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DEDICATED 
 
 TO 
 
 OUR SISTERS 
 
 THE 
 
 LADIES OF CANADA. 
 
>' 
 
 
3 
 
 WD mOUWHS 
 
 0. 
 
 <y 
 
 -(^i 
 
 ..—-—in tt^ 
 
 fcg ..f 
 
 <5amp of Bi(5 B^a 
 
 TbG EiFg a]]d jSdYGntar^s 
 
 OF 
 
 Theresa Gowanlook and Theresa Delaney. 
 
 <0k 
 
 PARI I. 
 
 so 
 
 O 
 
 u 
 
 ^ 
 
 PARKDAI.E 
 
 TIMES OFFICE, 24 (JUEEN STREET, 
 
 1885. 
 
h-2 
 
 Z<oOii4 
 
 
 ■; 
 
 I 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 •I 
 
 !•; 
 
 r is n<.)t the desire of the author ot thi.>> work to 
 [nibhsh the incidents wliich drenched a peaceful and 
 prosperous settlement in blood, and sul>je(.ted the survivors 
 to untold suffermg and privations at the hands of savaj^e^, ni 
 order to gratify a morbid craving for notoriet). hurmgall 
 my j:;erils and wanderings amid the snow and ice of that 
 trackless prairie, the hope that nerved me to struggle on, was, 
 that if rescued, I might within the sacred precincts of the 
 paternal hearth, seek, seclusion, where loving hands would 
 help me to bear the burden of my sorrow, and try to make 
 me forget at times, if they could not comjiletely efface from 
 my memory, the frightful scenes enacted around that 
 prairie hamlet, which bereft me of my loved one, leaving 
 my heart and fireside desolate for ever. Prostrated by 
 fatigue and exposure, distracted by the constant dread of 
 outrage and death, I had well-nigh abandoned all hope 
 of ever escaping from the Indians with my life, but, as the 
 darkness of the night is just before the dawn, so my fears 
 which had increased until I was in despair, Ood in his 
 inscrutible way speedily calmed, for while I was brooding 
 over and preparing for my impending fate, a sudden com- 
 motion attracted my attention and in less time than it takes 
 to write it, I vvas free. From that moment I received 
 every kindness and attention, and as I ai)proached the 
 confines of civilization, I l^ecame aware of how diligently 
 I had been sought after, and tliat for weeks I had t)een 
 the oV)jectof the tenderest solic tude, not only of my friends 
 and relations, but of the whole continent. 
 
6 TWO MONTHS IN IHT. CAMF' OF Hid F^FAR. 
 
 There have iippeared so many ccmtlicting statements in 
 the puhli( |)tt'.s regardmg my cayUure and treatment while 
 witli thi" Indians, that it is my bounden iluty to give to the 
 piil)hc a truthful and accurate description of m> ca))ture, 
 detention and misfortunes while captive in the camp of 
 f{ig Hear. The task may be an irksome one and I might 
 with justice shrink from anything which would recall the 
 past. Still it is a debt of gratitude 1 owe to the i>eople of 
 this broad dominion. To the brave men who sacrificed 
 their business and comfort and endured the hardshii)s inci- 
 dent to a .soldiers life, in order to vinduate the law. And 
 to the noble men and women who planned tor the comfort 
 and supjjlied the wants of the gallant band who liad .so 
 nobly responded to the call of duty and cry for help. 
 And I gladly embrace this opportu nnv of .showing to the 
 public and especially the ladies, my appreciation of their 
 kindness and sympathy in my bereavement, and their noble 
 and disinterested efforts for my release. In undertaking a 
 task which has no pleasures for me, and has been accom})lished 
 under the most trying difficulties and with the greatest 
 physical suffering. 1 have embodied in the narrative a 
 few of the manners and customs of Indians, the leading 
 features of the country, only sufficient to render it clear and 
 intelligible. 1 make no apology for issuing this volume to the 
 public as their unabated interest make it manifest that they 
 desire it, and I am only repaying a debt of gratitude by 
 giving a truthful narrative to correct false impressions, for 
 their kindness and sympathy to me. 
 
 T trust the public will receive the work in the spirit in 
 which t is given and any literary defects which it may 
 have, and I am sure there are many, may be overlooked, as 
 I am only endeavoring to rectify error, instead of aspiring 
 to literary excellence, I express my smcere and heart- 
 felt thanks to the half-breeds who befriended me during my 
 
Ml 
 
 'I 
 
 INVO MONIUS IN WW. CAMI' OF ItIG HKAR. 7 
 
 ('n|)tivitv, and to tin; friends and public generally who shel- 
 tered and assisted me in many ways and by many a<ts of 
 kindness and symjathy, and whose -Utention was unremitting 
 until I had reached my <lestination. 
 
 And now 1 must bid the jiublic a grateful farewell an<l 
 seek mv wi><hed for serlusi<.n from whirh I would never 
 lia\e emerged but to |,)erforni a public duty. 
 
 ilIKUI>A CiOWANIOCK. 
 
 5i^>i%^^ 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
MRS. (lOWAM-OCK. 
 
Two Montiis in tlie Camp of Big Bear. 
 
 MRS. GOWANLOCK 
 CHAI'I KR I. 
 
 WK IKAVK OMAKIO. 
 
 K left my father's house at Tintcrii on the jtli ofOt tobor, 
 t3L 1884, having been married on the isl, for I'arkilale, 
 where we spent a few days with my husband's friends. We 
 starteil for uur home o\\ the loth by the Canadian IVuilic 
 Railway to Owen Sound, thence by boat to Port Arthur, 
 and then on to Winnipeg by rail, where we stopped one night, 
 going on the next day to Regina. We only stopped in tluit 
 place one day, taking rail again to Swift Current, arriving 
 there the same day. This ended our travel by the locomoti(jn 
 of steam. 
 
 .After taking in a supply of provisions we made a start for 
 Battleford, distant 195 mile.s, by bu( kboard ov. r the prairie, 
 which stretches out about 130 miles in length, and for the 
 remaining 55 miles there are clum[»s of trees or l)luffs aa 
 they are called, scattered here and there. Our journey o\cr 
 this part was very pleasant, the weather was fine and the 
 mode of travelling, wiiich was new to me, delightful. 
 Our comi)any, consisted in addition to ourselves, of only 
 one p.erson, Mr, Levalley, a gentleman horn Ottawa. We 
 passed four nights under canvas. The journey was not a 
 lonely one, the ships of the prairie were continual!) on ih^i 
 go, we passed several com|)anies of freighters with harnessed 
 oxen, half-breeds and Indians. It was also full of incident 
 and adventure ; on one occasion, when cooking our tea, we 
 
lO 
 
 'IWO MONTHS IN I HE CAMP OF V.IG UKAR. 
 
 set fire to the prairie, altliough we worked hard to put it out, 
 it in a very few minutes spread in a most alarming man- 
 ner, and entirely beyond our control, and we let it go look- 
 ing on enjoying the scene. Upon nearing Battleford a 
 number of half-famished scjuaws came to us begging 
 for something to eat, but we were not in a position, unfort- 
 unately, to su])['ly their wants, on account of our iT-der having 
 run dry. We entered liattleford on the 19th of October. 
 
 The town of Hattleford is situated on the Battle river. 
 The old on one side, the new on the other, in the direc- 
 tion of the fort. When the Indians plundered that place it 
 was the town on the south bank. The houses on the op- 
 posite bank were protected by the guns at the fort. My 
 husband had a store on the north bank in the direction of 
 the fort. 
 
 The tosvn is very scattered, covering a large area of ground, 
 it is verily a place of distances and quite in kee))ing with the 
 north-west generally. There are a few fme houses in the 
 place, notably, the industrial home for Indian children and 
 the residence of Judge RoUeau. 
 
 ■i 
 
 If 
 
 ^ 
 
 S3 
 
TWO MONIHS IN IHK CAMP OK lilO HKAR. 
 
 ir 
 
 CHAPTER IT. 
 
 and 
 
 INCIDKNTS AT BATTLF.P'ORD 
 
 1^ REMAINED at liattleford six weeks, while my hush: 
 went to Frog Creek, (where he had thirteen men wr 
 ing on the house and mills,) and while there I became initi- 
 tated into the manners and customs of the inhabitants. A few 
 incidents which happened during my stay might be in- 
 teresting to che reader, therefore, 1 will jot them down as 
 they ( ome to mind. 
 
 After our arrival the Indians and squaws came to see me 
 and would go and tell some of the others to come and .see 
 the monia.'<, (squaw) and when they saw my husband 
 they asked him why he did not live with her, and if she was 
 well ; and one day I walked with him over to where he wa.s^ 
 keeping store before he went west and the Indians came in 
 and .shook hands, and laughed, and the squaws thought my 
 costume was rather odd and not in keeping with th.at of the 
 fashionable north-western belle. The S(}uaws cut off about 
 three yards of print and make the skirt; while others take flour 
 sacks and cut holes through for the waist and have leggings 
 and moccasins ; they would disdam to wear such an 
 article as hose. 
 
 They are quite adepts in the art of tanning. I saw them 
 tanning leather ; they took the skin and put .something 
 on it, I do not know what it was, and put it in the sun for 
 a few days, then with a small sharp iron fastened on a long 
 handle, they scra])ed the skin with this until very smooth, and 
 greased it over and ])Ut it in the sun agam for .some time, 
 afterwards iwo squaws pulled it until nice and soft, and 
 then it wus readv for use. 
 
 One afternoon I was out shopping and on my way home 
 
 a 
 
12 
 
 TWO MONTHS [N I'HE CAMP OF »I(i HEAR. 
 
 I saw some little Itvlian cliiUJien coasting down hill on 
 an earthen i)late, hut before getting to the end of the hill, to 
 their evident surj.rise the j^late broke and they eommenred 
 crying because it was broken and went back and got 
 another one, and so on until they thought they would try 
 tin ])latcs, and the little friend that was with me, P>ffie F.aurie, 
 took the tin plate from them and sat down on it herself and 
 went down the hill, and they looked so astonished to think 
 that a white woman would do such a thing. 
 
 Another time on going out while two men were crossing 
 the bridge over Battle river; a horse Ijroke through and 
 was killed and the squaws gathered around it taking 
 the skin off, while others carried some of the carcass away, 
 and I asked what they were going to do with it. and my 
 husband said " they will take it home c nd have a big feast and 
 if the meat has been poisoned they will boil it. for a long 
 time, changing the water, and in this way anything that was 
 poisonous would not affect them." 
 
 The way the Indians get their wood, they send their 
 squaws to the bush to cut the wood and ihey take a ro[)e 
 and tie around as much as they can carry, and hang it on 
 their backs. Those who have dogs to carry the wood for theni 
 tie two long sticks together, fastening them on the dog's 
 back, then tying a large bundle of wood on the back 
 part of the cross sticks by that means the squaw is relie\'ed 
 from the task. The squaws perform all manual labor, while 
 the big, lazy, good-for-nothing Indian lolls about in idleness. 
 
 ^^' 
 
 
}!ff£M:':i^j}/\ 
 
 Pi^ 
 
u 
 
 TWO .Mf)Nm< IN inr i ami* oi iu<; mkar. 
 
 ("HAITER ITT. 
 
 r the (^^n(\ ot SIX wft'k^ niy husf)and returned from the 
 J -A. west, and with many pkM>ant ivrulleetions otHattletord, 
 ue let'; for our own home, whuli [ !iad jiietured in mv mind 
 with joyous anticipation, a^ the |"!aec of our continued 
 ha]>j>iness; a beautiful oasis, in that lan(i of prairie and sparse 
 settlement, and with a l)Uo\aney oi sj)irit wiiich true haj)- 
 ]>iness alone can briUL;, 1 looked forwanl with nntiripated 
 pleasure, which made that little log house appear to me. a 
 j)ala<~e, and \vc its kin^; and queen. 
 
 On this last |>art of our journey we were favored with the 
 company of Mr. Hallentyne of lUittleford who went with us, 
 and after the lust davs travelling, we stop[)ed all night at a 
 half-breed"s house, where they h.id a large tue-plaee made of 
 mud. whieh was iust like a solid piece of stone ; ihev had a 
 bright hre. and everything aj^peared nice and 'tidy with- 
 in ; a woman was making bannock, and when she had 
 the dough pre[)ared. she took a trying i)an and put the cake 
 m and stood it up before the lire. This is the way the\' do 
 all their baking, and then she fried some. nice white tlsh and 
 iuing a little kettle on a long iron hook over the fire, jait in 
 potatoes, and boiled the tea-kettle, making the tea in it 
 too. She then s])reatl a white cloth over the tal)le 
 and we all enjoyed our supper together after the long ride. 
 The s(|uaw gave us a nice clean I)ed to sleep in, making 
 theirs on the iloor and in the morning I saw four little 
 children crawling out from umier the bed wliere we 
 sle))t, and Uiv liusband looked uj) at me and laughed, and 
 said, "that i> where children sleeji up m ///is uvi/itny 
 I'heir ways appeared very strange to nie, and in the morning 
 before going awa\. they ga\ e us a warm breakfast. 
 
'1\V(> MdNIHS IN IHK CAMI' (>I lUti IUv\K. 
 
 »5 
 
 We travelled all the tu-M day and < anipod diat ni};lu. 
 "VVf liad a small tin >tt)vc wliith is part of a (aini)inj; outfit, 
 and which smoked very nuich while cooking. W'o had groat 
 trouhle to know hi^w wc would obtain a light, bin we had a 
 candle and we lighted that, and then we had nothing to hold it 
 in, l.>ut as necessity is the mother of invention, we found a 
 way out of the difticultv : we look a p.K ket knife that had 
 tuo blades, and stuck one blade in tin- lent pole and (.)pened 
 the other halfway, fastening the can<lle into the blade, which 
 answered the purjjose and enabled ns to ^ee while sve ate 
 our supper. W'e then turned down our beds, and m a few 
 minutes were fast asleejt. W'lien morning ( anie we had 
 breakfast, and travelled on again. Mr. Hallentyne shot 
 some prairie chickens and we had them tor our dinner, 
 which was a great treat to me. We arn\ed at I'ort Till 
 on the tenth, bidding Mr. liallentyne goodbye, stopped at 
 Mr. McLean's all night, where we enjoyed a very pleasant 
 
 even mi' 
 
 The next morning we left for Onion Lake, wher 
 
 we were 
 
 welcomed by Mr. Mann and famib, arid alter >• niuht's rest 
 procee< 
 
 ded on our journev to Frog Lake, rea< iiing th 
 
 ere 
 
 on 
 
 ther^th. \\ e went to Mr. and Mrs. DelaneN 
 
 who 
 
 kindly allowed me to stop there until m) liusbaiul fixed up 
 some arti( les of furniture at our own hou>e iwo miles further 
 on and south west of the Lake. 
 
 After arriving at Mrs. Delaney's. mv husband left me and 
 went down to the house to work . on Saturday ewninu he 
 
 ame back. On Sundav mor 
 
 nint 
 
 Mr. ( )iiinn ( ame o\er and 
 
 asked us to go for a drive, we accejtted the in\ nation. 
 It was a bright Irosty morning : hi took us to uuv 
 little home tlial I had not yet .-,een. On hearing the men 
 singing who were employed ai ilie mill, we drove down loiheir 
 cooking tent, where we toui\d .Mr. (iilchrist (OtAmg break- 
 fast for fourteen men. They had a large <'ooking stove in- 
 
i6 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN THE CAMP OF BIG BEAR. 
 
 side, with a long board table; the table was covered with tin 
 plates and cups. They had rabbit soup, and bread and 
 coffee for breakfast;, after getting ourselves warm we drove 
 back to Mr. IJelaney's. On the following Thursday my hus- 
 band drove up and took me to our home, where all was in 
 beautiful order, and Mr. Gilchrist waiting for our arrival. 
 
TWO MOMIIS IN IIIK CAMP OF LIG liKAk. 
 
 n 
 
 CH APTER IV. 
 
 AT HOME. 
 
 SOW we are at home and I am thankful. There they 
 nestle in a pretty valley, thi^ simj4e house, the store, 
 atul heside the brook, the mill. The music of the workman's 
 hammer alone breaks the stillness that j)ervades the scene, 
 and the hills st;nd back the echrj without a discordant note. 
 The hills were covered with trees, princi];ally poplar and 
 spruce, interspersed with berry-bearing shrul)s. A most 
 beautiful and enchanting location. 
 
 That little settlement of our own was situated upon Frog 
 Creek, about three miles west of the lake of the sanie 
 name, and distant from the Frog Lake .Settlement, our near- 
 est white neighbours, aboui two miles. But we had neigh- 
 bours close by. who came in to see us the next day, shaking 
 hands and chatting to us in Cree, of which language we 
 knew but little, 'i'he Indians appeared to be very kind and 
 supplied us with white fish twice a week which they procured 
 from the river for which in return we gave sugar, tea, prints, 
 &:c., from the store. Christmas and New \'ear's were cele- 
 brated in about the same manner that they areamong.st us civil- 
 ized jjeople. Both Indians and >c[uaws put on their good 
 clothes, which at the best of times is very scant, and do their 
 calling, '['hev salute the inmates of each house thcv enter 
 with a congratulatory shake, expecting to be kissed in return. 
 ju^t think of having to kiss a whole tribe of Indians in one 
 day. that i»art we would rather do by proxy. \V'e would not 
 countenance it in any way. 
 
 ()n Christmas day we went out for a walk along Frog 
 Creek ; on our wii\' we came to where two little Indian 
 children were catching rabbits with, a snare, they stepped to 
 
i8 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN THE CAMP OF Bid HKAR. 
 
 one side and let us pass, and were delighted to have us watch- 
 ing them while catching their game ; and further on some of 
 the s(juuws had holes cut in tht^ ice, and having a sharj) hook 
 werecatching fish. In this way they get fish all winter, and to 
 look at these "shrimpy-looking" women trotting along with 
 their brown babies slung in a sort ot loose pocket dangling 
 away behind their backs, it was comical in the extreme, they 
 would stop and look and laugh at us, our appearance 
 being so -very different to their own dark skin and 
 sharp eyes. They wear their hair hanging, strung with 
 brass beads, and have small pieces of rabbit fur tied in; 
 and the men wear theirs cut very short in front, hanging over 
 their brows, and ornaments of every description. These 
 people don't set at table on chairs, ricli or poor ; they 
 squat down on their feet in a fashion that would soon tire 
 us exceedingly. Then at night they wrnj; themselves uj) in 
 a blanket, lie down and sleej) as soundly as we ^vould in our 
 warm feather bed and l)]ankets. 
 
 My husband and the men worked hard during the next 
 two months on the mill in order to get it finished before the 
 sj^ring set in. As far as the weather was concerned it was 
 very favourable for working. 'I'he men lost no time from 
 the cold. During that period the thermometer ranged from 
 zero to 60 below but the air was so clear and bracing that 
 the cold was never felt. 1 have experienced more severe 
 weather in Ontario than I ever did in this pnrt. I have 
 heard of north-west blizzards, but the\ are confined to the 
 prairie and did not reach us. It is the most beautit'ul 
 ::ountry I e\er .-<aw with its towering hills, majestic rivers, 
 beautiful flowers and rolling land. I had made up my mind 
 to see nothing but frost, ice and snow, but was agreeably 
 disiiijpointed. 
 
 Nothing of an eventful nature transi)ired, during those two 
 months, the mill was about completeci and W'lUiscraft and the 
 
TWO MONTHS IN THK CAMP OK UU. HIAR. 
 
 «9 
 
 other men were discharged with the exception of Mr. 
 (JiUhrist, who assisted my husband. The UKuhinery wasall 
 in position and everything done })ut finishing up. when on 
 the 17th of March, two men, strangers, made their appear- 
 ance at the mill and asked for emi)loyment. They said they 
 were weary and worn and had left Duck Lake in order Id 
 avoid the trouble that was biewing there. One was (Iregory 
 Donaire and the other l^eter filondin, my husband took pity 
 on them and gave them employment. They worked tor us 
 until the massacre. They were continually going too and 
 fro among uie Indians, and I cannot but believe, that ihey 
 were cognizant of everything that was going on, if not respon- 
 sible in a great degree for llie murders which were atlerward?j 
 committed. 
 
 
20 
 
 TWO MONJHS IN THE CAM}' OK MKi HF.AR, 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 WOOD AND PLAIN INDIANS. 
 
 ^HE Indians are in their habits very unclean and filthy. 
 
 They will not in the least impress anyone to such an 
 extent that they would be willing to forego the restrictions of 
 civilized life, and enter ui)on the free life of the red man. 
 
 The Indians living on the reserve in the neighbourhood 
 of Frog Creek are known as the Wood Crees, they were all 
 peaceable and industrious, and were becoming i)roficient in 
 the art of husbandry, 'i'hey lived in the log cabins in the 
 wmter, but in the summer they took to their tents. They 
 numbered about 200 persons. They appeared satisfied with 
 their position which was much better than what falls to the 
 lot of other Indians. They did not take part in the massa- 
 cre, nor where they resijonsible for it in any way. 
 
 'ihe Plain Crees are comjuxsed of the worst characters 
 from all the tribes of that name. They were dissatisfied, re- 
 vengeful, and cruel, they could not be persuaded to select 
 their reserve until lately, and then they would not settle 
 u\)on it. Their tastes lay in a direction the opposite to 
 domestic ; they were idle and worthless, and were the 
 Indians who killed our dear ones on that ever to be re- 
 membered 2nd of April. Those same Indians were con- 
 stantly fed by Mr. Delaney and my husband. The follow- 
 ng corresjjondence will show how he treated those un- 
 grateful characters:— Big Bear's Indians were sent up to Frog 
 Lake, it is said, by (ioverner Dewdney who told them, if they 
 would go there, they would never be hungry, but last winter 
 iheir rations were stojjped, and they had to work to get pro- 
 visions, or starve. They would go around to the settlers*' 
 houses and ask for som'^'thing to eat, and Mr. Delaney 
 would give those Indians rations, paying for them out of his 
 
TWO MONTHS FN THK CAMP OK l!l(; Uh.W.. 2 1 
 
 own salary, (iov. I )c'wdncy wrote a letter stating that he 
 must stop it at once ; Init he did not listen lo hini and kej)t 
 on giving to them until the outbreak. And the very men 
 hehefriendcd were theoncs who hurled him into sudden death. 
 Hii; Hear was only nominally the chief of this tribe, the 
 ruling power being in the hands of Wandering Spirit, a bad 
 and vicious man, who exercised it with all the craft and 
 cunning of an accomplished freebooter. 
 
 
 
ft 
 
 TWO MONIMS IN im CAMP OK IIKJ UKAR. 
 
 ('IIAI'TFR VI. 
 
 in I. MASSACkK. 
 
 |\j OW ( omc the dreadful scenes of hlood and cruel death. 
 •^ * I'he hajjpy life is chan^'ed to one of suffering and 
 sorrow. 'I'lu.' few months of happiness 1 enjoyed with the 
 one I loved above all others was al)ru|)tly closed -taken from 
 me for ever- it was cruel, it was dreadful. \Vhcn I look 
 back to it all, I often wonder, is it all a dream, and has it 
 really taken place. \'es, the dream is too true; it is a ter- 
 rible reality, and as such will never leave my heart, or be 
 effaced from off" my mind. 
 
 The first news we heard of the Duck Lake affair was on 
 the 30th of March. .Mr. Quinn, the Indian Agent, at Frog 
 Lake, wrote a letter to us and sent it down to our house 
 about twelve o'clock at night with John Tritchard, telling my 
 husband and I to go up to Mr. Delaney's on 'I'uesday morn- 
 ing, and with hir wife go on to Fort I'lit, and if 
 they saw any excitement they would follow. We did not 
 expect anything to occur. When we got uj)to Mr. Delaney's 
 \Ne found the police hud left for F'ort Pitt. IJig Bear's 
 Indians were in the house talking to Mr. Quinn about the 
 trouble at Du(k Lake, and .saying that Foundmaker the chief 
 at Hattleford warned liig Bear to join him but he would not» 
 as he intended remaming where he was and live peaceably. 
 They considered Big Bear to be a better man than lie was 
 given credit for. 
 
 On the ist of April they were in, making April fools of 
 the white i)CO|»le and shaking hands, and they thought I 
 was frightened and told me not to l)e afraid, because they 
 would not hurt us. My husl)and left me at Mr. Delaney's 
 and went l)ack ro his work at the mill, returning in the 
 evening with Mr. (lilchrist. We all sat talking for some 
 
TWO MONIMS IN IHK CAMP OK UK. HKAR. 
 
 23 
 
 ■I 
 
 1^ 
 
 tunc along with Mr. Dill, who had a store at Fn»g I.ako 
 and Mr. Clameron, clerk for the Hudson Hay ('(jmpany. 
 We all felt jterfct tly safe wliere we were, saying tliat as we 
 were so far away from the trouble at I>uck Lake, theCovern- 
 ment would likely come to some terms with them .ind the 
 affair l)e settled at once. The young Chief and another 
 Indian by the name of Isador said if anything was wrong 
 among Hig liear's band they would come and tell us; and 
 that ni>;ht Ihg Hear's braves heard about it and wat« hed 
 them all night to keep them from tellmg us. We all went 
 to bed not feeling in any way alarmed. AlK)ut five (iVloc k 
 in the morning a rap rame to the door and Mr. Delaney 
 wtnt down stairs and oj)ened it, and John Priichard and 
 one of Ftig Hear's sons by the name of Ibesies were there. 
 
 Pritchard said *' 'Ihere trouble."' 
 
 Mr. I )elanev said " Where ? ' 
 
 Pritchard " /A/v .' Our horses are all gone, the Indians 
 de« eived us, and said that some half-breeds from Kdmon- 
 ton had rome in the night and had taken theni to Duck 
 Lake, but liig Bear's band has taken them and hid them, 
 I am afraid it is all up." 
 
 .My husband and I got up, and Mrs. Delaney came down 
 stairs with a frightened look. In a few mmutes Hig Hear's 
 Indians were all in the house, and had taken all the arms 
 from the men sayih^ they were going to protect us from the 
 half-breeds, and then we felt we were being deceived. They 
 took all the men over to Mr. (^)uinn'.s, and my husband and 1 
 were sitting on the lounge, and an Indian came in and 
 took hirn by the arm .saying he wanted him to go too; and 
 he said to Mrs. 1 )elaney and I "do not to be afraid, while I 
 go with ihis Indian." We stoj)ped in the house, and while 
 they were gone some of the Indians came in and went 
 through the cupboard to find something to eat. They opened 
 the trap door to go down cellar, but it was very dark, and 
 
 i 
 
IWO MONTHS IN THK CAMP OF f!!(. HFAR. 
 
 they were afraid to venture down. Then the nier. 
 came back and Mrs. Delaney got breakt'ast. We all 
 sat down, but I could not eat, and an Indian asked Mr. 
 Gowanlock to tell nie not to be afraid, they would not hurt 
 us, and I should eat jjlent}-. After breakfast they took us 
 out of the house and escorted us over to the church: my 
 husband taking iny arm, Mr. and Mrs. Delaney were walk- 
 ing beside us. When we got to the church the priests were 
 holding mass; it was Holy 'I'hursday, and as we entered the 
 door, \\'andering Spirit sat on his knees with his gun; he was 
 painted, and had on such a wicked look. The priests did 
 not finish the service on account of the menacing manner 
 of the Indians; they were both around and inside the 
 churf h. We were all very much frightened by their be- 
 haviour. They then told us to go out of the church, and 
 took us back to Mr. Delaney'.s, all the Indians going in too. 
 We stopi)ed there for awhile and an Indian came and told 
 us to come out again, and my husband came to me and 
 said "you had better put your shawl around you, for its very 
 cold, i)crhaps we will not be gone long." We all went out with 
 the Indians. They were going through all the stores. 
 Everything was given to them, and they got ever)thmg they 
 could wish for and took us up the hill towards their camp. 
 VVe had only gone but a short distance from the house when 
 we heard the reports of guns, but thought they were firing in 
 the air to frighten us; but they had shot Quinn, Dill and 
 Crilchrist, whom I did not see fiill. Mr. and Mrs. Delaney 
 were a short distance ahead of my husband, I having my 
 husband's arm. Mr. Willis( raft, an old grey-headed man 
 about seventy-five years of age came running by us, and 
 an Indian shot at him and knocked his hat off, and he turned 
 iiround and said, '''■Oh : doift shoot! don t shoot T JUit they 
 fired again, and he ran screaming and fell in some bushes. 
 On seeing this I beaan crying, and mv husband tried to 
 
 
 •I 
 
 I 
 'J* 
 
 f 
 \ 
 
 % 
 
 H' 
 
 "fit 
 
 ■'■''f 
 
 I 
 
IWO MdNlHS IN THI. CAMP OF BIC. BKAR. 
 
 25 
 
 comfort me. s.iying, "my dear wife be brave to the end," 
 and immediatelv an Indian behind us fired, and mv hus- 
 i^and fell beside me his arm pulling from mine. I tried to 
 assist him fiom falling. He jnit out his arms tor me and fell, 
 and I fell down beside him and buried my face on his, while 
 his life was ebbing away so quickly, and was prepared for 
 the next shot myself, thinking I was going with him too. 
 r»ut death just then was not ordained for me. I had 
 yi't to live. An Indian came and took me away from 
 my dying husband side, and I refused to leave. Oh! 
 to think of leaving my dear husband lying there for those 
 cruel Indians to dance around. I begged of the Indian to 
 let me slay with iiim, but he took my arm and pulled me 
 away Just before this, I saw Mr. Delaney and a priest fall, 
 ind Mrs. Delaney was taken away in the same manner that 
 1 was. I still looking back to where niy j)oor husl)and 
 was lying dead; the Indian motioned to where he was 
 going to take me, and on we went. I thought my heart 
 would break; I would rather have died with my husband 
 and been at rest. 
 
 " A rest that is sure for us all, 
 But sweeter to ^o^le. " 
 
 
 
•^ 
 
 a6 
 
 TWO MON'IHS IN THE CAMP OF P.ICi BKAR. 
 
 r;}iAPTER VII. 
 
 WITH THE INDIANS. 
 
 ARDLY knowing how I went or what I did, I trudged 
 along in a half conscious condition. Led a captive 
 into the camp of Big Bear by one' of his vile band. Taken 
 through brush and i^riar, a large pond came to view, we did 
 not pass it by. he made me go through the water on that 
 cold 2nd of :\]m\ nearly to my waist. I got so very weak 
 that T could not walk and the Indian pulled me along, in 
 this way he managed to get me to his tepee. On seeing 
 Mrs. Delnney taken away so far from me, I asked the 
 Indian to take me to her; and he said "A<?, A^, " and o])en- 
 ing the tent shoved me in. A friendly scjuaw put down 
 a rabbit robe for me to sit on ; I was shivering with the cold ; 
 this squaw took my shoes and stockings off and partly dried 
 them for me. Their tepees consisted of long poles covered 
 with smoke-stained canva? with two openings, one at the 
 to}) for a smoke hole and the other at the bottom for a door 
 through which I had to crawl in order to enter. In the 
 centre they have their fire; this squaw took a long stick and 
 took out a large piece of beef from the kettle and offered it 
 to me, which I refused, as I could not eat anything after what 
 I had gone through. 
 
 Just then Big Bear's braves came into the tent; there 
 were nearly thirty of them, covered with war paint, some hav- 
 ing on my husband's clothes, and all giving vent to those ter- 
 rible yelis, and holding most murderous looking instruments. 
 They were long wooden clubs. At one end were set three 
 sharp shining knife blades. They all looked at me "as I 
 eyed those wea])ons ( and they well matched the expres- 
 sion of their cruel mouths and develish eyes) thinking my 
 troubles would soon be over I calmly awaited the result. 
 
 *•' 
 
TWO MONTHS IN IHE CAMP OF BIG HEAR. 
 
 27 
 
 IJiit they sat down around nie with a bottle full of some- 
 thing that looked like water, passing it from one Indian ta 
 the other, so I put on a brave look as if I was not afraid 
 of them. After this they all went out and the most blood- 
 curdling yells that ever pierced my ears was their war-whoop^ 
 mmgled with dancing and yelling and cuttmg most foolish 
 antics. 
 
 I saw a little baby that I thought must be dead, l>ing in 
 one i>art of the tent, they had it done up in a moss bag. I 
 will try and give an idea oi wiiat it was like: they take a piece 
 of cloth having it large at t!ie top, and cut it around where 
 the feet should l)e, and on both sides of this little bag they 
 have loops of very fine leather, then they have a small thin 
 cushion laid on this, the length of the child, and three or four 
 pieces of different colored flannels, then they dress the 
 baby in a thin print gown and i)ut it in this bag, and its little 
 legs are jjut down just as straight as a needle, covered 
 over with moss, which they first heat very hot ; then the arms 
 are put down in the same way and the flannels are wTa[)ped 
 around very tight and then they lace the bag up, and all 
 that can be seen is the little brown face peeping out. 
 
 Just then Pritchard's little girl came inwherel was ;shecould 
 talk a few words of English. I asked her where her pa was, 
 and she said that he was putting uj) a tent not far away, and 
 then 1 had some hope of getting from the Indians. 
 
 After I had been there for four hours, Louis (loulet and 
 Andre Xault came in, and (ioulet said tct me "Mrs. (jowan- 
 lock if you will give yourself over to the half-breeds, they 
 will not hurt you ; V*eter Blondin has gone down to where 
 the mill is, and when he comes back he will give his horse 
 for you." I asked them to interjjret it to the Indians in order 
 to let me goto Prit'hard's tent for awhile, and the Indians 
 said that she could go with this squaw. I went and was over- 
 joyed to see Mrs. iJelaney there also. After getting in there 
 
28 
 
 TWO \tONTHS IN IHE CAMP OF IU<; HKAR. 
 
 I was unconscious for a long time, and upon < oming to my 
 senses, I found Mrs. Pritchard bathing my face with cold 
 water. When Blondm came back lie gave his horse and 
 thirty dollars for Mrs. Delaney and me. He put uj) a tent 
 and asked me to go with him, but I refused ; and he 
 became angry and did everything he could to injure me. 
 That man treated me most shamefully ; if it had not been 
 for I^ritchard I do not know what would have become of me. 
 Pritchard was kinder than an\ of the others. 
 
 After I had been a prisoner three day.s, Hlondin came 
 and asked me if I could ride horse back, and I said 
 "yes," and. he said if I would go with him, he would go and 
 take two of the best horses that Big Bear had and desert 
 that night. I told him I would uevef leave Pritchard's tent 
 until we all left, saying "I would go and drown myself in the 
 river before I would go with him." 
 
 Late that same night a French Canadian by the name of 
 Pierre came into the tent, and hid himself behind us, he said 
 the Indians wanted to shoot him, and some one told him to 
 go and hide himself, ultimately one of the half-breeds gave a 
 horse to save his life. Mrs. Pritchard told him not to stay in 
 there. She did not want tc see any more men killed, and (jne 
 of the half-breeds took him away and he was ])laced under 
 the protection of the Wood Crees. This man had been 
 •working with Goulet and Nault all winter getting out logs 
 about thirty miles from Frog Lake. 
 
TWO MONIHS IN IHK CAMP OF IJIG IILAR. 
 
 ^9 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 PROTiXTKn r.V HA1.K-I:KKKI)S. 
 
 0N the 3rd of April Big Bear came into uur tent and sit- 
 ting down beside us told us he was very sorry lor what 
 had happened, and cried over it, saying he knew he had so 
 many bad men but had no control over thein. He came 
 very often to our tent telling us to "eat and sleep plenty, 
 they would not treat us like the white man. '1 he white man 
 when he make [)risoner of Indian, he starve him and 
 cut his hair off."' He told us he would i)iotect us if the 
 police came. 'I'iie same dav I5ig Hears braves j)ai • -urtent 
 another visit, they came in and around us with their guns, 
 knives and tomalia\\ks, looking at us so wickedly. 
 
 Pritchard said. '' For (lod sake let these poor women live, 
 they can do no harm to you ; let thtin go home I'j their 
 friends." 
 
 'i'he leaders hekl a brief consultation. 
 
 An Indian stood u[) and pointing to the heavens said, 
 *' W'e promise by dod that we will not hurt these white 
 women ; we will let them live." 
 
 They then left the tent. 
 
 Every time I saw one of P>ig iJear"'^ Indians coming in, I 
 expected it was to kill us, or take us away from the tent, 
 which would have been far 7^'orse than death to ine. 
 
 But they did not keti> their word. 
 
 On the third night ( Saturday, the 4th April, ) after our 
 captivity, two Indians came in while all the men and Mrs. l)e- 
 laney were asleep, I heard them, and thought it was Prit- 
 diard fixing the harness, he usually sat up to protect us. 
 
30 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN THK CAMP OF HK; HKAK. 
 
 A match was lighted and I. saw two of the most hcdiouslook- 
 ing Indians looking over and saying where is the Manias 
 squaw, meaning the white women. I got so frightened I 
 •could not move, but Mrs. Delancy put cut her foot and awak- 
 ened Mrs. Pritchard, and she wakened her husband, and he 
 started up and asked what they wanted, and they said they 
 wanted to take the white women to their tent, and I told 
 Pritchard they could kill me before I would go, and I prayed 
 to CJod to help me. Pritchard and Adolphus Nolin gave 
 their blankets and dishes and Mrs. Pritchard, took the best 
 blanket off her bed to give to them and they went off, and 
 in the morning the Wood Crees came in and asked if those 
 Indians took much from us, and Pritchard told them "No" ; 
 the Indians wanted to make them give them liack. After 
 that l^ritchard and other half-breeds j>rotected us from night 
 to night for we were not sate a single minute. 
 
 During the two days which had passed, the bodies of the 
 men that were murdered had not been buried. "^Fhey were 
 lymg on the road exposed to the view of everyone. The 
 half-breeds carried them oft' the road to the side, but the 
 Indians coming along dragged them out again. Ii was 
 dreadful to see the Ijodies of our /^-'^r^/fV/r husbands dragged 
 back and forth h\ those * moniac savages. 
 
 On Saturday the day before H'.asier, we induced some half- 
 breeds to take our husbands' bodies and bury them, 'i'hey 
 l)laced them, with those of the priests, under the chur( h. 
 The Indians would not allow the other bodies to be moved. 
 And dreadful to relate those inhuman wretches set fire to 
 the church, and with yt'ling and dancing witnessed it burn 
 to the ground. The bodies, I at'terwards heard, were charred 
 beyond recognition. 
 
 l,^pon seeing what was done the tears ran j^rofusel)- d()wn 
 oui cheeks and I thought n^y very heart would break. .A.11 
 the comfort we received from that unfeeling band was, 
 
TWO MONTHS IN THF. CAMP OF BIG BEAR. 
 
 3^ 
 
 "that's right, cry plenty, we have killed your husbands and 
 »ve will soon have you." 
 
 On Easter Sunday night there was a heavy thunder storm 
 and before morning it turned cold and snowed ; the 
 tent pole broke, coming down within an inch of my head, 
 the snow blowing in and our bedding all covered with it and 
 nothing to keep us warm. I got up in the morning and 
 found my shoes all wet and frozen, and the Indians came in 
 and told us what they saw in the hea\eni.. I'hey saw a 
 church and a man on a large black horse with his arm out 
 and he looked so angry, and they said God must be angry 
 with them for doing such a thing ; the half-breeds are as 
 superstitious as the Indians. 
 
TWO MONIHS IN THE CAMP OF Bit. I3EAR. 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THEV TAKE FOR I PITT. 
 
 HE morning of the 6th of April was a memoraUle one. 
 Something unusual was going to take place from the ex- 
 cited state of the camp. Everyone was on the go. I was 
 in a short time made acquainted with the reason. It was 
 more blood, more butchery, and more treachery. And oh! 
 such a sight presented itself to my eyes. The Indians were 
 all attired in full war habiliment.'^. They had removed their 
 clothes. A girdle around their waists, was all — and their 
 paint — every shade and color. Heads with feathers, and 
 those who had killed a white, with (juills. A (juill for every 
 man scali)ed. Eyes jjainted like stars, in red. yellow and 
 green ; laces, arms, legs and bodies elaborately decorated, 
 and frescoed in all their savage beauty, with bars, s|x.)ts, rings 
 and dots. Brandishing tomahawks, bludgeons and guns; 
 Hinging and firing them in every direction, accompanied 
 with yells and whoops; a most hideous and terrible sight. 
 I'hey embraced their wives and children, and the command 
 was given to start for Fort Pitt. In order to swell their 
 numbers they compelled the half-breeds and some of their 
 scjuaws to accompany them. The s(|uaws ride horses like 
 the men. 
 
 On Sunday the 12th of April they returned from the Fort 
 nush with victory. They had captured that place, killed 
 policeman (Jowan, taken the whites prisoners, and allowed 
 the police to es< ape down the river, all without loosing an 
 Indian or half-breed. The j)risoners were brought in while 
 we were at dinner. Mr. and Mrs. ( hiinnev came to our 
 tent. Mrs. (J>uinney said she was cold and wet. She sat 
 down and jnit her arms around me and cried. I gave her a 
 cup of hot tea and something to eat. Shortly after the Mc- 
 
TWO MONTHS IN THF. C\AIP OF Rir, BFAR. 
 
 33 
 
 Lean's and Mann's came in. It was a great relief to see 
 white i)eo[)le again. 
 
 It was not long before they moved ramp about 
 two miles from Krog Lake. Mrs. Delaney and I, 
 walking with Mrs. Pritchard and family, through mud and 
 water : my shoes were very thin, and my feet very wet 
 and sore from walking. 1'he Indians were riding beside us 
 with our horses and burkboard.s, laughing and jeering at us 
 with umbrellas over their heads and buffalo t-'vurcoats on. 
 We would laugh and make them l)elieve we were enjoying it, 
 and my heart ready to l)reak with grief all the time. When 
 we camped, it was in a circle. A s()ace in the centre being 
 kept for dcinrjng. 
 
 I asked Blondin if he had any of our stockings or under- 
 clothing in his sacks. He told me no, and shortly afterwards 
 took out a pair of my husband.s long stockings and [>uithcm 
 on before me, he would change them three and four times 
 a week. He had nearly all my pour husl)and's clothes. 
 Two men came in one time while Hlondin was asleep and 
 took one of my husband's coats out of his sack and went out; 
 Klondin upon missing it got very angry and swore before 
 me, saying that some person had come in and taken one of 
 his coats, and all the time 1 knew whose coat it was they 
 were tjuarrelling over. I wished then I could close my eyes 
 and go home to God I went outside the tent and saw this 
 other half-breed named (iregory Donaire with my husband's 
 coat on and pants, and just as I looked up 1 thought it must 
 be my own husband, and to see the fellow laugh in my face, 
 he evidently had an idea about what I was thinking. 
 Blondin wore my husband's overcoat, and all I had was my 
 little shawl and nothing to wear on my head, and the rain 
 pouring down in torrents on me; this fellow would walk 
 beside the waggon and laugh, and when it quit raining asked 
 
 3 
 
34 TWO MONTHS IS IHK CANfP OF IW . HKAK. 
 
 inc if I wanted Ai's overcoat: I told him no, I did not mind 
 l)eing wet as mu( h as he did. That night Mim. Delaney 
 and I lay down in one corner of the tenl until morning came 
 and then we had all the baking to do. We dug a hole in 
 the ground and .started a fire, taking flour, we stirred iti 
 water, kneading it hard. We then with our hands flattened 
 it out and placed it in a frying pan, baking it before the 
 fire, and by the time it was baked it wis as black as the 
 pan Itself. We dined on bannock and bacon for two wionths, 
 and were very thank t'ul to get it. 
 
TWO MONTHS IN THF. CAMP OP HIti UKAR. 
 
 35 
 
 CHAITER X. 
 
 d'.^ 
 
 COOKINr, FOR A lAnC'r, rXMII.V. 
 
 My experience of Gamp lil'e was of such a < haracter, that 
 I would rather he a maid-of-ali-work in any position 
 than slush in an Indian tepee, reeking as it is, with filth and 
 jK)isonous odors. There is no such a thing as an health 
 officer among that hand of braves. They have a half spirit 
 ualized personage whom they desiginat" the Medicine Man; 
 but he is nothing more or less than a quack of the worst 
 kind. As in every other part of their life, so in the doniesti'^ 
 they were unclean. 
 
 One evening, just as we had everything ready for our 
 meal, in rushed the Big Bear's, gobbling up every 
 thing. After they had gone, I set to work to wash the dish 
 es. Mrs. Pritchard thereat became quite angry, and would 
 not allow me, saying that we would be glad to do more than 
 that for the Indians yet. I went without my supper that 
 night ; I would rather starve than eat after that dirty horde. 
 
 One day, Pritchard brought in a rabbit for dinner. I 
 thought we were going to have a treat as well as a good meal; 
 we were engaged at other work that day, and Mrs. Pritchard 
 did the cooking herself, but I had occasion to go in the direc 
 tion of the fire,and there was the ral)bit in the i)ot boiling, it 
 was all there, head, eyes, feet, and everything together. My 
 good dinner vanished there and then. I told Mrs. Delaney 
 there was no rabbit for me. I only ate to keep myself alive 
 and well, for if I showed signs of sickness I would have been 
 put with the Indians, and they would have [)ut an end to 
 me in a short time. 
 
 VV^e had fifteen in our tent to bake for, besides the Indians, 
 that came in to gorge, about thirty at a time. VVc cut wood 
 
 
3« 
 
 1WO MONIHS IN THF, CAMP OF Hlf; REAR. 
 
 and ( arricd water and did Mrs. Pritc hard sewing for her 
 nine children; making iheir clothing that came from our 
 own house. She took some muslin that Mrs. Delaney had 
 bought before the trouble, and cut it up into ai)rons for her 
 little baby, and gave me to make, and then she went to the 
 trunk that had all my la<e tnmTiiing that I had made through 
 the winter, and brought some for me to sew on the aprons. 
 I made them up as neatly as 1 ])ossibly could, and when 
 finished, she thanked mc for it. The little children played 
 with keei)sakes that my mother had given to me when a little 
 girl, and I had to look and see them broken in pieces without 
 a murmur, also see my friends photographs thrown around and 
 destroyed. I gathered up a few that were scattered around iu 
 the dirt and saved them when no one was looking 
 
 If Big Mear's braves would say move camp im- 
 mediately, and if we should be eating and our tent 
 not taken down just then, they wt)ul(l shout in the air and 
 come and tear it down. In travelling, the Indians ride, and 
 their squaws walk and do all the work, and they pack their 
 dogs and have "travores"' on their horses, upon which the)- 
 tied their little children, and then all would move off 
 together; dogs howling, and babies crying, and Indians 
 beating their wives, and carts tuml)i:ng over the banks 
 of the trail, and children falling, anc» worses and oxen 
 getting mired down in the mud, and squaws cutting sacks of 
 flour open to get a piece of cotton for string, and leaving the 
 flour and throwing away the provisions, while others would 
 come along and gather it up. We rode on a lumber wag- 
 gon, with an ox team, and some of the squaws thought we 
 did not work enough. Not work enough, after walking or 
 working all day, after dark we were required to bake ban- 
 nock and do anything else they had a mind to give us. 
 Tliey wanted to work us '^o death. 
 
TW(> MONTHS IN TIIK CAMP OF BKi BKAR. 
 
 t 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPIKR \'I. 
 iNcn»F.Nis nv rm. ww. 
 '11 K Indians are not only vicious, treacherous and super 
 
 ''«' 
 
 stitious, but they are childlike ;md suiiplc, as the fol- 
 lowing in» idem will show: -After the Indians came batjc 
 from Fort Pitt, one of them found a glass eye; that eye was 
 llie fiworiie oi)tic of Stanley Simpson, who was lake« a 
 )>nsoner there l)y Big liear. He brought it with him for one 
 of his brothel Indians who was blind m one eye, imaguiing 
 with untutored wisdom that if it gave light to a white 
 man. it should also to a red. and they worked at it fot 
 a time, but they could not get the focus, finally they threw it 
 away, saying it was no good, he could not see. 
 
 While we were in camp, Mr. ( ^uinns little two year old 
 girl would come in and put her little arms around our neck.s 
 and kiss us. The dear little thing had no one to care for 
 her, she would stay with us until her mother would come and 
 take her away. 'I'he squaws also carried her around on their 
 backs with nothing but a thin print dress on and in her bare 
 feet. How I did feel lor her, she was such a bright little 
 girl, her father when alive took care of her. It was very 
 hard to see her going around like any of the Indian children. 
 
 One day while travelling we came to a large creek and had 
 to get offthe waggon and jiullourshoesandstockingsoff in order 
 that they would be dry to put on afterwe gotacross ; the water 
 was up to our waists and we waded through. Miss McLean 
 took her little three year old sister on her back and carried 
 her over. After crossing we had to walk a long distance on 
 the burnt prairie to get to the waggon, then we sat down and 
 jHit our shoes on. Some of the Indians commg along 
 said, "oh! see the monais S(juaw." W'e would laugh, 
 
 \ 
 
38 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN THE CAMP OF KIG BEAR. 
 
 tell them it was nice ; that we enjoyed it. If they thought we 
 did not. we were in danger ofbeing taken away by them and 
 made to work for them like their squaws. 
 
 One of Hig Bear's sons wives died, and they dug a hole 
 in the ground and wrapped blankets around her, and laid 
 her in it, and put sacks of bacon and flour on top so that 
 she could not get out, they covered her over with earth; 
 an(^ watched the place for some time for fear she would come 
 to life again. 
 
 Their dances occur every day, they go and pick 
 out the largest tents and go and take them from the Wood 
 Crees, and leave them all day without any covering, with 
 the white people who were prisoners, with them. They 
 thought the wliite people took it as an honor to them, and 
 every time in moving. Big Bear's band would tell us just 
 where to put our tents, and if one camped outside this 
 circle, they would go and cut their tent in pieces. In some 
 of their dances Little Poplar was arrayed in some of Miss 
 McLean's ribbons, ties and shawls, another with my hat 
 on, and another with Mrs. Delaney's, and the squaws with 
 our dresses, and they had a large dish of meat in the centre 
 and danced awhile, and sat down and ate and danced again, 
 keeping this up all day long. And if anyone lagged 
 in the dance, it was a bad day for him. Little Poplar 
 had a wiiip, and he would ply it thick on the back of 
 the sluggish dancer. 
 
 One day just as we were eating dinner, an Indian came 
 and invited us out to a dog feast ; the men went, but we pre- 
 ferred bannock and bacon, to dog. They sent each of us 
 three yards of print to make us a dress ; a squaw takes no 
 more than that. And then a friendly Indian made me a 
 present of a pair of green glasses. 
 
 A most dreadful affair occurred one day, they killed one 
 of their squaws, an old grey headed woman that was insane. 
 
■ w 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN THF. CAMP OF BIO HF.AR. 
 
 39 
 
 The Indians and half-l)reeds were afraid of her, and she told 
 them if thev did not kill her before the sun went down, she 
 would eat the whole camp up. They got some of the half- 
 breeds to tie her, and they carried her out on a hill, and one 
 old half-breed struck her on the head, and the Indians 
 shot her in the head three times, cut it off and set fire to 
 it; they were very much afraid she would come back and do 
 some harm to them. 
 
 One evening after making our bed for the night, four 
 squaws came into our tent and sat down for two hours, crying 
 and singing and clapping their hands, and after going out, 
 some of the Indians took and tied them until morning; it 
 was a most strange procedure. I could go on enumerating 
 incident after incident, but I have, I think, given sufficient to 
 give the reader an insight into their character. 
 
 i. 
 
 V 
 
40 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN THE CAMP OF BIG BE iR. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 DANCING PARTIES. 
 
 HILE we were on the way too Fort Pitt, a letter was 
 received from the Rev. John McDougall, of Calgary, 
 stating that trooi>s were coming through from Edmonton, 
 and that they would make short work of Big Bear's band for 
 the murders they had committed at Frog Lake. They were 
 terribly frightened at that news, and took turns and watched 
 on the hills night and day. Others sjjent their time in danc- 
 ing—it was d.Micing all the time — all day and all night. 
 
 I will explain their mode of dancing as well as I can: — 
 They all get in a circle, while two sit down outside and play 
 the tom-tom, a most unmelodious instrument, something 
 like a tambourine, only not half so sweel; it is made m this 
 way: — they take a hoop or the lid of a butter firkin, and 
 cover one side with a very thin skin, while the other has 
 strings fastened across from side to side, and upon this they 
 pound with sticks with all their might, making a most un- 
 earthly racket. The whole being a fit emb.cm of what is 
 going on in the other world of unclean spirits. Those form- 
 ing the circle, kept going around shoutmg and kicking, with 
 iih the actions and jjaraphernalia of a clown in a jjantomi!ie, 
 only not so dumb. 
 
 We passed a short distance from where Mrs. Delaney lived, 
 and all we could see standing, was the bell of the Cathol'c 
 Mission, and when we came to r)nion Lake, they had burnt 
 some of the buildings there, and as we passed they set fire 
 to the rest. They burnt all the flour and potatoes, .some three 
 hundred sacks, and when we reached Fort Pitt our [provisions 
 were getting scarce, and the half-breeds went to the I'ort to 
 get some flour, but the Indians had previously |)oured coal 
 
TWO MONTHS IN THK CAMP OF BIC. HKAR. 
 
 4» 
 
 and machine oil on what was left, and the\ only got a few 
 sacks and not very clean at that. Still we felt very thankful 
 to have it as it was. 
 
 While in this neighbourhood, Blondin and Henry Quinn 
 went down to the river to make their escape, and Blondin 
 well knew that the Indians had said ifone prisoner ran aw.iy 
 they would kill all the rest. The half-breeds hearing what 
 they had done, went after them and brought them back, and 
 that night Big Bear's braves came into our tent where Quinn 
 and Blondin were, and wanted to go to work and cut (^uinn 
 in pieces. Blondin was like one of themselves. Priichard 
 sat on his knees in front of Quinn and kept them from doing 
 r' They were in our tent nearly the whole night with their 
 guns, large sharp knives and war clubs, .\fter Pritchard had 
 talked some hours to them they went out only partly pacified. 
 Some of them said, " he has ran away once, let us kill him 
 and have no more trouble with him ; if he runs away he will 
 be going away and telling the police to come." 
 
 VV'hen near the Fort they had their '* rhirst Dance." An 
 Indian went to the bush and broke off a ^reen bough, and 
 carrii'd it to the place arranged for the dance, and all the 
 othe Indians shot at it. Then the Indians got their 
 squaws with them on horse-back ; some thought it would 
 not be polite if they did not invite the white women to 
 helj) them also, and Mrs. Pritchard and another scjuaw < ame in 
 and put Mrs. Delaney in one corner and covered her over, 
 and me in another with a feather bed over me, so as not to find 
 us. Ihen some said " Oh, let the white women stay where 
 they are," and they took their squaws and went to the woods. 
 I should say about fifty rode to the woods for one stick at a 
 time, fastening a chain around it, dragged it along to this 
 place singing and yelling as they went. After they had 
 enough sticks, they arranged a tent in the centre of the circle. 
 They stood a lony pole uj), and on this ]) )le they tied every- 
 
 f ; 
 
42 
 
 IWO MONTHS IN THE CAMP OF BIG BEAR. 
 
 thing they wished to give to the sun, and this is never taken 
 down, and then they erected smaller poles about five 
 feet high, all around in a large circle, and from the top of 
 these they fastened sticks to the long pole in the centre, and 
 covered it all with green boughs, they then partitioned the tent 
 into small stalls, and tied print and anything bright all around 
 inside on these poles ; after they had this arranged they 
 began dancing. It continues three days and three nights, 
 neither eating or drinking during the entertainment. They 
 danced all that night and the squaws had each a small 
 whistle made of bone which they blow all the time in addi- 
 tion to the musical " tom-toms." Mrs. Delaney and I lay 
 awake all night, anu I said to her, "I hope the police will 
 come in while they are having this dance." Mrs. Pritchard 
 asked us next morning if we would go and see them at it, 
 and remarked " they will not like it if you white women do 
 not go and see them." We went with her, and when we got 
 inside they laughed and were delighted at seeing us come. 
 There they were, some of the squaws with my clothes on, 
 and one Indian with my husband's on, and my table linen 
 hanging on the poles. The squaws stood in those little 
 stalls and danced. They had their faces painted, and fingers 
 and ears filled with brass rings and thimbles. Some of the 
 Indians were dressed in the police uniforms and had veils 
 over their faces ; and just as we got nicely there, two In- 
 dians came riding around and saying the police were all on 
 this side of the river with their tents pitched. There must 
 be hundreds of them, some said, and the others said no, be- 
 cause they have their wives and children with them ; and 
 then came the scattering, they ran in all directions like 
 scared rabbits and tore their tents down, the Indians riding 
 around on horse-back singing and yelling, and saying "let us 
 go and meet them" that was to fight, and others said *W, let 
 us move," and we all left and moved through the woods. 
 
TWO MONTHS IN THE CAMP OF P.IG BEAR. 
 
 43 
 
 But it proved to be more than a mere scare. Our triencls 
 were drawing near — too near to to be comfortable for the 
 noble "red man,'' the murderers of defenceless settlers, the 
 despoilers of happy homes, the polluters of poor women and 
 children. They did all that, and yet they are called the 
 noble "red man/' It might sound musical in the ears of the 
 poet to write of the virtues of that race, but I consider it 
 a perversion of the real facts. During the time I was with 
 them I could not see anything noble in them, unless it was 
 that they were noble murderers, noble cowards, noble thieves. 
 The facts, I think, also go to show that the Indians are 
 not treated properly. There is no distinction made between 
 the good (there are good Indians) and bad. The character 
 of the Indian is not studied sufficiently, or only so far as 
 self-inierest and selfish motives are concerned. But the 
 majority of the present race can be designated anything but 
 the noble "red man." 
 
 They would in many instances, be better without the 
 mis.sionary. If all denominations would only amalgamate 
 their forces and agree upon an unsectarian basis for mission- 
 ary effort, the Indians would become evangalized more quickly 
 then they are at present. It would be better for the Indians, 
 and more honorable for the Christian Church. Give the 
 Indians the Gospel in its simphcity without the ritual of the 
 denominations. 
 
 -^^^h^^^^e^i^k^' 
 
44 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN ITIK CAMP OF liir, BEAR., 
 
 CHAITKR XIII 
 
 ANOIUKR nATTU-;, 
 
 ¥AS it the distant roar of heaven's artillery that caught 
 niv ear. I listened and heard it aiiain. The In- 
 
 dians heard it and were friglitened. 
 A half-breed in a stage whisper cried, 
 
 (( 
 
 a cannon . a can- 
 
 non. 
 
 t" 
 
 An Indian answered, "a cannon is no yjod to fight." 
 
 I lo(;ked at them and it showed them to be a startled and 
 fear-stricken company, notwithstanding that they held the 
 cannon \rith such disdain as to say ''cannon no good to 
 Tight." That night was full of excitement tor the Indians; 
 the)- felt that the enemy was drawing near, too clo.->e in (arx 
 to be safe. The prisoners were excited with the thought, 
 that perhaps there was liberty behind that cannon for them, 
 and taking it all round, there was little sleej) within the 
 tei)t"s. 
 
 The next morning I awoke earl) with hopefulness rising 
 within my breast at the thought of again obtaining my 
 liberty. The first sound I heard was the firing of cannon 
 near at hand; it sounded beautiful; it was sweet music to 
 my ears. Anticii)ating the prospect of seeing friends once 
 more, I listened and breathed in tlie echo after every bomb. 
 
 The fighting commenced at seven o'clock by (len. 
 Strange's troops forcing the Indians to make a stand. It 
 was continued until ten with indifferent success. The troops 
 surely could not have known the demoralized condition of 
 the Indians, else they would have comj)elled them to sur- 
 render. The fighting was very near, for the bullets were 
 whi/zing around all the time. NN'e thought surely that 
 liberty was not far away. The Indians vvere continually 
 
THE WA.N'DKKING -JTRlf. 
 
46 
 
 TWO MONIHS I.^ IHK CAMP OF flU; HKAR. 
 
 riding back and fro inspiring their followers in the rear with 
 hope, and we poor prisoners with de.s[)air. At last they came 
 back and said that they had killed twenty policemen and 
 not an Indian hurt. But there were two Indians killed, one 
 of whom was the Worm, he who killed my poor husband, 
 and several wounded. We were kept running and walking 
 about all that morning with their squaws, keeping out of 
 the way of their enemies, and our friends. We were taken 
 through mud and water until my feet got so very sore that 
 I could hardly walk at all. 
 
 The Indians ordered us to dig pits tor our protection. 
 Pritchard and Blondin dug a large one about five feet deep 
 for us, and they piled flour sacks around it as a further pro- 
 tection ; but they dug it too deep and there Was two or three 
 inches of water at the bottom. They then threw down some 
 brush and we got into it, twenty persons iii all, with one 
 blanket for Mrs. Delaney and me. McLean's family had 
 another pit, and his daughters cut down trees to place 
 around it. Mr. Mann and family dug a hole in the side 
 of the hill and crawled into it. If I had my way I would 
 have kept out of the pit altogether and watched my chance 
 to escape. 
 
 We fully expected the troops to follow but they did not; 
 and early in the morning we were up and off again. Some 
 of the Indians went back to see how about the troops, and 
 came back with the report that the " i)olice" ( they call all 
 soldiers police) had vanished, they were afraid. When I 
 heard it, I fairly sank, and the slight spark of hope I had, 
 had almost gone out. Just to think that succor was so 
 near, yet alas ; so far. But for Mrs. Delaney I would have 
 given way and allowed myself to perish. 
 
TWO Mf)NlH."5 IN THK CAMP OF BIG BEAR. 
 
 47 
 
 CHAI'IER XIV. 
 
 INDIAN POY.S. 
 
 ^UST here a word about Indian boys would not be amiss. 
 CJ An Indian boy is a live, wild, and untamed bemg. 
 He is full of mischief and cruelty to those he hates, and 
 passably kind to those he likes. I never saw in their charac- 
 ter anything that could be called love. They have no idea 
 of such a tender tie. Thus by nature he is cruel without 
 having a sense of humor, much less gayety, and in all my 
 ej^perience I never saw or heard one give a hearty laugh, 
 except on the occasion of a mishap or accident to any one, 
 and then the little fragment of humor is aroused. 
 
 He is skillful m drawing his bow and sling, and has u 
 keenness of sight and hearing. Hv takes to the life of a 
 hunter as a duck takes to water, and his delight is in shoot- 
 ing fowl and animals. He does it all with an ease and 
 grace that is most astonishing. In everything of that nature 
 he is very skillful. Pony riding is his great delight, when 
 the ponies were not otherwise engaged, l>ut during my stay 
 with them, there was too much ex( itement and change 
 all around for the boys to exercise that animal. 
 
 While we were driving along after broLikmg up camp the 
 little fellows would run along and pick flowers for us, one 
 vieing with the other as to who would get the most and the 
 prettiest. They were gifted with a moC remarkable memory 
 and a slight was not very soon forgotten, while a kindness 
 held the same place in their memory. 
 
 The general behaviour of Indian boys was nevertheless 
 most intolerable to us white i)tople. In the tej)ee there 
 was no light and very often no fuel, and owing to the forced 
 
 '1 
 
4» 
 
 1WO MONIHS IN THF C\MI' OF liH. l:KAR. 
 
 niarrhes ihtre was not niu* h time for cutting wood, also it 
 was hard to li^ht as it was so green and sajjpy. The boys 
 would then wrap themselves up in a blanket, but not to sleep, 
 only to yell and sing as it to keej) in the heat. They would 
 kiep this up until they finally dozed off: very often that would 
 be in the early hours of the morning. 
 
 I -ike father, like son; the virtues of young Indians were 
 extremely few. '1 hey reac h their tether when they fail to 
 benefit self. Their morality was in a very low state. I do 
 not remember that I saw much of it, if I did it was hardly 
 noticible. 
 
 Where the charm of a savage life comes in I do not 
 know, I failed to observe it during mv exj^erience in the 
 camp of the Crees. 'I'he charm is a delusion, except ]K'r- 
 ha]>s wlien viewed irom the deck of a steamer as it glified 
 along the large rivers and lakes of the Indian country, or 
 perhaps within the pages of a blooii and tluinder novel. 
 
TWO MONin*; IN IHK CAMP OF hU. BEAR. 
 
 49 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 nOl'K ALMOST r)KFERkKD. 
 
 fJT LMOST a week afterwards, on a Saiurday night, the 
 J-^ fighting Indians gathered around u tepee near ours 
 and began that never ending dan<:ing and singing. It was 
 a most unusual thing for them to dance so close to our tent. 
 They had never done so before. It betokened no good on 
 their part and looked extremely susj>icious. It seemed to 
 me that they were there to fulfil the threat they made .some 
 time previous, that they would put an end to us soon. The 
 hour was late and that made it all the more certain that 
 our doom had come. I became very nervous and frightened 
 at what was going on. When all at once there was a 
 scattering, and running, and yelling at the top of their voices, 
 looking for squaws, and children, and tearing down tents, 
 while we two sat in ours in the depths of despair, waitir*^ 
 for further developments. I clung to Mrs. Delaney like my 
 own mother, not knowing what to do. The cause of the 
 stampede we were told was that they nad heard the report of 
 a gun. That report was fortunate for us, as it was the 
 intention of the Indians to wrench us from our half breed 
 protectors and kill us. 
 
 The tents were all down and in a very few minutes we 
 were on the move again. It was Sunday morning at an 
 early hour, raining heavily, and cold. We were compelled 
 to travel all that day until eleven o'clock at night. The 
 halt was only given then, because the brutes were tired 
 themselves. Tents were pitched and comparative quietness 
 reigned. Our bedding consisted of one blanket which 
 was soaked with water. Andre Nault took pity on us and 
 
50 
 
 TWO MONTHS IS THK CAMP OF Bir. ULAR. 
 
 gave us his, and tried in every way to make U"* ronifortable. 
 I had a great aversion to that fellow; I was afraid to look at 
 him. I was so weak and tired that I (oiiid not sleef) but 
 for only a few minutes. I had given uj) and despair had 
 entered my mind. I told Mrs. Delaney 1 wished 1 could 
 never see n^oming, as ? had nothing to look forward to but 
 certam death, in that frame of mind 1 i»assed the night. 
 
TWO MON^^^ IN I lu: CAMi' OF bk; bfar. 
 
 5» 
 
 CHAl'ri:R X\ I. 
 
 1 
 
 OUT OK HK. HEAR S ( AMM. 
 
 ON DAY morning, May 31st, was ashcrcd in dark and 
 gloomy, foggy and raining, but it provrd to be the 
 happiest day we had spent since the 31st ot' Man h. As 
 the night was passing, I felt its oj)pressiveness, I shuddered 
 vvitlj the thought of what another day nught bring forth ; but 
 dehverance it seems was not far away ; it was even now at 
 hand. When the light of day had swallowed up the bUn k 
 ness of darkness, the first words that greeted my oars was 
 Pritchard saying "I am going to watch my chance and get 
 out of the camp of liig Bear.'" Oh ' what we suffered, Oh ! 
 what we • :idured, durmg those two long montlis, as cai)tives 
 among a hordo of semi-barbarians. .\nd to think that we 
 would elude them, just when I was giving Uji in despair. 
 It is said that the darkest hour is that which [)recL'edes 
 dawn ; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh m 
 the morning. So with me, in my utter prostration, in the 
 act of giving way, (iod heard my prayer, and opened a way 
 of deliverance, and we made the best of the oi)[)ortunity. 
 
 '* No foe, no danj^erous p;\th we lead. 
 Brook no Mela>, but onward speed." 
 
 Some of the Indians it seems had come across ( ieneral 
 Strange's scouts the night before, and in consequence, 
 all kinds of rumors were afloat among the band. They 
 were all very much frightened, for it looked as if they 
 were about to be surrounded. Sc a move, and a quick one, 
 was made by them, at an early hour, leaving the hglf-breeds 
 to follow on. This was now the golden opportunity, and 
 Pr-itchard grasped it, and with him, five other half-breed 
 
 * 
 
52 
 
 TWO MONTH'^ IN THE CAMP OF V.U. BEAR, 
 
 families fled in an opposite direction, thereby severing our 
 connection with the band nominally led by Big Bear. 
 
 We cut through the woods, making a road, dividing the 
 thick brush, drivmg across creeks and over logs. On we 
 sped. At one time hanging on by a corner of the bedding 
 in order to keep from falling off the waggon. Another time 
 1 fell off the waggon wnile fording a stream ; my bark got 
 so sore that I could not walk much. On we went roaming 
 through the forest, not knowing where we were going, until 
 the night of June 3rd the cry was made by Mrs. Pritchard 
 with unfeigned disgust, *'that the |)olice were c"ning." Mrs. 
 Delaney was making bannock for the next morning's meal, 
 while I with cotton and crochet needle was making trim- 
 ming for the dresses of Mrs. Pritchard s nine half-breed 
 babies. 
 
 « 
 
 I threw the trimming work to the other end of the tent» 
 and Mrs. Delaney called upon Mrs. Pritchard to finish 
 making the bannocks herself, and we both rushed out just 
 as the scouts galloped in. 
 
 \ ./ 
 
 \ 
 
 Mn 
 
 <f 
 
54 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN THE CAMP OF BIG HEAR. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 RESCUED. 
 
 ESCUED! at last, and from a i'ne worse than death. I 
 was so overjoyed that I sat down and cried. The 
 rescuing party were members of General Strange's scouts, 
 led by two friends of my late husband, William McKay and 
 Peter Balentyne of Battleford. We were so glad to see them. 
 'I'hey had provisions with them, and they asked us if we 
 wanted anything to eat. We told them we had bannock 
 and bacon, but partook of their canned beef and hard tack. 
 It was clean and good; and was the first meal we enjoyed 
 for two months. 
 
 I could not realize that I was safe until I reached Fort 
 Pitt. The soldiers came out to welcome us back to life. 
 The stories they heard about us were so terrible, that they 
 could scarcely believe we were the same. 
 
 The steamer was in waiting to take us to Battleford. Rev. 
 Mr. (jordon took my arm and led me on board. The same 
 gentleman gave us hats, we had no covering for our heads 
 for the entire two months we were captives We were very 
 scant for clothing. Mrs. Delaney had a ragged print dress, 
 while 1 managed to save one an Indian boy brought me 
 while in camp. Upon reaching Battleford we were taken to 
 the residence of Mr. Laurie. 
 
 Coming down on the steamer, on nearing a little island, 
 we saw a number of squaws fishing and waving white flags. 
 All along wherever we passed the Indians, they were carry- 
 ing white flags as a token that the had washed off" their war 
 pamt and desired rest. 
 
TWO MONIHS IN THE CAMP OF UK. BEAR. 
 
 55 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 WE LEAVE FOR HOME. 
 
 ME leave Battleford for Swift Current, and our journey 
 takes us across the prairie ; that same stretch that I 
 travelled a few months before, but under different circum- 
 stances and associations. Then 1 went up as a happy bride, 
 Now I go down alone and bowed with grief. Ever)'thing 
 around is full of life, the prairie is a sea of green interpersed 
 with beautiful flowers and plants. It is a pretty scene to 
 feast upon, yet my soul cannot drink it in. I am on the 
 way to friends, a feeling of desolation takes hold of me ; but 
 1 must control myself, and by ( jod's help I will, for his good- 
 ness IS forever sure. 
 
 Rev. John McDougall, Dr. Hoojjer, Captain Dillon, Capt. 
 Nash and Messrs. Fox and Bay ley, of Toronto, and Mrs. 
 Laurie accompanied us on the journey, and did everything 
 they could to make us comfortable. I'he trip over the 
 prairie was a pleasant one. \Vhen we got to the South 
 .Saskatchewan, a thunder storm came on which roughened 
 the water so, we could not cross for about an hour. After 
 it quieted down a scow came and carried us over. I'riends 
 there took care of us for the night, and on the ist of July 
 we boarded a train for Moose Jaw. Capt. Dillon on gomg 
 to the post office met several young ladies in a carriage who 
 asked where we were as they wished to take us to their 
 homes for tea, he informed them that the train had only i 
 few mmutes to stop and that it would be impossible. Those 
 same young ladies were back to the train before it started with 
 a bottle of milk and a box full of eatables. Sx eleven o"clo< k 
 p.m., we arrived at Regina, and remained with Mr. and 
 Mrs. Fowler, going ne.xt morning to a hotel. NVe were there 
 
 i 
 
5^ 
 
 TWO MONIHS IN THE CAMP OF BIO REAR. 
 
 four days. At Moose Jaw we received the following k rid 
 letter from Mrs. C. V. Bennett, of Winnipeg: — 
 
 New Doi-glass House, Winnipeg, Junk 8ih, 1885. 
 
 Afrs. Delaiiey and Mr.'!. G(nvanlock: 
 
 Dpar Madams, — Although an entire stranger to Loth of you, I can- 
 not resist the impulse to writ-' you a few lines to say how thankful and 
 delightful I am to hear of your rescue. 
 
 Hefore I was dressed thi.i morning, my husl»and came up to tell me 
 that you were both safe. And I cannot express to you, neither can you 
 conjprehend the joy that intelligence brought to everyone. The terrible 
 stories of your being tortured and finally murdered, outraged the feelmgs 
 of the whole civilized world, and while men swore to avenge your wrongs, 
 women mourned you, as sisters. 
 
 I am very thankful to see by the papers (hat you were not so inhumanly 
 treated as reported, although your experience has been a terrible one — 
 and one which you can never forget. 
 
 I presume that as soon as you arc a little rested, you will go east to 
 your friends; should you do so, I will be most happy to entertain you 
 while you are in Winnipeg. 
 
 After your captivity, you must be destitute of everything, and if you 
 will come down here, we will be delighted to supply you with what you 
 require. I do not know if you have personal friends here, or not, b* ' 
 your sufferings have given you a sisier\ place in every heart, and every 
 one in Winnipeg v>ould \yc deeply (!isai)pi)inted if you dirl not give them 
 an opportunity of expressing their deep sympathy and regard.-,, 
 
 Mr. Bennett unites with me in l)est wishes, and in hopes that you 
 will accept our hospitality on your way east. 
 
 I am in deepest sympathy, 
 
 Sincerly yours, 
 
 Mk>.. C. F. P.F.NNRT-r. 
 
 I shall never forget the words of sympathy that are ex- 
 pressed in this epiMtle, or the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. 
 McCaul and the peoi)le of Winnipeg generally On our 
 way from Winnipeg to Parkdale w«j received every attention 
 and assistance, which I can assure the reader went a long 
 way in making sorrow lighter and more a!)le to bear. I 
 
TWO MONTHS IN THt CAMP OF BIG BEAR. 
 
 57 
 
 thank Ciod for the sympathy that was extended to me by 
 his people. Mr. J. K. Macdoi.ald of Toronto, was most 
 assiduous in his attention to us from Winnipeg until we left 
 the tram at Parkdale on the 12th of July. I must not for- 
 get the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. .Armstrong also of Toron- 
 to, or the other ladies and gentlemen who were our fellow- 
 passengers on the journey. 
 
 / 
 
■; 
 
 58 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN I HE CAMP OF BIG BEAR. 
 
 CMAKIER XIX 
 
 1 
 
 AT }£OMK. 
 
 ■JOME 
 
 m 
 
 torn from mine — back to the parental. I 
 will now look back over the scene, taking a panoramic 
 view of the whole, as it occurred from the day I left m) 
 father's house full of happiness and joy, until I entered it 
 full of sorrow and suffering. 
 
 It is well for mankind that they are forbidden the know- 
 ledge of what will be their destiny. It was well-conceived 
 by a loving father that it was for our interest to be kept in 
 ignorance of what was m store, for we, his creatures. And 
 thus it was that I entered upon the duties of the household, 
 with a lightness of heart equal to that of any matron. In 
 the humble home (I commence from there) in that beautiful 
 north-west land of quietness and peace, there was not a 
 ruffle heard, or a rumor sounded, of what was in store for 
 that industrious little community. We were living in the 
 bonds of fellowship with all mankind, and we had no fear. 
 But in all that stillness there was an undercurrent at work 
 that would soon make itself felt. Dissatisfaction on account 
 of grievances, real or fancied, was blowing. It had broken 
 out in one place, why should it not in another. This dis- 
 affected spirit was prevalent in all parts of that country. 
 Who was to blame? who was the cause? direct or indirect, 
 it is not my intention or desire to say; suffice it is to note, 
 that there was discontent; and therefore there must have 
 been grievances, and an attempt should have been made or 
 an understanding arrived at, whereby this state of discontent 
 should have been replaced by that of content, without dis- 
 turbance. Where there is discontent there must be badness 
 and suffering, with evils and excesses lying in its wake. 
 
 ; 
 
TWO MONTHS I\ THK CAMP OF PIG REAR. 
 
 59 
 
 
 To have removt-d those gnevanres was the imperative 
 duty of the dispensers of law and order and thus avoid 
 those excesses, but it was not done in time and the inevitable 
 did come swift and sure ; the innocent were made to feel 
 its fury. For that little hamlet by the creek was entered, 
 and its domestic quietness destroyed and future prospects 
 blighted. There was a degree of uneasiness felt after we 
 were mformed of the horror of Duck Lake. Two half- 
 breeds, Blonchn and Donaire, who were employed by my 
 husband, were observed in frequent and earnest conversation 
 with the Indians. Those two had but arrived from the 
 scene at Duck Lake. For what were they there? Was it to 
 incite the Indians? Their actions were, to say the least, sus- 
 picious. 
 
 I will not dwell on the terrible slaughter which followed, 
 it is too painful a subject, simply stating that I had not 
 believed that anything so awful would have been perpetrated 
 by either half-breeds or Indians, until we ivere taken out of 
 Mrs. I)elaney's the second time, and then I felt that there 
 would be trouble, but not in such a manner as that. When 
 I was dragged from the death-bed of my husband, who had 
 the ground for a couch and the canopy of heaven for a 
 coverlet. I was in a bev.ildered condition. Half-unconsciously 
 1 allowed the Indian to drag me on to his tepee, and once 
 in, the circumstances which led to my position, flitted through 
 my brain in quick succes.sion. I then realized that it was 
 most critical; in a few hours I would be forced to undergo 
 ill-treatment that would very soon kill me. With tho.se 
 thoughts within my mind, the tepee opened and a little girl 
 entered, an angel sent by (iod to be my deliverer. Although 
 not aware, she was his instrument in taking me out of danger 
 and placing me in a purer atmosphere. That child was 
 Fritchard's little girl and 1 asked her to send her father. He 
 came and by his influence I was transferred to his care for a 
 
6o 
 
 TWO MONIH^ IN IHK CAMP OF f^K; HKAK. 
 
 while. And when I entered his tent and tliere saw Mrs. 
 Delaney, I was overjoyed for a minute, and then all was a 
 blank; the excitement proveii too much for me and I 
 swooned awa). When 1 returned to consciousness they 
 were all doing their best for me. 
 
 In a' short time Blondin can\e m, ( at the commencement 
 of the massacre he left for our house) he brought with him 
 our waggon, and oxen, and all the furniture and provisions 
 he could take. Immediately thereafter the Indians appeared 
 and it was then that he offered them $30 and a horse for 
 our release. The offer was accepted and I was transferred 
 to Blondin. The wretch was there with e> il intent in his 
 heart. I fully believe that he felt exultant over the doings 
 of the day. Why did he go down to our house when that 
 dreadful affair was going on? Why did he help himself to 
 our goods ? Only for a bad purpose. Oh ! Ood 
 I saw it all. He had everything arranged for me to live 
 with him. All my husband's things; all my things; and a 
 tent. But I refused to accept him or his conditions. [ 
 resented the infamous proposals as strongly as I was able, 
 and appealed to John Pritchard for protection and he 
 generously granted my request. I will never forget his 
 kindness to me as long as I live : '' Yes, Mrs. GowanlorV, 
 you can share my tent, with myself and tamily, and I will 
 protect you." 
 
 That dated the commencement of the shameful treatment 
 I received at the hands of Blondin, and whenever Pritchard 
 was absent, it was meted out to me to the full. Blondin 
 purchased my liberty, that would have been a good 
 action if prompted by honorable motives, but in the absence 
 of that it has no weight with me. He was amj)ly repaid, 
 he got our oxen, our waggon, our provisions, our clothes, 
 we had money there, perhaps he got that. I have wondered 
 
TWO MONTHS IN THE CAMP OF BIG DEAR. 
 
 61 
 
 since was it not my money with which he purchased me. 
 By the help of (lod 1 was saved from hmi ; and 
 a life worse than death. If the worst had come T would 
 have drowned or killed myself; but it did not. "God 
 moves in a mysterious way." 
 
 During the next two months I was called upon to wit- 
 ness heart-rending scenes; first the brutal treatment of the 
 dead bodies of our husbands', as well as cruelty to ourselves; 
 for even under Pritchard's care we were not safe and did not 
 know what minute would be our last. Not content with 
 Diurdenng them in cold blood, they must needs perform 
 diabolical deeds which causes me to shudder when I think ol 
 it. They danced around them with demonia* glee, ki( kin^ 
 and jAiDing them in every direction, and we were the un- 
 willing witnesses of such behaviour. And when we had 
 them buried under the church thev burned it down, with 
 dancing and yelling, accompanied with hysterical laughter. 
 I he sight was sickening to me and I was glad they moved 
 in the direction of Fort Pitt, leaving that jilace w.vh all its 
 associations of suffering and death. But when I heard that 
 they intended to take the Fort, and destroy more life, I felt 
 that I would nilher remain where we were than witness any 
 more scenes of so sad a nature. I have no hap[>y tale 
 to tell for this period was tilled with woe and i>ain. 
 
 I will not enumerate further the trials I had to undergo day 
 after day, but will pass rapidly on until the gladsome note 
 was sounded by our hostess Mrs. Pritchard the "police are 
 here.' God delivered us again. 
 
 It is unnecessary to itemize in detail what passed from 
 that time until I reached Ontario. I have told my tale, 
 simple and truthful, and what remains for me now is my old 
 
6i 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN IIIK CAMP OF RK; HKAR. 
 
 homo, my old asbociations, and my old life— the lines are 
 hard to bear — " 'I'hy will not mine be done." 
 
 Once I thou^ u my cross to iieavy, 
 
 And my heart was »ore afra' I, 
 Sunimonf"! forth to stand a willies'* 
 
 Kor the cause of truth betrayed 
 
 " Send, O Lord," I prayed, " some Simou, 
 
 As of old was sent to Thee. " 
 *' Be ii Simon," said the M.Tstei, 
 
 " 1-or this cross belongs to nie." 
 
 Still is crucified n»y Saviour, 
 
 I myself must a Simon be; 
 Take my rnjss and walk humbly 
 
 Up the slopes of Calvary. 
 
 *->^^ 
 
 ^)'''^^r^ 
 
 ^ i. 
 
TWO MONIlls IN rHK CXMI* OK l\U. |JK\k. 
 
 f^i 
 
 TO OI?E OF THE ABSEI2T. 
 
 YfHi bade me goo<l-t>yo with s smile, love, 
 
 /\nd away to the west wild .»n<l drt-ar ; 
 At the sound of war^ bugle shrill lallinfi 
 
 ^'ou went without shadow ol' fc.ir. 
 Jiui when I complained of your going. 
 
 To face dangers untolrl in the wot ; 
 You chidcd me f^ently by singing : 
 
 *' Encourage me dear 'twill be l)est." 
 
 *' I know you will miss me each hour 
 
 And grieve when I'm far, far away : 
 But its duty's demand and I'm reaily ; 
 
 CouM I show thf white feather to-day ? 
 Oh I Now, you're my own bright eyed bl«-ssing 
 
 And show the true spirit within . 
 Those eves now so fearlessly flashing 
 
 Shall guide me through war's crash and din." 
 
 With your men you went cheerful and willing, 
 
 To defend and take peace to the poor 
 Helpless children and sad prisoned women 
 
 Who had homes on Saskatchewan's shore, 
 And now I'm so proud of you darling 
 
 I can worship a hero so brave, 
 While 1 pray for your safe home returning ; 
 
 When the peace Hag shall (luietly wave. 
 
 O'er the land where poor Scott's heartless* mur- 
 derer, 
 
 Has added much more to his sin ; 
 I5y the coldd>looded uncallefi for slaughter, 
 
 Of Gowanlock, Pelaney and <^)uinii, 
 Who like many others now sleeping. 
 
 Shroudless near the sky of the west, 
 May be called the sad victitns an<l m.irtyrs 
 
 Of Riel who's name we detest. 
 
•nVO MONIHS IN THK CAMP OF IIIG DEAR. 
 
 Many hearts are nnw mourning their lov'd one* 
 
 Who died at their post, true an«l brave, 
 In •Ictiancc of e»nc heartless, rebel, 
 
 Who's lift not e'en "millions" should save. 
 So keej) your arm strong for the fray dear, 
 
 I'll not wish you back 'ere the light 
 Shall decide for you, country and comrades, 
 
 Jn favor of honour am) right. 
 
 Let justice N' done now unfailing 
 
 Nought but tieath can ai<;ne for his sin ; 
 Let the fate be has meted to others ; 
 
 By our dauntless be meted t'> him, 
 I")on't return until (juiet contentment ; 
 
 Kills the homes now descind out west, 
 Antl the true ring of peace tinds an echo, 
 
 In each sturdy sfttler's breast. 
 
 And when you are homeward returning, 
 
 With heart that ha* never known fear ; 
 Remember the love light is burning, 
 
 Unceasmgly, constantly, here 
 And " Hright Eyes " will give you a welcome 
 
 Which even a soldier may prize 
 Wliileihc lip> will bo smiling with pleasure, 
 
 That have prayed in your absence with sighs. 
 
 And the whole world shall ring with the praises 
 
 Of Tanada's noblest and best ; 
 Who shoidder to shoulder defended, 
 
 And saved the unhappy North West 
 While in corning years 'round the hearthstone 
 
 Will be told how the dark coats and red, 
 Tut to n>ut Kiel, reljels and half-breeds 
 
 And aveng'd l>oth ihe living and dead. 
 
 Cl.KOMAil, 
 
 20 Alexander St., Toronto. 
 
TWO MONIILs IN THE CAMl' OF MK; UtAR. 
 
 65 
 
 I 
 
 F^HOT DOWN. 
 
 \\\\\ (lifd a hriitnl death on the and of Ajuil, disarmed 
 first, and then shot (Jown. The i)crpetTaturs of that out- 
 rage were artii;ite<l by fiendish instini ts, nevertheless they 
 had an intuition of what was meant by civiH/ation. How they 
 could have so forgotten the traming they had received relig- 
 iously and socially to have allowed the lower instincts of the 
 savage to gain the ascendancy and fell in cold blood -not ex- 
 tortioners or land-grabbers — b'lt their spiritual advisers ; their 
 su|)erintendeni ; their farm instructor, and those who had left 
 comfortable homes in the east in order to carry civilization 
 into the remote jOaces of the west. 'I he work that they 
 were i>erforming was calculated to elevate the Indian and 
 make him a better man ; taking him from his nusera})le mode 
 of living and le'iding him into a more ha|)|»y and prosperous 
 life for this and the next. It is unaccountable, and there is 
 yet a something that will come to the surface that was the 
 real cause for this dreadful act. At this i>oint a br: '' sketch 
 of the lives of some of thcjse killed would not be out of place 
 
 'I'hey numbered nine, the entire male population rjf that 
 growing little village. 'Ihere were '1. Quinn, J. Delanay, 
 J. A. Gowanlock, 'J'. Dill, U . C. C'.ilchri.st, J. Williscraft, C. 
 (louin and l-'ather Fafard and a |>nest from Onion Lake. 
 Mr. Quinn was the Indian agent for that district well fitted 
 in every particular for the jjosiiion he held. Mr. Dill kept a 
 general store and at one time lived at Bracebridge, was a 
 brother of the member of Muskoka m the local house. Mr. 
 AVilliscraft came frt)m Owen Sound where his friends reside, 
 C. Gouin was a native of the north-west. 
 
66 
 
 lAVO MONTHS IN THri CAMP OF liU) liKAR. 
 
 MR. (lOWANLOCR. 
 
 TOHN ALEXAXDKK C;0\VANI,OC'K, one «;f the Fn 
 «J Lake niartvrs, Was Ixjrn in the City of Stratford, Pr 
 
 rog 
 *ro 
 
 vincc of Ontario, on the 17th of April, 1861. He was the 
 youngest son of Mr. Jas. (iowaniork, of East C)tto, Catta- 
 raguas County, New N'ork State. He has three brothers 
 living, and one sister, .\. (i. and J. (iowanlock of P.irkdale, 
 Ontario, R. K. (iowanlock, of Oscoda, Michigan, and Mrs. 
 Daisy fluntsman, of Tintern, Co. Lincohi. From a boy he 
 was a general favorite, quiet and unassuming, yet withal, 
 firm and decided in his oi>inions. After leaving Stratford 
 he resided for some time in Barrio, and then went to the 
 Village of Parkdale, where he resided until he left lor the 
 north-v, jst. \ 
 
 Being in ill-health (at the age of 19), his physician and 
 aunt, Dr. j. K. Trout, of Toronto, advised a change of di 
 mate, and acting ujion that advice left for that great country. 
 After a short residence every symptom of disease had van- 
 ished, and upon his return some eighteen months after, he 
 felt and was a new man in every i)articuhir. In three months 
 time he returned to the land of bis ado[)tion. By honesty 
 and energy he succeeded well. He took hold of every kind 
 of work that he thou lit would pay. He became farmer, 
 mill-builder, speiulator, surveyor, store-keei)er and mill- 
 owner in succession, buying and selling, and at the same 
 time pushing further west. His greatest success was in Bat- 
 tleford, the Indians of that district would flock to his store, 
 because they knew they could get a good article at a reason- 
 able price. Last year the Ooverninent wanted mills for the 
 
MK. <;OVVA.M<>«K. 
 
68 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN THE CAMP OF BIG BEAR. 
 
 reserves in the. region of Frog I^ke, and after negotiating 
 with them for some time he finally decided, in conjunction 
 with Mr. Laurie, to accept the offer made, the Government 
 giving them the sum of $2,800 as an inducement. 
 
 In the month of October of last year, he began oper-tions, 
 which, if those poor, deluded savages, who did not know when 
 they were well off, had allowed him to finish, would long ere 
 this been a hive of industry and a blessing to those Indians. 
 He visited Ontario the same year, buying all the machinery 
 necessary for the mills and superintending its shipment. He 
 also took unto himself a wife from among the fair daughters 
 of Ontario, and never a happier couple went forth to brave 
 the cares of life. Both young and full of energy. 
 
 But they were not allowed to enjoy their domestic bliss 
 long. The sad event which terminated with him being 
 murdered, along with eight others, being still fresh in the 
 memory of all ; it was a sudden call, but he was prepared 
 for it. An oath was never uttered by him, nor did he know 
 the taste of liquor, a temperance man in the full meaning 
 of the term. He also took a hearty interest in church mat- 
 ters having been one of the managers of the Battleford Pre- 
 byterian Church. Wherever he went he did good, in a 
 gentle and kind way ; and he will be remembered by both 
 Indian, half-breed and settler, as one who never took ad- 
 vantage of them in any way, and the very soul of honor. 
 
 Not himself, but the truth that in life he had spoken, 
 Not himself, but the seed that in life he had sown, 
 
 Shall pass to the ages — all alxnit him fi)rgotlen, 
 
 Save the truth he had spoken, the thinys he had done. 
 
 w 
 
w 
 
/ 
 
 MK. Cll.' liKI-l, 
 
 
TWO M0N1US IN rur: camp of no itkar. 
 
 71 
 
 MR. C;iLCHRIST. 
 
 QN'I'. of the victims of the Frog Lake massacre was Wil- 
 liam Cam];l)cll (iilchrist, a native of the villa^'o of 
 Woodville, Ontario, and eldol son of Mr. J. C. (Jilchrist, 
 l*osimaster of that |)lace. He was an energetic young 
 man, of good address, and if spared would have made his 
 mark in the land of promise. Prior to going there, he held 
 situations in vaoous parts of this province, and they were 
 all of su( h a nature, as to make him i)roficient in the calling 
 of his adoption, he had splendid business ability and with a 
 good education, made progress that was (}uite remarkable for 
 one of his years, at the time of his murder he was only in his 
 twenty-fourth year. 
 
 He was clerk for Mr. E. Mc Tavish of Lindsay, for some 
 tim"; he then returned to his home to take a situation which 
 had been offered him by Mr. L. H. Stajiles, as assistant in 
 his general store ; he afterwards went to the village of iircch- 
 in as Clerk and J'elegraph Ojierator, for Messrs. (Iregg cV 
 'I'odd. While the.e he formed the acquaintance of Mr. A. (i. 
 Cavana, a Surveyor, and it was through his representations 
 that he directed his steps to the great unknown land. Short- 
 ly after his acquaintance with Mr. Cavana, that gentleman 
 received a government appointment as surveyor in the 
 territories, taking Mr. (iilchrist with him in the cajiacity of 
 book keeper and assistant surveyor ; they left in the spring 
 of 1882. He was well lUted for the position, for besides 
 being an excellent penman, was an expert at figures ; when 
 the winter set in, he remained there, taking a situation in a 
 store in Winnipeg, and when the .summer opened out he 
 again went with Mr. Cavana on the survey, (1883) on his 
 
72 
 
 TWO MONTHS IN THE CAMP OK BK; HEAR. 
 
 way home in the autumn he fell in with Mr. J. A. (lowan- 
 lock, who induced him to remain vvith him as clerk, with 
 whom he never left until that sad morning on the 2nd of 
 April, when he was shot down in his strength and manhood. 
 He was a meml:er of the Presbyterian church having con- 
 fessed at the early age of 14 years. It was his intention to 
 enter the Manitoba Co' lege as a theological student. 
 
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