited by a band of Mountain Stonies — My
schooling in the university of frontier life — Back to
our Mission again — Limited rumne — Home-made
agricultural implements — We visit Victoria — Off to
Fort Carlton for Mission supplies- -Inciuisitive Chip-
pevvyans — My eldest sister married to Mr. Hardisty,
<jf the Hudson's Bay Company — The honeymoon
trip to Mountain House — Rival sportsmen — Charg-
ing a tlock of wild geese at full gallop — Return to
Pigeon Ijake — Our work extending.

While we were near Spotted Lake we fell in
Nvitli some five or six lodges of Mountain Stonies,
u ho were so overjoye 1 to see us that they moved
over and camped beside us for a time. Amono;
thum were the two youn^ fellows who came to
our camp at the bend of Battle River during the
autumn of 18G3, as readei- of " Saddle. Sled
AND Snowshoe" may ren uiber.

Tliis was our first me< tnig since that time,
and we were naturally p' ased. Here was my
opportunity as a missioi^ n-y, and I seized it with
eagerness. In tlie tent, on the hunt, at our ser-
vices, Sunday and Monday and all the week, we
were watching our opportunities and preaching

ICS PATIIFIXDINC} ON PLAIX AM) l'HAII{|E.

tlie gospel of poacc and good- v; ill, of a prosciil
and eternal salvation. WliMt n school to be placed
in by the order of God's providence !

For the work I had to do I must acquire an
actual knowledge of the country, I must gain
the confidence of the people, I must learn tlieir
language and mode of life, I nuist become i'amiliai-
with their history, their religi(m, and their idioms
of thought; and here amongst these Crees and
Stonies, living with them in their own way and
in their own country, I was being educated fur
the work God had in hand for me to do.

A shcrt time ago, in one of the favored cities
of older Canada, a prominent lawyer asked me
at the close of the service one Sunday morning,
"What university <lid you graduate from, Mr.
McDougall ? "The largest on earth," I an-
swered ; " all out of doors, amid the varied expe-
riences of frontier life." " Cei'taiidy," said the
lawyer, "it was a grand schooling, an<l you have
profited by it." Thus God was training me.
.My teachers were Samson and Paul, Cree and
Stony, Blackfoot and Blood, J^icgan and Sai'cee,
and every Hudson's Bay Company otlicer and
employee, e^'ery cultivated traveller and hardy
pioneer and wild western empire foundation
layer; and along with these the grand pages ol'
the older Bible, as written upon the mountains
and plains and forests and streams of this big

PATHFINDINO ON PLAIN AND PHAIUIE. 109

new country. I was learning eveiy day some
needed lesson.

Our Sundays were busy times. Wlien tlu'
weather permitted we held three open-air meet-
inirs. When it rained wo went from lodifa to
lodge. Mrs. McDougall sang well and rendere<l
(effective aid. The Indians generally take to
sinLdnff, and as some of the translations we used
were full of the very pith of the gospel message,
their hearts were reached ; the men cried out for
salvation, and through Jesus found it.

For some two weeks the Stonies remained
with us, we doing what we could for them in
instruction in religious matters, as also awaken-
inir within them a ■csire for knowledge as to
the world and thing i in general. When they
left us to go back to the mountains wc began to
move northward, and I concluded to leave with
tSamson what horses of mine were still without
loads, and move straight on to the lake, for the
time was drawing near when other parties might
visit the Mission.

Accordingly we started, travelling as fast as
our cow could keep pace. While we had open
country we kept the calf on an ordinary travois,
but when we came to the woods near Pigeon
Lake, we made a narrower one to suit the more
limited space of the bridle-path. Mrs. McDou-
gall and our baby, old Maria and her boy, and

170 PATHFINDINO ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

myself conHtitiiteJ tho party. Travelling as we
did, we reached the Mission on the fifth day,
jind were ^lad to be at home once more. Our
little one-roomed house seemed a palace beside
the smoky lodge of our pilgrimage.

We found everything as we left it. Appar-
ently we were the first to come in to the
•Mission, but in a day or two others from the
west and north came straggling in, and our
work was ready to hand. In a couple of weeks
Samson arrived with more dried meat, liaviuii'
killed several elk and moose after we had left
him. The reader will be astonished at the
amount of meat we got through with, but one
must remember that our diet in those days was
lor the most part of the time " meat straight "
or "fish straight," with duck and rabbit for an
occasional change. It was one thing or tlie
other: there were no courses at our meals.
Not only, however, were we without variety of
food, but we were as badly off for a change of
dishes. Indeed, our outfit for household pur-
poses was small, and uni([ue of its kind. But
our neighbors were even more poorly provided
than we. Often when invited to a feast by some
successful friend, the shout would come from
the door of his lodge, " John, come along and
bring your dish with you." And I would take
my dish or plate with me as I went.

UE.

1^ as we
t'th (lav,
re. Oui-
le beside

Appar-
i to tllc
rom the
and our
oi: wef'ks
, liaviuii*
had lel't

at the
but one
lays was
traioht "
t for an
; or tlie
r meals,
iriety of
liange of
old pur-
nd. But
provided
by some
tne from
iong and
uld take

J.e^'^'"_\

*' We carried the liayeocUs in between us on two poles."' {P'Vf Hh

A'rUIINI^IN'J ox JM-AIX AND PUAIHIi:. iTl

As w<' cuMtcmphitcd wiiitciiii;,^ iit tliis point. I
took Sjimsoii Jind wt'iit to work niakiii;;; liay.
( )m' iinpk'iiu'nts were of tin* criKlrst sort. Wr
lui<l scytlu's with improvised Imndlcsand woodm
pitclit'orks, and wlicn stacking' we carrird tlu'
havcocks ill hetwoen us (311 two poles. Samson
liad ntnur swun<^ a scythe bi-d'orc, and ]w soon
hio'u' his, but fortunately I had a spar*' one.
lie was apt, however, and learned (|uickly. We
worked hard and " made hay while the sun
slione," and when it rained we wont hunting'.
Wheu we had several i;ood-si/ed stacks made
and strongly fenced, the time was come to
journey down to the older Mi.ssion, as ))er
arrauirement with our Chairman when we left
th(?re last spring-.

Our nii»;ratory peojde — for here poc)ple as well
as preacher were itinerants — had scattered,
some for the mountains, others into the northern
forests, and quite a few to join the autunui hunt
on the plains. And »us my wife and I were
ownei's of three wooden carts and three sets of
rawhide cart harness, and a few cayuses, we
concluded to let old Paul's wife have a cart ami
horse on shares for this " plain hunt." If the
lumt was successful the outfit would bring us
some provisions for the comin<; winter.

I eufraged Samson to <ro with us to Victoria,
and when we left the lake old Paul and Sam-

■' (Pair- /;/!

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

■-1^ 12.5
|5o ""^ m^M

^ 1^ III 2.2

" ■- IIIIM

I.I

ill! 1 fl

1.25

1.4

1.6

sasas

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

33 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 87S-4S03

"^"-^

■^>^ ^

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

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-

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.

^^'

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

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-

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.

.♦.

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.

■ « '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 meetin<r tliat nij^ht and anotlier
the next morninf^, and then went on, taking-
Samson with us, hopin<^^ to find some I'ood. J^ut
after three days' steady travel all we <;'ot was a
starving bull, which made both do^s and men
sick, so we concluded to separate, Samson to
strike strai<j''ht for camp, and we for home.
Snow had deepened, our do<^s, like ourselves,
were hungry and tired, and the miles seemed
longer than usual, so that it was midnight on
the fourth day on the home stretch before we
reached the lake, glad enough to settle down
again even to fish diet.

Christmas of 18G4 came, but no Santa Claus
for any of our party. However, my frugal wife
managed to contrive a plum-pudding, and our
little company enjoyed innnensely such a delight-
ful break in the monotony of our daily fare.

During the holidays I started alone for
Edmonton, and there found mv brother-in-law
Hardisty from the Mountain House. He

184 PATIIFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

'' \

¥. ■• <

accompanied me to Victoria, wliere we spent
New Year's day with father and mother and
tlie rest of our family. We found tliat at
Edmonton and Victoria tliere was tlie same
scarcity of food as witli us. Tlie buffalo were
as yet far out, and the Indians were between us
and them, and in a semi-starving condition.
Moreover, the winter was a hard one, the snow
deep and the cold intense.

Hardisty accompanied me back to Pigeon Lake
on condition that I would go on with him to the
Mountain Fort. " For," said he, " you should
visit your sisters ; our fort is part of your
parish. You can preach to us — we need it —
and you may meet some Indians in on a trade.
Besides we can spare you a little provision." I
here confess that while all the other reasons
were true, the last one at that time was con-
vincing and unanswerable.

I took Francis along, and we fought our way
through deep snow and extreme cold to the
Mountain House, a distance from Pigeon Lake
of one hundred and twenty miles, reaching
there after dark the third day. For both
Francis and myself, after the meagre pisca-
torial diet of some months, it was hard work.
Heavy exertion such as this requires strong
food. But while at the fort, where we spent
part of three days, we fared sumptuously on

/•* - ^

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 185

good dried meat, which liad been brought in
from the plains by the Black feet. We had a
delightful visit with my sisters and the people
of the fort. Some Stonies came in to trade
while we were there, and among these was my
old friend Jonas, whom I was well pleased to
see again. We held several services, and would
gladly have stayed longer were it not that our
families were in a state of semi-starvation at
the distant lake.

We had presented to us 125 pounds of dried
meat, and with this carefully tied on our sleds
we said good-bye and turned our faces home-
ward. Though the road was heavy, hy travel-
ling most of the nisrht we were back at the
Mission early the third day, where we found
all well and exceedingly glad to see us.

Not a single Indian put in an appearance.
These were having all they could do to keep
soul and body together. It was a hard winter
all over the Saskatchewan country. We got up
a lot of firewood and cut it into proper lengths,
spending several days at this work. Meantime,
we tried to fatten our dogs on fish, but even they
would not thrive on these. Then we started for
Victoria, hoping that by this time a change for
the better in the provision line would have taken
place.

At Edmonton we found the people of the fort

■m I

186 PATHFlXDlXfJ OS i'LAlX AND PRAIRIE.

on limited rations. Pusliino; on we made a bis
day without any trail, from above Sturt^eou
River to Victoria, over sixty miles, and when
cond'ortably seated in the Mission mother said, "I
am sorry, John, but all I can give you for supper
to-night is potatoes and milk." Both Francis
and 1 vehemently asserted that this would be a
glorious change for us, and so it was.

Here also the whole settlement was on short
allowance. Father had heard of Maskepetoon's
camp being about 150 miles down country, but
the reports were not encouraging. " Still," said
he, " those Indians ought to be visited, and I
am glad you have come, for now you can go
to them." To do this we must have food, and
as my brother David had made a fisliery out
at Long Lake that fall and his fish were still out
there, we first went out to the lake, about sixty
miles north, for the fish. On this trip David
and father's Cree boy Job went with me. The
round trip was only one liundred and twenty
miles, but it still lingers in my memory as one
of the hardest on record in my experience. The
cold was so intense it worried our dogs to stand
it, and the snow was so full of friction that our
sleds seemed almost as though they were being
pulled through sand. The camps were smoky,
and on the whole it was a hard and disao-reeable
journey.

[E.

le a bis

1 wlieii
said, "I
supper
Francis
lid be a

1 short
)etoon's
ry, but
1," said

and I
can go
d, and
ry out
till out

sixty

David

The

wenty

las one

The

stand
at our

being
moky,
eeable

PATHFIXr)I\(J ox PLAIN AND PHAIHIE. 187

In the Mission house at this time tliei'e lay
upon his dying bed a poor y(jung fellow who h. d
wasted his substance in riotous living and was
now pa^'ing the penalty in extreme physical
prostration. He had gone out on the plains the
same sunnner tliat I did, and wintered in the
Saskatchewan the season of 18G2-G3. During
that winter, while he and a companion were out
hunting near Battle River, their camp was at-
tacked one night by Indians. His companion
was shot and killed, he himself woun<led, and in
making his escape, and in the subse(juent Jour-
ney to Edmonton, he underwent great hardship.
It was after this, when he had thoroughly re-
covered, that I first met him. He was then a
very strong man, one of the best swinnners I
ever saw in the water. But he went across the
mountains into the mining camps, and when he
came back to our side his strength was about
gone.

Father found him in a room in the fort at
Edmonton in sore straits, and arranged for his
transport to Victoria. Both father and mother
and all the rest were now doing everything
thev could to make him comfortable, but he was
dying. He said to me as I bade him farewell
for our trip to Maskepetoon's camp, " Good-bye,
John, until we meet up yonder." " Why, Harry,"
I said, " I expect to come back soon." " Ah,"

188 PATHFINDINO ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

he said, " but I will be dead before you come."
And so it proved. Poor Harry was now all
right. He had come to himself, and was born
again. But it was a heaven-send to that young
fellow in this wild country to fall at last into
mother's hands. She in a multitude of ways
soothed and comforted the last weeks of his life.

:IE.

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 189

I come,
now all
as born
t young
ast into
)f ways
his life.

CHAPTER XIX.

We start out to hunt for buffalo — Fish and frozen turnips
— A depleted larder — David's bag of barley meal— At
the poinfc of starvation — We strike Maskepetoon's
canp — An Indian burial — Old Joseph dying — We
leave the camp— Generous hospitality — A fortunate
meeting — Frostbites — A bitterly cold night — Un-
expected visit(^rs — Striking instance of devotion — I
suflFer from snowshoe cramp — Arrival at Victoria —
Old Joseph's burial — Back to Pigeon Lake.

We started on our plain trip with commis-
sariat promising nothing more delicate or
appetizing than fish and frozen turnips! Our
party consisted of my brother David, Francis,
Job and myself. We took our course south-
east, by Sickness Hill and Birch Lake, and fail-
ing to find any fresh tracks of Indians in that
direction, we then made more easterly. While
going down the north bank of the Battle River
our fish ran out. This was serious, but we had
the turnips ^eft. Soon, however, we roasted the
last of these, and pushed on our course amid
deep snov/ and cold and stormy weather. An
old bull was shot, but we could eat nothing of
him except the heart and tripe and the tongue.

190 PATIIFIXDING OX PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

I* f '

' ii

Even our dogs declined the meat. Things were
commencing to look blue. That night Davi«l
produced a small bag of barley meal which my
sister had ground in the coffee mill. Our camp
was jubilant over this, and we heartily enjoyed
the small tin of porridge provided fc supper
that night. Next day we travelled as rapidly
as we could, but were not in condition for quick
time. The barley was going fast, and we began
anxiously to watch the doling out of the slen-
der supply. In the stress of hunger we were
becoming meaner and smaller. I caught myself
looking to see that my brother did the square
thing in serving out the little pot of meal gruel,
for it was becoming thinner every time. I bit
my lips and felt mortified at myself for being so
contemptible. I began to realize what I liad
read of men's doings when in sore straits such
as seemed to be coming on us. But we kept on,
and the day after the meal was gone we struck
the trail of a large camp, evidently some days
ahead of us.

The sight of the trail put new life into our
whole party. We covered several of their day's
journeys before we camped that night, and though
hungry and weak w^ere out early the next day.
About ten o'clock we saw a column of smoke
rising in the air, and as we drew nearer saw
horses and people moving. Camp was being

IE.

igs were

b David

liich my

ur camp

enjoyed

supper

rapidly

or quick

'e bet^an

/he slen-

ve were

b myself

! square

i\ gruel,

\. I bit

Deing so

I had

;S such

ept on,

struck

ne days

nto our
ir day's
though
xt day.
smoke
er saw
being

PATHFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PUAIRm 191

struck, {ind nearly all had gone from the sp^ot as
we came up. A little to one side, at the mh^e of
a bluff of timber, a small group of men were en-
gaged in burying one of their number. We were
just in time to help in the last rites.

Old Maskepetoon was there. " You come like
a ray of sunshine to comfort us, John," whispenMl
the old Chief, as he warndy gripped my hand.
The work of interment went on in silence. I
knew the deceased — son-in-law to old " (jJreat
One," one of my particular friends — a great
strong man cut ofi' suddenly in his prime.

Sadly I watched the removing of the soil.
The snow having been cleared away, the dried
leaves and twigs were carefully placed in a hide
and put aside. The earth, too, as it was loosened
up, was placed in hides. Then the body was
laid in the shallow grave, and the earth put back
in and trampled down until level with the
original surface, after which the leaves and
twigs were scattered over the place, making it
look as if it had not been disturbed. The un-
used earth was carried away and scattered so
as not to appear. All this was done that the
enemy might not discover the grave and dese-
crate the person of the dead.

Needless to say the food placed before us by
our kind friends was eagerly devoured, but we
were discouraged to find that these people were

192 PATHFINDING ON PI.AIM AND PHAIRIE.

••1

living from hand to mouth — that while the
buffalo were within from sixty to one hundred
and fifty miles distant, they had not yet at-
tempted to come north. Tlie camp was still
waiting and hoping for this, and in the mean-
time was existing on the game secured by lumt-
ing expeditions which were ever and anon sent
out between the severe spells of weather. That
the camp was sorely in need of food was veiy
apparent to me as I passed on through the
moving crowds to the spot designated for the
fresh camping ground. Already a large num-
ber of tents were placed by those who moved
earlier in the day. Reaching these we went at
once into Muddy Bull's lodge, and were gladly
received by my old friends Noah and Barbara.
Here I was sorry to hear that old Joseph was in
another lodge close to us, and in a dying con-
dition. I went in to see our " old standby," and
found him very weak, and yet glad to press my
hand. " Ah, John," said he, " I am still a poor
weak sinner, for I have longed to be released
from this frail body. I have even asked the
Lord to take me home. I feel I have done
wrong. I should bide the Lord's own time."
" My dear Joseph," I answered, " I am sure the
good God well understands your case, and His
big heart thoroughly sympathizes with you.
He will not misjudge you. Do not worry about

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN' AND rUAIlUE. lOo

ile the
undrcd
yet al-
as still
mean-
y hunt-
on sent '
. That
as veiy
lo-h the
for the
je nuni-
► moved
went at
5 gladly
arbara.
was in
ng con-
y," and
ress my
1 a poor
eleased
ed the
re done
time."
ure the
,nd His
h you.
about

these matters. You luive been a faithful servant,
and your reward is near." " I am glad to hoar
you say so, John; it comforts me to see you
once more. Give my warmest greetings to your
father and mother and all our people at the Mis-
sion." Thus spoke my old friend and travelling
companion. Many a long weary mile we had
struggled over tog- ther, many a cold camp we
had shared. A brave, true, hardy, consistent
Christian man he was, and now here he lay dying
of hunjxer and cold and disease. I would have
delighted in helping him, but except a hymn
and prayer, and a few visits during the two
or three days we spent in the camp, I could not
do much for him. It seemed hard to let him
die in such straits, but we had neither medicine
nor the food he needed. After several services,
a council or two in Maskepetoon's tent, and
visiting in many of the lodges, we started across
country for our homeward trip. During our
stay in camp the Indians had shared with us
handsomely. The best they had was given to us,
and both doffs and men felt revived and strenjjfth-
ened. Nor was this all, for when leaving the
good-hearted people made a collection of pro-
visions, and we had with us about quarter-loads
when we left camp.

Maskepetoon thoroughly enjoyed our visit,

and it was at his suggestion that the collection
13

104 PATHFINDIXO ON PLAIN AND riUlRIE.

<,\

of food was taken up. He said, " Tell your
father that we are still hopeful of the bufValo
taking a turn northward, and of making rohrs
and provisions and coming into the Mission in
the spring well loaded. Tell him to pray for
us. We send him and those at the Mission our
heartfelt greetings."

We had not made more than eight or ton
miles on our way when we had the good fortnm;
to come across Maskepetoon's son just as he had
killed two bulls. These were in fairly good
flesh, and the generous fellow told us to help
ourselves. We each took about a hundred pounds
of fresh meat from his kill, and thanking him
went on our way. That afternoon we had a
wide plain to cross with snow deep and the cold
searching. Frozen noses and chins and cheeks
were common, and we were constantly telling
one another to rub and helping to rub until the
clear white gave place to the natural color.

By dark we reached the first point of woods,
and were disappointed to find that there was no
dry timber of any size to be found ; but as there
was no road we concluded to camp and do the
best we could. And now the cold was bitterly
cutting. Work as hard as we might we still
were constantly freezing. The few little dry
willows we found were barely sufficient to start
our fire, but the frost was so keen that the green

S' 1-

UE.

rATIIFI\niN(J ox PLAIN AND IMIAIKIK. 19.')

'oil your
c l)ufVaI()

Ig robes
ission ill
pray for
sion our

t or toil

fortniie

s ho ]vd<\

rly good

to help

1 pounds

ing him

e had a

the cold

1 choeks

telling

ntil the

or.

woods,

was no

IS there

do the

bitterly

we still

tie dry

to start

e green

trees blazed up as if dry, and in turns wo cut
thorn down and carried in and stood aroinid tliat
blaze. There was no thought of try i tig to sleep;
we were afraid to risk it.

We boiled some of the })uirs moat, and I very
well romem})er, as I stood before that big brush
tire, with a robe over my shoulders to break
the wind, that my piece of meat, but now out
of the boiling soup, though not very big, was
frozen before I had oaten more than half of it.
I was astonished at this, but found that my com-
panions were having similar experiences. No
sleep, no rest; steadily all night long we fought
the storm and cold. To make matters more
dismal, if possible, about an hour after midnight
we heard parties approaching our camp, and
when these came up, found that they were
bringing poor Joseph's frozen body to take it
to the Mission for burial.

It was all of one hundred and fifty miles to
the Mission. There was no road, the snow was
unusually deep and the weather intensely cold ;
yet here were two Indians with a dog-sled upon
which was stretched the inanimate body of their
friend, and they were willing in the face of
great difficulty to undertake this long journey,
just because their friend had signified a wish to
be interred beside the Mission. Who will say
after this that these people have no sentiment ?

•I
1 <

l^k"

106 I'ATiiFixnrxrj ox plain and piiairfr.

Now tli('r(3 were six of uh to keep tlie Hre
l)iirinii(^, and in relays of two we cho])pe(l and
carried until diiyli^dit came, when in gladness
we resumed our journey. At any rate we would
have plenty of dry wood for the rest of the trip.
What food wo carried was not of the best.
Having no fat in it, it had not the (piality essen-
tial to keeping out the cold. It takes the heart
out of most men to struggle on day after day
under such conditions, and in my case there was
a complication of troubles, for during the second
day out of Mask ope toon's camp I was taken with
my first and only attack of " snow-slioe sickness."
This is a contraction of the tendons and sinews
of the instep, and is exceedingly painful, worse,
indeed, th n toothache or even earache. It kept
me from resting at night, and when we went out
of our noon or night camps I would hop along
on one foot with the help of a pole, until in sheer
weariness I would force my foot to the ground.
Our dogs were so thin and weak that they could
not draw me on tlie sled.

Five days of cojd and pain and extreme
hardship brought us to the Mission. While our
friends were glad to see us, they were sorely
disappointed that our food report was not
more encouraging. There was nothing for the
settlement but to be content with potatoes and
parched barley for some time to come. During

IR.

PATHFINDINCJ oN I'hAIN ASD I'ltAIUIK. 1!>7

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 <li('d, and \v«'
l}uried old Joseph beside him. For some ycai's of
this life he could say with him of old, "I know
that my Redeemer liveth." And in full hope
we hiid his mortal renuiins in the ground, once
more to recline on the breast of mother-earth.

Two days at Victoria, and Francis and I uinl
mv brother David amiin set out for IMm'on Lake.
There liad been no travel, and the snow luid
deepened so that every step of the road had to In"
broken. But in spite of this we made the lake
in four days, and found our families still alone
but well. For thirty-three days their isolation
had been complete, and during the latter half of
the period their anxiety great. What signified
that we had brought little or no provisions !* Wv
had reached home, and with four days' rations
ahead. Froin the purely material standpoint
our trip had been a miserable failure. We had
spent our strength for naught, had undergone
untold hardships, and the financial results were
'^^7. But is it not written that " man doth not
live by bread only " ? We had brought conso-
lation to the sorrowing and dying ; w^e had con-
veyed to Maskepetoon and his large camp, during
a desponding time in their experience, the kind
brotherly greetings of the big Church we repre-
sented, and the love and profound sympathy of
the larger Christianity we professed. We had

'■\

l98 PATHFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PHAIllIK.

preached tlie Gospel of liope and joy to niulti-
tudes ; we liad made men and women forget, for
a time at least, their present liunger and cold
and pain and suffering, as we told tlieni of that
better land where these conditions did not exist.
We had been privileged during that trip to sound
the glad tidings in ears hitherto strange to such
sublime teaching. And if these were some of
the present and tangible results of our journey,
wdio will estimate tlie fruitage of eternity ?
Verily to men of humble faitli such work as ours
is a continual paradox. We are hungry, yet
always feasting; we are tired and weary, yet
constantly gaining strength ; we are sad, yet full
of joy ; we are at times despondent, still ever
rejoicing. Verily this Gospel of our Christ is a
perennial benediction.

1:^

UE.

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 199

:o niulti-

)rget, for

and cold

L of that

not exist.

to sound

i to such

some of

journey,

iteruity ?

k as ours

eary, yet

\, yet full

still ever

irist is a

CHAPTER XX.

My brother a '* ready-made pioneer " — Hunting rabbits —
Two roasted rabbits per man for supper — 1 find my
friend, Firing Stc^ny, in a flourishing condition-
Poisoning wolves — A good morning's s})ort — 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.

This was my brother's first trip to Pioeon Lake.
He had never been seen so far west in his life
before. To him, as to myself, this big country
was a constant revelation. After staying with
us a few days, he returned alone to Victoria.
Had he not been by nature and instinct a
" ready-made pioneer," I should have hesitated
to let him thus return alone, but in his case I
felt no fear.

And now my man and I settled down to tak-
ing out timber and whip-sawing lumber. Nor
was this our only occupation, for we had nets to
mend and clean and fish to catch ; and to chop
and chisel through the ice and set a net in the
dead of a northern winter was not an easy or
comfortable task. Rabbits, fortunately, were

200 PATHFINDING ON PLAIX AND PRAIRIE.

numerous about us at this time, and gave pleas-
ing variety to our table fare. Taking our dogs
and sleds, we would go out a few miles to where
the nature of the country was favorable for
these "jumping bits of food" for men and
wildcats. Choosing a suitable spot for our
camp we would fasten our dogs, and each go his
own way and kill as many rabbits as he could
before dark. Then returning laden to camp, we
would gather a good supply of wood for our fire
and settle ourselves for the night. As the fire
grew strong we would stick each of us a
rabbit on an improvised spit, and when these
were roasted have supper. Then we cleaned our
guns and fed our dogs, and by and by roasted
another rabbit apiece and made our second
supper. Even then we were not too well satis-
fied ! Two rabbits of an evening per man may
seem rather much to him who all his life has had
his fresh meat, butter and bacon and beans and
bread, and many other foods at each meal. But
I will here place it on record that two rabbits
straight in one evening, in the face of violent
exercise and the all out-doors dinino- and livintr
room we were in, did but barely satisfy the
pangs of hunger for a short time.

About the last of February something im-
pelled me to make a trip out south-eastward of
the lake. Taking Francis with me, we packed

[J pleas-
ur (logs
) where
ble for
3n and
or our

I go his
e could
,mp, we
our fire
the fire
P us a
n these
ned our
roasted

second

II satis-
m may
las had
ns and

But
rabbits
violent
living
fy the

ig im-
^ard of
Dacked

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 201

our sled with fish enough to provide for our dogs
and ourselves for four or five days, and started.
We took turns in going ahead on snowshoes,
and as our dogs were fresh we made good time.
Early the second day we came to a solitary lodge
of Indians, and entering it found it was the
home of Mr. Firing Stony, of whom I already
have spoken in this book. He and his family
were in a starving state, and they told us of
others farther on similarly situated, whom they
had seen some ten days before. We gave them
some of our fish and told them to make all haste
towards the lake, and then we pushed on. But,
after two days' search, failing to find any more
lodges, we turned back and again came to Firing
Stony 's camp. They had moved a short dis-
tance nearer the lake, but being exceedingly
weak, could move only slowly. Firing Stony
had tracked deer and hunted them for two
days, but had failed to kill any, and now his
large family was entirely without food. We
had only two small fish left. These I gave to
the mother to prepare, and we made our meal
of them that night. Early next morning, taking
Firing Stony with us, we set off for the lake,
bidding the family follow us as fast as they
could. I confess that I was never very much
good at anything like vigorous exercise taken
on an empty stomach, and while these thirty

•v

202 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PIIAIIUE.

miles were long and <liflicult to Francis and my-
self, they must liave been a very heavy strain
upon our lialf-famished companion. He was
plucky, though, and kept up well. Early in the
afternoon we reached the Mission, and very soon
my wife was preparing a good meal of such food
as we had.

We were hungry, but our guest was famish-
ing and had to be carefully fed, especially after
such a run through tlie deep snow. Towards
evening he said he was all right, and would
return to meet his family. So we loaded him
with fish and told him to rest by the way, and
we would come on the morrow and help him and
his family into the Mission. To witness this
man's intense interest in those dependent upon
him, to see that he was willing to sacrifice him-
self, if necessary, on their behalf, was very
stimulating to our optimism for the future of
this people. In this man, notwithstanding the
centuries of vice and ignorance, tlie germ of
divinity was quite apparent.

The next evening we had the entire family In
camp beside us, and our women were doing what
they could to relieve their necessities. In a few
days the little ones and their elders began to look
like different people. What was mere existence
to us was to them a feast.

During the early part of the season the

PATHFINDIXG ON PLAIN ANt) IMtAIUlE. ^03

wolves had killed several of the horses and eolts
of the Indians, so on one of my trips I secured
a small vial of strychnine, and used it with
deadly effect. By the middle of March I had
poisoned twenty-eight wolves and several 'foxes,
and with these was able to buy a few articles of
clothing and two small sacks of liarley meal.
My plan was to put a little poison into a small
cube of wildcat fat, which is very soft and melts
with little heat. Then I would chop up some
fish and scatter them around wliere 1 had
placed the baits. I handled the poisun very
carefully, as I did not want to kill any dogs
with it, and moreover, the natives had a prejudice
against using it. Late in the evening I would
drive with mv dog's several miles to the end of
the lake, and there place the baits, and next
morning, before daylight, I would be making
across the ice as fast as my dogs could carry
me, gathering up the results in wolves or foxes,
or untouched baits, with which I came home.
In this way I ran but little risk of poisoning
any other than the animals I was after.

One day I had quite a run of good luck. The
evening before I had noticed the tracks of a fox
near home, and as I did not want to place poison
so near the house, I set a small one-springed trap
at the place. In the morning, on my way to
where the baits were placed, I noticed that the

204 PATHFINDING 0\ PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

f.V

little trap, to which I luad fastened a short stick,
had been dragged out on the lake. Farther on I
again ci'ossed the trail of the dragged trap, now
striking for the shore. Continuing my course,
I came to the baits, and found a big grey wolf
and a red fox stiff and stark. Lashing these on
my sled, I gathered up the unused bait, and
returning drove to the spot where my trap had
been pulled into the woods. Here I tied the
dogs, put on my snowshoes, and started on the
trail. I had not gone far when I found the
stick which had been attached to the trap, and
said to myself, " Now then for a long chase, for
that trap is small and the chain attached is also
small and short." But presently I came to
where the heavy snow had bent a thick bush
over, making a sort of den, into which my trap
had been dragged. Picking up a stick I shoved
it into the den. Immediately I heard the jingle
of the chain of the trap, and before I could
withdraw the stick a large fox jumped past me
and made for the forest as fast as he could go.

I saw that he was a fine fellow, beautifully
marked. I saw also that he had the trap on
one of his front feet, and, determined not to lose
my quarry, I pushed after him as fast as I could.
For the first hour or two, aided by the thick
brush and the rabbit-paths, he kept ahead of me,
but towards noon I chased him out into a more

fc stick,
er on I
p, now
course,
y wolf
ese on
it, and
ip had
3d the
)n the
id the
p, and
se, for
s also
lie to
bush
J trap
hoved
jingle
could
st me
go.
ifully
ip on
3 lose
iould.
thick
f me,
more

f 1

(

" And now J . . . tapped his nose for him so effectually that he
was stunned." {Page Jffo)

■<.-::'^'"-'

ly that he

PATHFIXDING OX PI.ATX AND IMlAiniK. 205

open country, where the snow was deep and
loose, and here I saw plainly I was ^ainin^
;^round. Presently I saw the snow flying
ahead of me, and rushinjL^ in caught the fellow
digging out an old burrow wliich was covered
with snow, and had not been used that winter at
least, but which must have been an old lair of
I lis, as he had made straight for it. My first
grip was at his tail, and the white tip of this
came ofl' in my hand. The next catch I had
him by one of his hind legs, and then I paused
and thought what I should do. If I pulled him
out, he would doubtless bite me. I felt about
in the snow and was fortunate in securing a
small stick. And now I pulled Mr. Fox out, and
tapped his nose for him so effectually that he
was stunned, and then I killed him.

Throwing the fox over my shoulder, I struck
out straight for home. The sharp chase in the
keen air had given me a rousing appetite, but
before getting my dinner I thought I would
bring in some fish to thaw, in order to have
them ready to feed my dogs when I brought
them home. As I entered the fish-house I heard
something stir, and giving the pile of frozen
fish a shake, saw a mink rush out of the pile and
make for a small hole in the roof. Hurriedly
grasping a fish-stick, I ran to meet him, ai.d
as he jumped from the roof I caught him and

20G PAIIIFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

killed him. Thus I had as the result of ono
inorniiig's sport a bi^ wolf, a red fox, a cross
fox, and a mink, which as things went in those
days was a straight run of good luck.

One evening Mr. Firing Stony came to nie
and said, " I wish you would give me a bait or
two and let me try my luck with them. My
snares and traps are of no use." I answered,
" You are too careless ; you would poison some-
body." But he pressed for them, so I gave him
three baits and he went away happy. But as
soon as he saw the sparks flying out of my
chimney the next morning, which was long
before daylight, he came in laughing and said,
" You knew better than I, for, just as you told
me, I have poisoned my best dog. There she
was, lying stiff dead when I made the fire just
now." " Well," I said, " I did not want to give
you those baits." " I know," he answered, " and
I was careful, but that dog was a notorious
thief."

Not long after this Firing Stony invited
me to his tent, and as I approached the spot I
became aware through my olfactory nerves
that he had made a successful hunt at last, for
certainly something that smelled good was boil-
ing in that kettle. Before I really knew what
it was, a thrill of joy went through my whole
being. Right here J \yant the reader to know

TE.

PATHFINDIXG ON PT.ATX AND rRAIRTE. 207

of one
, a cross
in those

I to me

bait or

m. My

iswcred,

n soiiie-

Eive liini

But as

of my

as lon^

nd said,

ou told

ere she

ire just

to give

d, " and

)torious

invited
spot I
nerves
ast, for
as boil-
tv what
whole
know

that I am not more epicurean than most liuman-
ity ; but when you are always hungry for change
of fare, or for food itself, you become very sus-
ceptible to the smell of good food co(jkiiig.
" You are welcome," said mine host, and I
answered, " What strange thing have you b(;en
about ?" His wife answered, " He has gone and
found a bear." Sure enough, presently there
were dished up to me some delicious bear ribs.
I ate what I could and took the rest home with
me, as this was an Indian custom and exceed-
ingly convenient at times. I will never in this
life while memory lasts forget how delicious
that fat bear-meat was.

It came out that my friend was tracking a
moose, and in doing so came upon a bear's den
and succeeded in killing the old one and two
cubs. Next morning, taking my dogs, we went
and brought in the rest of the meat, I getting
half of it as my share, and the following day
started early to intercept and follow up if pos-
sible the trail of the moose. But after hours of
heavy snowshoeing and wading and crawling,
we found that some wolves had run the moose
away from us. Tired and disappointed, we
reached home late that night.

About the end of March Indians began to
straggle in, bringing little or no provisions, but
glad to fall back ^yith us on the food supply of

20S rATMFIN'DINCi ON I'LAIN AND PFlAriUE.

the lake. It was about tliis timo, wlicn Francis
and I were ru.shiii<r tlie whip-sawinj^, that oiu;
day the ))oxin<]j came oiT in n»y liand.s and the
back of the saw split my nose and lips, cut niy
chin, and pretty nearly knocked my front teeth
down my tliroat. Fortunately we had a supply
of stickin<^ plaster, and while I lield the parts
to«:jetlier in turn my wife deftly fastened them
with the plaster. I was unable either to speak
or to masticate my food for several days, and
was forced to subsist on sucker broth. l^ut
I could continue my work at tlie sawin^^ and
my wounds closed and healed in an extraordi-
narily short time, demonstrating tlie fact that
after all what we called hard fare was really
health producinj^.

I was but nicely over my painful wounds
when Samson came in. His tent was hardly in
place when I was invited over to have a meal
with him. I had felt hungry all that winter,
but the last few days of fish broth had intensi-
fied that feeling. Now here vvas what seemed
to me a feast for a king — the tongue and boss of
a fat bufialo, some pounded meat and marrow-
fat, and the ham of a porcupine. Many a sump-
tuous repast have I since enjoyed in palatial
homes, many a dining-car meal have I partaken
of since that meal in my friend Samson's lodge,
but of none of these have I such pleasant rccol-

1 Fniiicis
that oik;
and tli(!
■<, cut my
out tcctli
a supply
)\u' parts
led tlu'iii
to speak
lays, and
h. But
in^', and
>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.

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

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,

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 alon<!j the
higliway, we felt as if we were driving right
into them. Watching the wonderful panorama,
1 saw away beyond the mountains, and there was
a body of water, w^ith land and hills in the far
background. Then on the water there came
in view a steamship. There she stood on her
course with a dark cloud of smoke falling astern.
I said to my wife, " What do you see ?" " Why,"
she exclaimed. " I see a big lake, and there is a
steamer coming towards us." All this was real
to our vision and sense. And if truly a picture
of this world, that mirage was revealing to our
vision scenes seven hundred miles distant. It
had lifted those mountains thousands of feet into
the heavens and drawn them within the scope of
our natural sight. Verily this is a strange, mys-
terious world, even this wherein we now dwell.

The Monday morning follow^ing our third
Sunday out brought us sunshine and rain, one
of those quick downpours you cannot make
ready for as you travel. The cloud and mist

PATIIFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 217

^ed, my
(I iU!ar
ne out
ountry
'le one
ins, but
ie they
lUiT the
L^ right
lorama,
ere was
the far
e came
on her
• astern.
' Why,"
ere is a
^as real
picture
to our
mt. It
et into
icope of
:e, mys-
dwell.
third
bin, one
make
d mist

from this liad l)arcly cU'arcid away \\']nm I saw
a dark object in a lake aliead of us. I pointed
this out to an Indian wlio was with mo. "Oh !"
said he, " that is a big stone in the lake." I
declared it looked like some large; animal, but as
we were still distant from the lake wc; went on,
and suddenly came upon the tracks of a large
herd of buffalo. These were travelling right
out eastward, and must have numbc 1 two
Imndred or more. As the tracks were quite
fresh, I concluded to ride ahead and reccjnnoitre,
for eight or nine miles from us was a range of
liills, and the herd was making straight for
these. When about five n\iles from our party
I heard quick shooting in their vicinity, and
concluding they were being attacked by hostile
Indians, I innnediately turned my horse and
rode as fast as I could towards them. But meet-
ing an Indian, he stayed my alarm by saying,
" It was a bear they were shooting." The object
I had seen in the lake was an enormous grizzly,
and he had shown fight, which accounted for the
fusilade I had heard. The Indians told me that
they had killed him, and that his meat w^as quite
fat. If I had not been so much taken up with
the fresh buffalo tracks I would have had the
first shot at that grizzly, an eccentric fellow
evidently, or he would not thus have wandered
so far from his native mountains.

218 PATHFINDINTi ON Pf.AIX AND PRAIRIE.

Our lierd of Iniffiilo were travelling fast, so
fast indeed tliat we did not see either them or
iipy of their rehitions tliat day, hut were forced
to content ourselves with roasted grizzly. Tlu!
next day we came to a small bunch of cows that
led us a lively chase. The land was broken and
rolling, and the buffalo split up as we charged.
Samson and I went after one portion at a break-
neck speed down a range of hills into a valky,
where I thought we were going to have a fair
race, when suddenly the whole lot disappeared
over a precipitous bank into a creek with a
plunge and splash. I watched my companion to
see what he would do, when I saw him urge his
horse over the bank into about four feet of
water. As he took the jump he held his gun up
over his head to keep it dry, and I followed,
doing the same. And now as the flying herd
were rushing up the slope, Samson shouted,
" That is a good one on your side; try and kill
her." When I closed in the cow left the others
and ran me a stiff chase up the hill. But I sent
a bullet after her which made her slow up and
presently stop and face me. Then I gave her
another right in the head, and she dropped in
her tracks. As my little horse was now well
winded, I alighted by the side of the cow, and
Samson came up, having killed two. The others

UllIE.

ig fast, sc
er them or
rem forced
'///Ay. Tlie

cows tliat
)roken and
e charged,
it a break-
,0 a valley,
tiave a fair
isappeared
ek with a
npanion to
m urge his
iir feet of
liis gun up
L followed,
lying herd
a shouted,
ry and kill

the others
But I sent
ow up and
I ""ave her
iropped in

now well
le cow, and
The others

PATHFIXDINO ON PLAIN AND PUAIUIE. 219

also had done well, so we camped hy that creek
and began makitig prcj visions.

Here wo remained for several days, going out
and killing and bringing the meat home, all the
time constantly on guard to prevent our horses
being stolen or our camp attacked, for we were
now on the outer fringes of the great herds of
buffalo and might come across enemies at any
time.

220 PATHFINI>ING 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

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; <lried
meat, without any spice or seasoning other than
sun and wind or tire, would keep for years in a
fresh wholesome state.

Before we left the camp by the creek we had
manufactured penuuican and dried meat and
hide covers and parchment skins and many lines,
and what with the hunting and doing all this
work and looking constantly after our stock, we
were pretty busy. We then moved farther out
on the plains, when we made another home
camp, and repeated the experience of the last
one. But as the buffalo were much scattered,
we had far and wide to hunt for them. We
would take it in turns, and leaving camp <'arly
in the morning, sometimes would noT< retvu'u
until dark. Under such circumstances, both
with those at home and those hunting, the
nervous strain wasconsi(lera])le, for now we had
seen many signs of th(? (*nemy and ^'veral
attempts had been made to steal our horses.

224 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

Mine was the best gun in camp, and it was a
double-barrelled percussion-lock muzzle loader.
All the rest were armed with single-barrelled
flint-lock guns. There was not one revolver or
pistol among the whole party.

One day we went as far as the Red Deer
Riv^er, and finding a bunch of bulls right down
on the river bottom near the water's edge, we
made a big circuit and started the herd. They
took up a deep ravine and soon began oo climl)
the almost perpendicular banks to the uplands
above. These banks were not small affairs, but
were hundreds of feet in height. In our eager-
ness we followed close on their heels, and some
of them would stop and look around at us as if
the next move would be a charge down the steep
upon us. Woe to the man or horse caught in
such a fix. But then if these fellows should
reach the level summit much in advance of us
we might not catch them again, for our horses
were pretty well blown by this run and climb.
I am sure it must have taken from ten to fifteen
minutes to follow those big monsters (for these
were the fattest we had seen) up that hill, and
of course every one of us secretly in his own
mind wanted to kill the very fattest. I had
already singled out mine and was keeping
dangerously near him, but it would not do to
fire at any on such a hill ; we must let theui

HE.

PATIIFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 225

it was a
3 loader,
barrelled
solver or

led Deer
jht down
edge, we
d. They
L (>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.

• >

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<r-
often as he
ce, and he
Id.

father and
damped for
f the dense
nt we had
rts. From
not plenti-
about half
rain-storm,
.0 tent and

" I succeeded in getting hold of the end of a tree." {Paije ..'■>'.'>)

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<jjin(^ current,
and I became soj)arated from Ijoth horse and
cart. My lieavy heather clotlies impedcsd my
movements, and I came very near swingin*^
around the point i'or the last time in this world.
Finally, when nearly exhausted with lighting
tlie wild stream, I succeeded in getting hold of
the end of a tree which extended out into the
stream, and made the shore in safety. Our
liorse and cart fortunately, too, came out on the
right side, and after some mending of harness we
proceeded on our way.

We kept on the south side of the Saskatche-
wan and ferrietl at Victoria. Since father left
to look for us no word had reached Victoria
either oF him or of us, and our arrival was
hailed with joy. Everybody around the Mission
was busy preparing for father's long trip east.
He contemplated driving all the way to St.
Paul on the Mississippi ; and to start on such a
trip in those days of bridgeless and ferryless
streams, and with very few suppl}^ depots,
required no little preparation, the chief items of
which, however, were horses and pemmican, and

;j5i^''^sr

236 PATIIFIXDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

plentv of self-help, backed np by a strong faitli
in God. Father was pretty well supplied witli
these essentials.

He took with him my three sisters and Miss
Tait, daughter of the Hudson's Bay Company
officer stationed at Victoria. He also had two
Indian bovs he intended to leave wliere he mifdit
meet railway or steam transport. We were
very busy for three or four days in getting
things ready for this long trip, and then we saw
them off, and came back to the Mission house
feeling lonely enough, especially mother. Fatlier
would be at least a year absent, and she would
sorely miss her three bright girls whose clatter
and romp and play had gladdened and illumined
the isolated home so often, in spite of many
anxious periods of suspense and patient waiting.
No doubt it was a tremendous sacrifice on her
part to see them go so far away, and that for
years ; but, as was consistent with her whole life,
she meekly bore these trials and went on with
her work as usual.

Returning, I fell in with a party travelling to
Edmonton, and from there I struck out alone for
Pigeon Lake but chanced to meet Francis at
the limit of our cart road, packing in the provi-
sions, etc., to the Mission. I found all well, and
quite a number of Indians in from different
points, but these f«« usual, did Dot remain long,

lIRIE.

rong faitli
plied with

and Miss

Company
) had two
e he miglit

We were
in getting
en we saw
sion house
er. Fatlier
she would
lose clatter
. illumined
of many
it waiting,
ice on her
,d that for

whole life,
on with

Lvelling to
t alone for
Francis at
the provi-
1 well, and
1 different
nain long,

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 237

but soon were scattered. It was about this
time that Francis concluded to go back to Vic-
toria, and with the exception of one Indian
family and a couple of boys I was training we
were alone ; but as we knew camps were here
and there to the south of us, we felt compara-
tively safe from the enemy. I say the enemy,
but our enemies were not always easy to locate,
for the whole country was in a lawless con-
dition, and whims and moods, or trouble and
disappointment, might make us enemies at any
time. It was best always to be on the alert ;
to trust in Providence and " keep our powder
dry " was always in order.

To put up hay was the next consideration, and
my boys and I went at it m earnest. Wooden
forks, and poles wherewith to handle and stack,
were all we had, but nevertheless we made a
good supply of hay, and by the time we were
through the Indians began to come in. From
the last of August until winter was fairly upon
us our congregations were usually large. Our
work evidently war! tolling, for there was very
much less conjuring and gambling, and the
people were awakening to a better life.

Our duties to and amongst these people were
manifold. We had to supply the object lesson
in all new industries. In fishing, net making
and mending, chopping and sawing, planting and

238 PATHFIXDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

I ',

weeding, and even in economical hunting, we
found that we must not only take a part but
lead. I was doctor, lawyer, judge and arbitra-
tor, peace commissioner, pastor, teacher and
brother man. Many a perplexing case of sick-
ness made us feel our ignorance, but we did our
best. Crecs and Stonies were constantly quarrel-
ling over horses or women, and it was my duty
(so everybody seemed to think) to step in and
interfere and investigate. Charges of secret
poisoning and of conjuring loved ones to their
death were frequent, and many a solemn time
we spent in disabusing ignorant minds of
groundless suspicions, and also many an hour
we labored to explain the benefit of Christian
civilization in the ordering of the lives of a
community.

Some of the strongly conservative pagans
and ardent gamblers and staunch polygamists
and wild " devil-may-cares " at times vigorously
resented (as well they might) our interference.
But such men as Adam and Jacob and Mark,
among the Stonies who then frequented that
part of the coimtry ; and of the Crees, Sam-
son, Paul and others stood by us loyally, and
our influence grew apace. John, " the young
preacher," was becoming quite an authority
among the wandering tribes.

MRIE.

PATH FINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIUIE. 239

inting, we
a part but
id arbitra-
iacher and
Lse of sick-

•

we did our
ly quarrel -
,s my duty
tep in and

of secret
es to their
)lemn time

minds of

y an hour

Christian

lives of a

^e pagans
olygamists
vigorously
terference.
and Mark,
snted that
rees, Sam-
yally, and
the young
authority

CHAPTER XXIV.

Our first interment — Jacob's trtagic death — Hostile Flat-
heads in (|uest 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 dis-
trust and dislikes — United by fear of a connuon foe
— The effects of Christianity.

That autumn one of our best young men, Jacob
by name, was killed by the Flatheads. His
friends sent me word that they were bringing
the body into the Mission. We dug our first
grave on the hill, and there in the quiet of this
" God's acre " we laid to rest the remains of the
brave young fellow who had died in defence of
liis people. This was our first interment, in the
fall of 1807, and we came here in the spring of
1865. This was significant of the migratory
character of the people, as also of the health ful-
ness of the highland country.

Our Indians had camped auout twenty-five
miles from the Mission, and in a comparatively
wooded section, where they believed themselves

240 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND I'KAIRIE.

■ 1. •■ '

in large measure exempt from attacks of the
plain Indians, and had no thought of attack
by warriors from the Pacific slope. However,
as one told me, they had " felt someone in the
vicinity," and were watching their horses closely,
keeping them staked right up to camp at night.

One of our people, called William One-eye, was
on guard when lie saw what he took to be a
stranger stooping at the feet of one of the horses.
He approached quietly and spoke to him, as he
wanted to make sure before firing at him. But
the fellow answered by shooting at him, and
with so good an aim that the ball grazed Wil-
liam's forehead, cutting away a tuft of his hair,
which was bound with ermine skin, and stun-
ning him for an instant. Ere he could recover
himself the thief jumped on the horse and
dashed away at furious speed.

William soon gave the alarm, but already
everybody was stirring because of the shot, and
now it was found that several horses were gone.
The whole camp was aroused and the pursuit
became general. It was in this running fight
that Jacob was shot. The Stonies, on their
part, killed two of the Flatheads, bringing in
their horses and saddles, and the ammunition
and tent which were packed on these.

The marauders had come hundreds of miles
through the mountains on this (juest for horses,

aiiiE.

;ks of the
of attack
However,
one in tlie
ses closely,
p at night,
le-eye, was
k to be a
the horses,
him, as he
him. But
■j him, and
Tazed Wil-
of his hair,
and htnn-
ild recover
horse and

ut already
e shot, and
were gone.
\e pursuit
uiing tight
on their
ringing in
mmunition
se.

s of miles
for horses,

PATIIFINDING ON PLAIN AND PUAIIUE. 241

scalps and glory, and as the trails were now
becoming clearly defined from almost every
direction into our Mission, it looked as if we
might be visited at any time by these lawless
scamps.

Young Jacob came of a large and plucky
family, and it was hard work to restrain thes(^
from going on a retaliatory expedition, but tlu;
leaven of Christianity Avas working sufficiently
to keep them in check. Of this we had ample
evidence some six wees:3 later, when the same
camp of Stonies was attacked by a large war
party of Crees, who said that they mistook them
for Blackfeet. But this could hardly be possible,
for the Stonies were having evening worship at
the time and were singing and praying. Mark
said this accounted for the small mortality of
their fusilade on the camp, as most of them were
low down on their knees and the balls passed
over their heads, which the holes in their lodges
])lainly showed.

The Stonies repulsed their foes, and heard
them shouting back, " This was a mistake ; we
thought you were Blackfeet, our common ene-
mies." It was only when the Stonies returned
to camp they discovered that their aged patri-
arch, Mark's father, '* The-man-without-a-hole-
in-his-ear," was killed. The old man was on
his knees praying when the ball went right
IG

242 I'ATllFINDINa ON PLAIN AND PUAllUE.

I %

tlirouf:fh his vitals. Evidotitly lio had died vvitli-
out a stru^j^lo. Mark said that if they had
known Uiis at tlic time tlioy could not hav«!
spared tlic Crimes, but coming hack to camp and
tindin«jj that their fatlier had died on his knees
whiK; in the act of prayer, they felt that they
nnist resnect his act and faitli and not take re-
venge. Surely this was stron<jj evidence of a
jjjreat chanfjje in the feelin^^s of the Indians, IunmI
as tlu»y had been to retaliation and <leep hatred
of their foes.

All throu<;h the autunui we dwelt in the
midst of alarms, and it was not until winte.-
came, with its cold and snow, that we felt in a
measure secure for a time from these wandering
parties. On November 25th another little girl
came to our humble home, and was given the
name of Ruth.

At this time, what with holding services at
home and visiting camps in our vicinity attend-
ing to the fall and winter fisheries, providing
wood, and hauling hay (for we had secured
another cow and a couple of oxen, and I was
keeping a horse in the stable), my time was
fully tiiken up. In fact I w^as hard driven, and
was very glad when a sufficiency of rish was
stored, so that I could pack my nets and other
fishing paraphernalia away for a few months.
Then, as per instructions from my Chairman, I

lUE.

PATH FINDING ON PLAIN AND rUAIitli:. 243

iod with-
hoy liad
tiot hav(i
;aiiip and
lis knees
hat they
take re-
(nce of a
ans, bred
3p hatred

it in the
,il wintt •
felt in a
,'anderin^
little girl
riven the

r vices at
attcnd-

providing
secured

lid I was

time was

iven, and
rish was

md other
months.

airman, I

made a dash for Victoria, spending two Sab-
batlis there, and taking Kdmontcm ni raiitr lK)th
ways. At this time I did not (Ian; attempt to
preach in English, but felt ipiiti^ at home in tlu;
Cree.

During the winter of 18(57-08, th<' Imflalo
still kept far out, and there was considerable
destitution all over the country. Our store-
house and fish-house were ever and anon called
upon to come to the rescue;. We never failed to
emphasize the stern nijcessity of making j)rovi-
sion for the future, but with a people having no
abiding place this was a hard lesson to learn.
1'he rabbits, fortunately, were more numerous
than usual, and with them came the lynx, both
helping out in the preservation of life f. om
actual starvation.

I killed (piite a number of lynx that winter,
and got many of these on the ice of the lake.
Whenever I saw an object moving on the snow-
covered ice, I concluded it was either a lynx or
a wolf, and as I had an opera glass I could very
soon determine which, for the wolf had a long,
bushy tail, and the lynx a very stumpy one — in
fact, hardly any. Therefore, if the object I saw
was tailless, I saddled my horse and rode for
him. My dogs would also join the hunt, and
when we came within a half-mile or so, the
lynx generally noticed us and started off with

244 I'ATHFINDING (iN PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

«
*

tremendous leaps as if he would leave all creation
behind. His strong feature, however, was in tlie
lieight rather than the length of his jumping,
and soon his half circles in the air came to
a stop. While I was coming up on the steady
jump, slow and sure, he would crook up his back,
strightf^> 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//('<l ri^lit, |)asl my «*mi-. I Iui'ihmI
ami saw that VVilliam was I'airly pale with rriji;lii.
W(» were t()») mncli ('u<rMir''<l lor Nvords. "Almost,!"

"fy"^

\w crioil, and I ajiswcriMl, " Vcs, almost," aii<l
wo ilasluMl al'tci' (lu^ ll,V'i>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'i<i('ut
at that timo Samson wonid havo shot Iiim rij^ht
then and tlnTO, for lu» was an;;ry at the other's
caroh^ssnoss, as lui tcrnnMl it.

In our ram}) at that time wo had sovon dis-
tinct classes of mon. Thoro wore mountain
Stonios and wood Stonios, plain Creos and
wood Creos, French and Indian mixed bloods,
and Kn«i;lish and Indian mixed bloods; myself
the only white man in the party. KnvironnuMit,
lauiTuajxe and dialect had each ditrerentiate(l
these people. And now we were, because of the
Gospel and for C^hrist's sake, seeking to brin^
them to<j;ether. It was serious work at times.
They could not possibly see eye to eye. Old
feuds kept stirring their b.le. Old memories of
wrongs and slights and bloody scenes were con-
stantly being brought most vividly before their
minds, and my every resource was tried in (piiet-
ing and quelling and pacifying them. Even the
children partook of mutual distrust and hatred.
We were leagued against the common enemy ;

/I.

l'ATIIKI\rHN(l ON VLMN AND IMIAIIIIK. 247

but W(^ iiii^lit liav(? Ji row aiiiori;^ ourHi^Ivcs ut
any tifno, atid I was I'omvi^r on my ;ru/ii»| ho hh
not to intiin.siry oi- aflorfl any oxcuhi^ for what
wa.s cltMirly a[>i)an!nt. In hwi I wan hoping Tor
HJ^riH of tln^ «in</niy to help allay tliin condition
for the tiino Ix^in;^, wlicn Hun; onou^h wa l)o^an
to track frcHh camps and hunting parti«!H of the
lilacUfiM^t trihr.s. Ah I had thou^dit, this hrou^dit
our discordafit elements fnon; into line;, and we
organized and watchcid and hunt<;d together
un(hM* the spur of a common (hinder.

Of coursii, our meetings every day and all
through Sunday, our constant upliftinj^ of the
(jTOspel, and its resultant forces, were telling upon
this confjlomeration of humanity, but tJie in-
breeding of centuries is not to be weeded out
in a few weeks, nor y(;t in a few years. Early
in life I was j^iven to learn the lesson of patience.

248 PATHFIXDIXa ox PLAIN AXD PUAIMIE.

CHAPTER XXV.

Through new country — "Greator Canada " — Antulopes--
Startling etlectH of niirago — War partio.s keep u.s on
the alert — Ilemarkablo Hj»eed of a plain Cree — A
curious HUper8titi(»n A Cree's gruesome story —
Returning with carts fully loaded — Followed by
hostile Indians T sight and chase a ''sitting" hull —
My shot wounds him - Paul's son thrown under the
brutti's feet — Firing Stony's clever shot to the rescue
— We arrive at the Mission — Road-making.

i' *

a-:

:-C

i,.;'5

\,\

We were now in what was uew country to me,
and indeed to nearly all our camp. Few of these
Stonies had ever been so far out on the plains
before. We were crossing new valleys, climbing
over new ranges of hills, camping by new cr-eeks
and springs, and every day I was turning over
new leaves of the topography and geography
of this "greater Canada." What an immense
pasturage this, wherein the " cattle of the Lord
upon a thousand hills " were grazing ! There
were millions of these cattle, and yet so big was
the field that you might travel for days and
weeks and not see one of them. But their
tracks were everywhere — paths and dust-pans
and bones and chips were omnipresent as you

:i.

IE.

itelopus--
uep UH on
Creo A
5 story —
l(»wed by
g"bull -
under the
bhu re.scuu

y to me,

of these

\e plains

liinbinuj

,v creeks

iii<^ over

ography

mniense

he Lord

Tliere

big was

ays and

ut their

ust-pans

as you

FATIIFINDINO ON PLAIN AND I'HAIHIK. 240

journeyed. Over these plains also roamed lar<^e
and small flocks of antelopes, hiiautilul, <^raceful
and a<(ile creatures thes<i looked as they would
feather on the crest of a hill and curiously survey
our passin<r train. How often und(!r the spell
of the mirage these appeare«l as a body of Indian
horsemen, and many an alarm they caused to the
wandeiing bands of natives as they moved with
their heads erect and on the steady regular lope
across the i)lains. One would almost swear they
were horstnnen. It took a ttrst-class horse to
catch buffalo, but it required one of exceptional
speed and wind to come up to these antelopes.

Within three weeks of our start from the
Mission we were liard at work making provi-
sions. Several times the Black feet and their
allies came close to us, but such under Providence
was the care we took of our camp and hunting
expedition that these did not dare to attack us.
As our party would act only on the defensive,
there was no collision between us. One eveninir
some were seen close to the camp, and as I
generally kept the saddle on one of my best
horses, very soon I and some of my men were
out in the direction they were seen ; but dark-
ness dropping fast, they easily disappeared.
Our (h'monstration was largely for tlie purpose
of letting the hostiles know they had been set-n
and tliat we were prepared for them. What did

i ^

2oO PATHFINDING ON I'LAIX AND PRAIllIE.

I. » ,

' »

■ft:'

I «

ustonisli me, howevor, was tliat tlie plain Cree
wliom I ineiiti(jne(l in th(3 cliaptcr preceding
this was on the spot as (juickly as any of our
liorsenien, thougli lie was on foot. When I ex-
pressed surprise, he quietly pointed to the strip
of dot^-skin which he had over his shoulders
with the tail attached hangjing behind (this was
the back of the dog-skin, from tip of nose to
tip of tail, now nicely tanned and lined with
colored cloth). " This," said he, " is the cause.
If I had put on the swifter dog's skin I should
have been here before you." I then noticed that
he had the bigger and slower dog's skin as part
of his dress, and he believed (if I did not) that
the wearing of this gave him speed. He claimed
tliat the spirit of his dream told him so. J told
him that the " Great Spirit " had given him a
^ood set of lungs and a pair of strong, quick
legs, and that wof why he could run with
horses.

This same fellow was a very good shot, and
an expert at selecting fat animals — in which,
after all, lies the real skill of a buffalo huntei.
Many a man could kill on the dead jump, and
by constant practice learn to load a gun quickly,
but to pick good fat meat while dust and
powder and perspiration were each doing what
they could to blind your eyes, and while madly
galloping over rough country with numberless

f '

HIE.

PATHFINDIXG ON PLAIN AND PUAIUIE. ^51

lain Cree
)recodiii<if
ly of our
lien I ex-
the strip
sliouklers
(this was
:' nose to
iietl with
he cause.
I should
iiced that
n as part
not) that
e claimed
I. I told
m him a
ig, quick
'un with

shot, and
n which,
liuntei.
ump, and
1 quickly,
lust and
ing what
lie madly
imberless

badger-hoh's, dust-pans, cut-hanks, etc., seem-
ingly seeking to break eitliei* the horse's or the
rider's neck or limbs, recpiired practice, and
(juickness of vision, and ready judgment. This
man had these qualities, and several times I put
him on one of my buffalo runners. Thus we
got acipiainted, and presently he began to come
to our meetings, where he was a thoughtful
listener. Once he told me of a strange experi-
ence he had. Said he, " Several of us started
in the depth of winter from the extreme point
of timber on the Touchwood Hills to hunt for
buffalo. Our camp was very short of meat.
We carried wood on flat sleds, and when we
killed the first buffalo I went back to camp with
two sled loads for those at home. All day I
travelled on the bare plain, hoping to reach
timber that night ; but my loads were heavy and
my horses tired, and in the afternoon a storm
came on, and I saw that I could not make the
main woods that night. Then I bethought me
of a small island of timber to one side of my
course which would afford me shelter. But then
I also knew, a couple of moons before this, a
noted Indian had died at that point, and his
tent was left standing for him to rest in ; that
his best horse had been led to the door and shot,
and the lino fastened round his neck passed to
the dead man. Thinking of this I iVlt a strong

yr-^

2o2 PATHFtXDlKO OX PLATX AND PRATRtK.

reluctance to go near the place, but the storm
was ragintr and my liorses were tired, and at
last I made up my nnnd to go and seek shelter
with the dead man.

" When I reached the spot there was the lodge,
and I <lrew up my horses close to the door ; but
before I unhitched them I first addressed the
occupant of the tent. I told him it was not in
the spirit of curiosity or bravado or irreverence
that I thus came near his resting-place, but that
I was a poor lonely brother seeking shelter for
the night ; that if he would accord me hospi-
tality I would be very careful and thankful. I
then proceederl to unhitch my horses. I noticed
that there was a fine pile of dry wood near the
tent, and knew there would be more within, for
such is the custom. After fixing my horses for
the night I went to the door of the lodge and
again apologized to my dead friend. Then I re-
moved the fastening of the door and stood, fear-
ing to enter.

" It was now late at night and very dark out-
side, and how much darker ifc would be in the
lodge I shuddered to tliiidc. But once more
speaking humbly to the dead man I ventured in,
and, as I had thought, there was plenty of dry
vvood near the door ; so I made some shavings
and took the dry grass I had carried for the pur-
pose from my bosom, and soon I had a light, but

Irny

PATHFINDINQ ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 253

did not dare to look up. As my fire brightened
I took my pipe and filled it, and lighting it drew
a few puffs and then looked up. There sat the dead
man with the line from his horse's neck in his
liand, and with his bow and quiver standing be-
side him. He looked as if alive, and I now held
my pipe-stem toward him and said, ' Smoke,
my brother, and believe me when I tell you that
the storm has driven me to presume upon your
good-nature. I hope you will not think strange
of my venturing as I have into your home. I
will bring in some meat and cook food that we
may eat together.' This I began to do, and
after awhile my feeling of dread began to wear
away. When the meat was cooked I set a por-
tion by the side of the dead man and then ate
my own meal. While doing this I told him of
our hunt. I talked to the dead man as if he were
listening to me, and I think his spirit was. Then
I again lit my pipe and offered him a smoke.
Now as the night was far spent, I made my bed,
stretched myself by the fire, and went to sleep.
I did not wake until daylight, and there sat my
friend looking at me, as I thought. I told him
I was very tired and lioped he would not mind
me sleeping so long as I had ; now I would again
cook, and we would eat together once more.
This I did, placing his portion beside? him. Th»)n
I thanked him for giving me shelter, and telling

254 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

liim I would often think of his goodness to me,
bade him good-bye. Fixing the door of the
tent as I had found it, I hunted up my horses
and set out for the camp. When I told our
I)eople where I had spent the night, they were
astonished at my foolhardiness and said, * It was
not right to thus trouble the departed.' I told
thcni I would not do it again if I could help it."

This poor fellow and his companion were
killed some years afterwards by a war party
rushing upon them, not far from the spot where
we now were. The Black feet afterwards told
me that he died bravely as became a man. Crow-
foot himself was with the party which killed
him.

We were very fortunate in our hunting. The
buffiilo were not numerous, but we found enough
to load us fully, and by the first of the sixth
week from the Mission we were on the home-
stretch, making for the woods as fast as our
heavily laden carts would permit. The enemy
followed us for several days, but we did not
give them a chance to either steal horses or
charge upon our camp. As we began to leave
the buffalo far behind us they gave up the chase
for the time ; but we did not slacken our dis-
cipline one whit until far into the woods.

Before we left the treeless plains we camped
one afternoon near a big lake. On the side on

IE.

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 255

;s to me,

of tlie

y horses

iold our

By were

* It was

I told

help it."

m were

Lr party

)t where

rds told

. Crow-

h killed

g. The
enough
le sixth
e home-
as our
enemy
did not
orses or
)o leave
le chase
our dis-

camped
side on

which we were the country was low and flat for
many miles. Riding on alone I came to a small
knoll, and from this I saw a dark speck in the
distance, which the more I looked at it the more
it shaped into a " sitting " bull. Finally, as the
sun was still well up, I rode towards the object,
and then I saw some riders start straight from
our camp for the same object. When we con-
\erged, I said to the leader, " Where are you
going?" and he answered, "To the same place
as you are." Then he asked, " Wiiat did you
see that made you ride across this way ? " and I
answered, " What did you see that made you
start out from camp at this hour ? " I then told
them that I thought there was a bull over there,
but as the country was very flat no object at that
distance could be seen.

I galloped on and the Indians came after ; but
presently the older one said, " We had better go
back to camp ; we are now too far away from it.
They may be attacked before we return. It is
now evening." But we kept on, anrl soon my
"sitting" bull was in sight, but th ^ was an
arm of the lake between us and hin and again
the old Indian insisted on return i or. "It is
likely he will see yOu long before you come
near; you cannot catch him to- ^ht. Let us
turn back." But I had gone too far to thus
turn back, q.nd I said " No," and suiting the

256 PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

i' .ft

action to the word got off my horse to lea'l
liim over the soft place. Firing Stony and old
Paul's son followed me, while the others stayed
with the old man. Then he, to balk us, when
we were about two hundred yards from him,
Hred his gun to scare the bull, and sure enough
the bull jumped up. Firing Stony said, " It's no
use, he has frightened him, and the race will be
too long." I was more determined than ever,
and rather vexed with the rascal for firing his
gun, so I said to those with me, " He will not
have his way. My will shall overcome his in
this matter. The bull will not frighten until we
rush him," and sure enough the bull turned
around and quietly sank into his bed. Then
said I, " Do you see that ? Come on, we will
kill him." And while the others were now
riding back fast to camp, we three went on
picking our way around the soft places, and
presently were across, and mounting our horses
chargoid the bull.

This time the bull was started in earnest and
went for all his speed, but the ground was good,
and as my little Bob very soon overhauled him,
I saw he was fat and worth coming a great way
for. I was now some distance in advance of
my companions, as Bob was the speediest horse
in camp. As I came up I shot the bull, but
struck him too far behind, so that my ball only

[RIE.

e to lea']
y and old
rs stayed
us, when
rom him,
•e enough
[, " It's no
ce will be
han ever,
firing his
will not
ne his in

I until we

II turned
d. Then

we will
^ere now
went on
aces, and
ur horses

rnest and
ivas good,
aled him,
jreat way
ivance of
est horse
bull, but
ball only

L„:-

PATHFLVDINQ ON PLAIN AND PUAIUIE. 257

'■

:\^

V)roke his thigh. He went squat at first, but
rtuncj himself around in a flash. I went flying
past him with the impetus of my horse's speed,
leaving the big fellow facing my companions,
and as I pulled up I turned and saw young
Paul being thrown straiglit at the bull's head.
His horse had come up as the bull faced around,
and was so startled by the brute's angry roar
that he stopped (juick, and, tlie saddle-girth
snapping, the rider was thrown straight ahead.
There he lay with the bull standing over him
on three legs, tr^'ing to get his horns under
his body. For a moment I was horrified, for
I knew that all the bkme would rest upon
me if any hurt should come to our party. I
shouted, "Lie still — keep flat!" and the boy
heard me ; and though the bull was nosing
him, he failed to put his horns under the pros-
trate form. In the meantime Firing Stony was
coming up as fast as his horse could run. I
saw him lean over his pony and shove out
his old flint-lock, and thought it looked as if
in firing at the bull he might shoot the lad in-
stead. But with unerring aim he shot the bull
through the head, and as Paul rolled away the
animal dropped dead. We were thankful for
this escape, and in a short time were on our
way to camp with our horses heavily loaded
with prime meat. Contrary to the old man's
17

258 PATHFINDINQ ON PLAIN AND PRAIUIE.

premonitions, too, we found all well when we
reached there.

In a few days we were in the woods and
luxuriating again on wild rhubarb and poplar
sap, but finding less enjoyment from the atten-
tions of innumerable mosquitoes and " bull-
dogs," as this was one of the rainy seasons and
insect life abounded. (Jut on the plains the
buffalo were sufficient at that time to sanitate
the land. They drank up the surfjice-water and
ate the grass, and there was no necessity for the
smaller insect life ; but here in the woods, with
surface-water and rank growth in rich abund-
ance, Nature's force of sanitation was a tre-
mendously big one, and they bled us on every
hand. Our forty-lodge camp was but a speck
on their big field of enterprise.

We found the creeks full, and this caused no
end of work in ferrying and bridging. Up to
this time our cart road had terminated about
fifteen miles from the Mission, but now I de-
termined to chop a road right through ; and
when those who had no carts left us at Battle
River to take the straight pack-trail to the lake,
I told them to begin at that end and make the
road to meet us. This they did, and after some
days' hard work chopping out the forest, and
corduroying swamps, and bridging streams, I
had the pleasure of mounting the lead cart and

f . f.

1 1"

KIE.
vhen we

ods and
d poplar
le atten-
1 "bull-
ions and
lains the

sanitate
ater and
y for the
»ds, with
I abund-
is a tre-
m every

a speck

aused no
. Up to
;d about
)w I de-
gh ; and
Lt Battle
the lake,
aake the
ter some
rest, and
'earns, I
cart and

PATHFINDINfi ()\ I'LALV ANI. PRAIRIK. 259

drawing this right up to our Mission house
door. In this humble instance the " star of em-
pire " was trending westward. Soon the Indians
who had been with us cached their provisions,
and scattered into the woods to hunt moose and
other wood game. But we were seldom without
some of these restless nomads of the plains.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

r/.

• •V/ 1^ ^^ ™

I.I

11.25

112.5

K4 K-'- III 2.2
" I4£ IIIIIIO

1.4

1.6

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

•^

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716)873-4503

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*»

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<l when
it is considered that I had not tasted bread for
months.

They f^ave me a buncli of matches, and, better
still, they told me that father was heard froni
at the South Branch ; that in all probability
he would now be this side of Fort Carlton.
This was something definite to travel on, and
thanking my kind entertainers, I hurried on,
catching up with and passing the boys and
carts. That same evening I met my brother-
in-law, Mr. Hardisty, and one of my sisters,
Georgiana, who, unable to stand the damp and
cold of Ontario, was returning to the North-
West. With these there were quite a number
of Hudson's Bay Company gentlemen, and the
whole party were posting westward in quick
style. They had left father the day before. As
my boys were far behind, I turned back with
this company fresh from the outside world, to
glean the news and to visit with my friends.
When we met my boys I sent them on to camp
at Bear's Paddling Lake, while I continued with
Hardisty's party, camping with them for the
night.

Some of these had been at the Hudson's Bay
council at Fort Garry. Others were returning
from furlough in Eastern Canada and the Mother
Country. My sister had spent the winter in

2G8 PATIIFINDTXa ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

i » ' 14

Hamilton, and luul oonic across with fatlier'a
j)arty from St. Paul. I alone was i'resh from
the West and the bifjj plains. Around our camp-
fire until late that night we exchanged news and
lelated incidents, and before* daylight next
morning had breakfasted together and parted.
1 found my boys sleeping soundly when I rode
in on them at the lake. From there we went
for lunch to the forks of the road in the Thick -
wood Hills. Here I pitched camp and, as I was,
not sure which of these roads father would come
by, I rode rapidly along the old trail, and reach-
ing the eastern branching of the road, found
that my friends had gone the other trail.
Returning on this I came up to where they were
" nooning," and was received by father with
open arms. Job and Joseph, the two Indian
boys father had with him, were also delighted,
for I brought them tidings of their friends, and
once more they had someone to talk to in their
mother-tongue.

I found that father had with him quite a
number of Eastern people. There were the
Rev. Peter Campbell and family, and the two
Sniders, who subsequently became teachers in
our Mission schools. There were also a cousin
of mine, John Chantler, and a lad, Enoch Skin-
ner, from Toronto. Besides those who belonged
to the Mission party, there were three men from

:.^ft-'

PATHFINDINU ON PLAIN AND I'HAIUIK. 269

Minnesota, a father and his two sons, Harlett
by name, who had accompanied them from the
Mississippi to the Saskatchewan ; also two fami-
lies of Red River settlers, who had taken this
opportunity of travelling in father's train to
visit their friends in the Saskatchewan country,
and take part once more in a buftalo hunt.

We moved on almost immediately on my
arrival, and camping short of where I left my
boys I galloped ahead and brought them in. I
had ridden in the saddle between ninety and
one hundred miles that day, but so glad was I
to meet father and these new friends from the
East that I did not feel the least fatigue. The
next day was Saturday, and by pushing through
the Thick wood Hills we camped in the evening at
Bear's Paddling Lake. All day as we travelled
father and I rode in our saddles side by side,
as he recounted to me the work of the year
in Eastern Canada. He told me how he had
pled with our missionary authorities until they
concluded to establish in the Red River Valley,
and had sent the Rev. George Young to that
work, and the Rev. Egerton R. Young to Nor-
way House. He gave me a description of the
journey by steamer to the Upper Mississippi,
and thence by carts and waggons through the
plains of Minnesota and Dakota, and on into the
Selkirk Settlement, where they parted from the

270 PATHFIXDINO 0\ PLAIN' AND PUAIRIE.

Youngs, and, continniiifir the joiirnoy up the
valley of the AHsiniboinc^ had crossed the divide
and the south branch of the great Saskatchewan.
" And now," said he, " I am tired of the long
journey, and of han(iling tenderfeet, and I pur-
pose to start l)right and early Monday morning
for home, leaving the whole company and (Hitfit
to your care for the rest of the trip." I said
that I thought I could handle the C(mcern, and
that he was welcome to my horses and one
of my boys. I wished him a quick trip, and
having been a sailor in his youth, he answered
me, with a twinkle of his eye, " When I leave
you next Monday morning I will not take a reef
in my rigging until with the blessing of Heaven
I reach Victoria."

PATIll'lNDIXG ON TLAIN AND I'UAIUIE.

i71

CHAPTER XXVII.

Futlier pimhcH on for homo in fulvjinoi' Ilfinl tinit-H for
the " tonderfout " — A plunye into icy wntur My
brothor Dfivid gallops into ojiiiip -His high spirits
})rove infectious - Kiiulni'ss of tho Ilmlson's Bay
Company — Oxon sunt to help us in to Victoria A
nnitinouH camp-follower — My threat of a sound
thrashing subdues tho mu ineer — Our long journey
is ended — Adieu to my readers.

We spent a quiet Sabbath on the shore of tlie
lake, resting and worshipping. As some of tlie
new-comers were quite songful, we enjoyed
listening to and learning some of the beautiful
hymns that had come in vogue since we left
older Canada. Early Monday morning we were
astir. Father, taking with him Mrs. Campbell
and her two children and one of my boys,
started on to make a flying trip home. Mrs.
Campbell was glad to make a change from slow
to fast travel, and I also was glad to see the
lady and her children go, for this meant very
much earlier starting for the rest of the party.
Father had said to me, " The stock is in good
shape, John ; you can push from here." And
push we did, sometimes too much so for the tastq

27*2 PATHFINDING ON I'l.AlN AND PIlAIllIE.

and convenience of the <^recn hands amongjst us.
Ah'eady the hiter autumn was upon us with its
cokl nights, and to turn out long before dayliglit
and prepare breakfast and liarness up, and be
rolling on sometimes hours before sunrise, was
anything but pleasant to flesh and blood not
inured to that kind of life.

As with the " Ancient Pilgrims," murmurings
and scoldings were frecpient ; but notwithstand-
ing we continued to start early and drive late,
and made good time westward. I well remember
coming to Jackfish Creek early one morning. The
crossing was rough with big boulders, and there
was about an inch of ice on the water. I rode my
horse several times through the ford to smash
up the ice, and called to my cart driver to dis-
mount and take his " lead " horse by the head
and wade in, thus lessening the chances of an
upset while passing through. Setting the ex-
ample myself, I took the lead ox by the head,
and wading beside him, passed him and his load
safely over. But certain of our tenderfeet were
afraid to step into the cold water, and the result
was almost disastrous to some of the carts and
loads. One of these gentlemen, having at last
to jump down into the middle of the creek,
made a misstep and fell full length into the ice
and cold water ; and not until then did he see
that someone knew better than he did. He was

HE.

)ngst us.
with its
daylight
and bo
•ise, was
ood not

nun-ings
th stand -
•ivc hite,
(member
ng. The
tid there
rode my
smasli
r to dis-
he head
5S of an
the ex-
le head,
his load
iet were
le result
rts and
at last
i creek,
the ice
he see
He was

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 273

a funny-looking specimen as he picked himself
up out of the icy stream, and in a little while,
when he was standing beside the big camp-fire
warming himself, I said to him, " You richly
deserved your ducking, young man ; the next
time do what you are told, and it will be better
for you."

Early and late we rolled up the north bank
of the Saskatchewan, those of our company
capable of estimating the natural advantages of
a new country filled with admiration for the
rich and lovely region we were traversing.
Doubtless a trans-continental railroad will come
along some day, and cross and recross this very
trail we were using. Thousands of prosperous
homes will dot these plains and fill these valleys
with that stronger and more permanent life for
which they are so richly endowed by nature's
God. The whole land from Carlton to Victoria
is one great ready-made farm.

From the north branch of the Saskatchewan,
extending a hundred miles north and then west
up its whole length, is to be found one of the
richest portions of Canada. And we were roll-
ing steadily through this. Every hour a new
scene, every turn a fresh view; the strength
and endurance of our stock testifying to the
quality of the natural grasses, the mud and dust
on our wheels evidencing the wealth of soil, and
18

>-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<if over the party
we had surmounted the worst place on the road,
crossed the valley, pulled up the precipitous
banks of the White Mud River, and were at our
dinner, when an Indian came to us with several
fresh oxen.

These had been sent by Mr. Tait, the gentlo
man in charge of the Hudson's Bay Post at
Victoria, to help us in at the end of our jour-
ney. And right here I want to say that this
has been all through the years my uniform
experience with the officers and employees of
the Hudson's Baj'' Company. I cannot under-
stand the venom and bitterness with which some
missionaries always speak and write about this
old and honorable compa/iy.

These fresh oxen were indeed welcome aids to
the more jaded and weaker of our stock, and
very soon I had apportioned them to the several
drivers, when the very tall gentleman of our
party said he would take one for his cart. I
said, " No, sir ! Your horse is all right for Vic-
toria." But he insisted, and I again refused.
Then came a cry from another tenderfoot that
his oxen were lost, and I jumped on my horse
to hunt up the missing cattle. Having found
them, I also found that my tall friend had
persisted in taking the ox, and had him hitched

)

276 PATHFINDINQ ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE.

■1 .'■"'■' ;i

to his cart. This nettled me, and I jumped right
at him, and said, " Unhitcli that ox as quick as
you ever did anything in your life;" but the
big mutineer simply smiled at me. " I mean it,"
I said ; " unhitch that ox, or I will thrash you
most warmly." And now his elongated highntdS
saw I was in earnest, and made haste to turn
out the ox. I then gave the animal over to
the party to whom I had given him in the first
place, at the same time telling my tall gentleman
that in a few hours I hoped to bring this party
to its destination. After that he could do as he
pleased so far as I was concerned; but until
then my word was law.

Early that evening we reached Victoria, and
the long wearisome overland journey was over,
the months of continuous travel across bridge-
less streams and lonely stretches of prairie and
woodland. Everybody was thankful.

That same evening, as usual with him, David
got up some gymnastics. And when I had
out-run and out-jumped and out- thrown and
out-pulled my long friend, I verily believe he
came to the conclusion that he did well to obey
me as he did.

And now that I have seen this spot (where
in loneliness and poverty extreme I began work
scarcely six years since) grow into a flourishing
settlement, where Christianitjr '^md civilization

[RIE.

iped right
3 quick as
" but the

mean it,"
irash you
i highntdS
be to turn
al over to
n the first
gentleman
this party
Id do as he

but until

ctoria, and
Y was over,
OSS bridge-
prairie and

him, David
len I had
tirown and
believe he
veil to obey

spot (where

began work

L flourishing

civilization

PATHFINDING ON PLAIN AND PRAIRIE. 277

are to the front as in no other place in this bin
western country ; and now also that I am privi'^
leged to iorm one in the small company of
Missionary agents and pioneers here assembled,
but which, nevertheless, is the largest gathering
of the kind the Saskatchewan country has ever
yet seen ; and furthermore, as I have many more
stirring scenes and incidents to relate at some
future time, I will here and now, in the late
autumn of 1868, bid my readers a grateful adieu.

John McDougall.

6i:

BOOKS RELATING TO THE

(Canadian llorth-West

Manitoba Memories. Leaves from My Life in tlie Prairie

Province. Py Rev. Geoiujk Youno, D.D $11 00

The Selkirk Settlers in Real Life. Py Rkv. R. G.

M aoBktii, M. a 7i")

The Making of the Canadian West. P Hkv. R. G.

MAclitTH, M.A 1 00 .

The Warden of the Plains Stories of Life in the Can-
adian North-VVest. Py Rkv. JoiiN Maclean, M.A.,
Ph.D 1 25

Life of James Evans- Py Ri:v. John Maclean, Ph.D., o so

Across the Sub-Arctics of Canada. Journey of 3,200

Miles by Snowshoe and Canoe Through tlie Parren
Lands. Py J. W. TviiRELL, C. E 1 50

Poison's Probation. A Story of Manitoba. Py James

Morton 1 00

History of Manitoba. Py Robkrt B. Hill i OO

Life of Rev. George McDougall. Py Rev. John Mc-

DOUG ALL 75

Forest, Lake and Prairie. Py Rev. John McDougall, 1 00

Saddle, Sled and Snowshoe. Py Rev. John Mc-
Dougall 1 00

Pathfinding on Plain and Prairie- Py Rev. John

McDougall 1 00

Overland to Cariboo. By M. McNaughton i 00

**?£*'

WILLIAM BRIGGS

Publishcf
29-33 Richmond St. West, - _ - . TORONTO

h-West

the Prairie
• $1 00

iKV. R. G.
75

Rkv. R. G.
1 00 .

ill the Can-
EAN, M.A.,
1 25

SAN, Ph.D., 50

By of 3,200
tlie Barren
1 50

By James
1 00

1 00

, John Mc-

cdougall, 1 00

John Mc-
1 00

Rev. John
1 00

1 00

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