IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET {MT-3) 
 
 /. 
 
 ^/\#1. 
 
 
 .^ 
 
 v.. 
 
 e 
 
 ; 
 
 1.0 
 
 1.25 
 
 ui liii 
 
 g us 112.0 
 
 i.8 
 
 U 116 
 
 ^^ 
 
 vj 
 
 7 
 
 •> x>' 
 
 
 /A 
 
 '^'4* 
 
 '/ 
 
 Hiotographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
 i\ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 <> 
 
 ^9) 
 
 V 
 
 <^\ ^^^ 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, N.Y. M580 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
 
 

 .J- 
 
 I/.. 
 
 .<? 
 
 il 
 
 CIHM/ICMH 
 
 Microfiche 
 
 Series. 
 
 CiHM/iCJVlH 
 Collection de 
 microfiches. 
 
 Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 
 
Technical and Bibliographic Notet/Notes techniques et bibliographiques 
 
 The Institute has attempted to obtain the best 
 original copy available for filming. Features of this 
 copy which may be bibllographlcally unique, 
 which may alter any of the Images in the 
 reproduction, or which may significantly change 
 the usual method of filming, are checked below. 
 
 D 
 
 n 
 
 D 
 
 □ 
 
 D 
 
 D 
 
 Coloured covers/ 
 Couverture de couleur 
 
 I I Covers damaged/ 
 
 Couverture endommagie 
 
 Covers restored and/or laminated/ 
 Couverture restaurie et/ou peiiiculAe 
 
 □ Cover title missing/ 
 Le 
 
 titre de couverture manque 
 
 I I Coloured maps/ 
 
 Cartes giographiques en couleur 
 
 Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ 
 Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) 
 
 I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ 
 
 Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur 
 
 Bound with other material/ 
 Reli6 avec d'autres documents 
 
 Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion 
 along interior margin/ 
 
 La reliure settle peut causer de I'ombre ou de la 
 distortion ie long de la marge int6rieure 
 
 Blank leaves added during restoration may 
 appear within the text. Whenever possible, these 
 have been omitted from filming/ 
 II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouties 
 iors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, 
 mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont 
 pas it6 filmies. 
 
 Additional comments:/ 
 Commentaires supplAmentalres; 
 
 The 
 to tl 
 
 L'Institut a microfilm* le mellleur exemplaire 
 qu'il lui a AtA possible de se procurer. Les details 
 de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du 
 point de vue bibllographique, qui peuvent modlfinr 
 une image reprodulte, ou qui peuvent exiger una 
 modification dans la mithode normale de filmnge 
 sont indiquAs cl-dessous. 
 
 pn Coloured pages/ 
 
 Pages de couleur 
 
 Pages damaged/ 
 Pages endommagies 
 
 Pages restored and/oi 
 
 Pages restauries et/ou peliicuites 
 
 Pages discoloured, stained or foxei 
 Pages d6color4es, tachetAes ou piqudes 
 
 I — I Pages damaged/ 
 
 I — I Pages restored and/or laminated/ 
 
 rr7| Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ 
 
 The 
 post 
 of tl 
 film 
 
 Orig 
 
 begi 
 
 the 
 
 sion 
 
 othe 
 
 first 
 
 sion 
 
 oril 
 
 □Pages detached/ 
 Pages ditachAes 
 
 1^ 
 
 D 
 
 Showthrough/ 
 Transparence 
 
 r~n Quality of print varies/ 
 
 QualitA inigaie de I'impression 
 
 Includes supplementary material/ 
 Comprend du materiel supplAmentaire 
 
 Only edition available/ 
 Seule MItion disponlble 
 
 The 
 shal 
 TINl 
 whic 
 
 Map 
 diffe 
 entir 
 begii 
 right 
 requj 
 metK 
 
 Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata 
 slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to 
 ensure the best possible image/ 
 Les pages totalement ou partieliament 
 obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, 
 etc., ont 6tA filmAes A nouveau de fa^on A 
 obtenir la mellleure image possible. 
 
 This item Is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ 
 
 Ce document est filmd au taux de reduction indiqu6 ci-dessous. 
 
 10X 14X 18X 22X 
 
 26X 
 
 »X 
 
 / 
 
 12X 
 
 16X 
 
 20X 
 
 24X 
 
 28X 
 
 32X 
 
The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks 
 to the generosity of: 
 
 National Library of Canada 
 
 L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grfice d la 
 g6n6ro8it4 de: 
 
 Bibliothdque nationale du Canada 
 
 The images appearing here are the best quality 
 possible considering the condition and legibility 
 of the original copy and in Iceeping with the 
 filming contract specifications. 
 
 Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed 
 beginning with the front cover and ending on 
 the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- 
 sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All 
 other original copies are filmed beginning on the 
 first page with a printed or illustrated impres- 
 sion, and ending on the last page with a printed 
 or illustrated impression. 
 
 The last recorded frame on each microfiche 
 shall contain the symbol -'^^^ (meaning "CON- 
 TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), 
 whichever applies. 
 
 iVtaps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at 
 different reduction ratios. Those too large to be 
 entirely included in one exposure are filmed 
 beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to 
 right and top to bottom, as many frames as 
 required. The following diagrams illustrate the 
 method: 
 
 Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le 
 plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et 
 de la nettetd de Texemplaire film4, et en 
 conformity avec les conditions du contrat de 
 filmage. 
 
 Les exempiaires originaux dont la couverture en 
 papier est imprimie sont fiimds en commenpant 
 par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la 
 dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte 
 d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second 
 plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exempiaires 
 originaux sont fiim^s en commen^ant par la 
 premidre page qui comporte une empreinte 
 d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par 
 la dernidre page qui comporte une telle 
 empreinte. 
 
 Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la 
 dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le 
 cas: le symbols -^> signifie "A SUIVRE", le 
 symbols y signifie "FIN". 
 
 Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre 
 film^s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. 
 Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre 
 reproduit en un seul ciichd. il est f ilm6 d partir 
 de I'angle supdrieur gauche, de gauche 6 droite, 
 et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre 
 d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants 
 illustrent la mdthode. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 r 4 ■ 
 
 $ 
 
 • 
 
MADGB CARRVINO THK PAILS,— (51e« V. 10.) 
 
AMONG THE REDSKINS; 
 
 OR, 
 
 Over the Rocky Mountains. 
 
 HY 
 
 W. II. G. KINGSTON, 
 
 AUTnOR OF "THE YOUXa BEnRIXGTONS," "AT THE SOUTH POLE," 
 
 ETC. ETC. ETC. 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 CASSELL, PETTER, GtALPIN & Co.: 
 
 LONDON, FARIS ^ NEW TOBK. 
 
 [all rights reseuv»o,1 
 

 284639 
 
 This Story originally appeared in a volume of 
 Little FolkBy now out of print. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 MISSING. PAOB. 
 
 An Unexpected Return— Hugh is Absent— No Knowledge o2 his 
 Whereabouts— Uncle Donald's Apprehensions — A Hurried Supper 
 and Preparations for a Search 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 AN INDIAN RAID. 
 
 Scene of the Story — History of Archie and Hugh — A Journey Across 
 the Prairie — A Village Burnt by the Indians — Uncle Donald Pur- 
 sues the Blackfeet — Arrival at the Indian Camp . . • .13 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 WITH THE REDSKINS. 
 Uncle Donald and the Blackfeet— The Chief's Speech — A Fortunate 
 Recognition — Ponoko gives up a Little Girl to Uncle Donald — 
 Impossible to do any more — Ponoko Urges Departure — Rose is 
 Adopted by Uncle Donald — Hugh McLellan — Madge— Story of a 
 Brave Indian Mother — Red Squirrel— The Household at Clear- 
 water , 20 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THREE GRIZZLIES. 
 
 The Stait after Hugh— A Footprint— Following the Trail — Archie 
 Meets a Grizzly— A Mis-fire — Discretion, the Better Part of 
 Valour— Two more Bears — Help, and a Joint Attack — Hugh 
 Up in a Tree— The Result of Disobedience . . . . , 80 
 
VI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 AN EXPEDITION. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Waiting for the Messengers — Two Tired Indians— Bad News of 
 Archie's Father — Uncle Donald Determines to Cross the Rocky 
 Mountains — Preparations — News of the Blackfeet— Indian 
 Canoes— The Expedition Starts ...,••. 37 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 PADDLING UP STREAM. 
 
 The First Camp^Rapids — A Portage — Indians Attack the Canoes 
 — A Race for Life — He's Won Just in Time — More Rapids in an 
 Awkward Place — ^I'he Canoes Poled up Stream — An Upset — The 
 Indian? Again, and Hugh in Danger — Other Canoes to the Rescue 47 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 Hugh's Canoe Arrested by Red Squirrel Just in Time— The Canoe 
 Saved — All got up the Rapids at Last — Camp at the Top — The 
 Blackfeet Reach the Camp to Find the Party gone — The Indians 
 Pursue, and Uncle Donald lies by for two days on an Island — 
 End of the Water Passage— The Horses do not Appear , 
 
 59 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AMONG THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 The Horse Party Arrives at Last but with Half the Horses Stolen— 
 The Start Across the Mountains — More Blackfeet in the Way 
 oblige the Party to Take a Strange Pass — It Becomes Cold — 
 Snow Comes On — A Pack of Wolves — Sleighs and Snow Shoes — 
 In the Heart of the " Rockies " — Corney has a Narrow Escape 
 and a Cold Bath — Snow in the Canons — Difficulties of the Way 
 — ^The Pass at Last — ^A Fearful Avalanche .... 
 
 03 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LOST IN THE SNOW. 
 
 vii 
 
 PAOB. 
 
 Tlic Dividing Ridge — A Misliap — More Difficulty with the Snow — 
 The Provisions Run Short — Tlio Dogs Begin to Succumb^Hugh, 
 Archie, and Red Squirrel are Lost in a Snow-storm— Done up 
 and No Shelter 82 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 SNOWED UP. 
 
 Ecd Squirrel and Archie Dig a Hole in the Snow — ^Tlie Snow Shelter 
 —Sleep— No Food, and Buried in Snow — Efforts to Dig Out — 
 Some Animal Scratches at the Hole — Last Efforts at Defence . 80 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 RESCUED. 
 
 The Animal Proves to be One of the Dogs— Who goes off for Rescue 
 —Help comes at Last — How the Dog had Found the Party — 
 Effects of the Adventure — ^Tho Party Reach the Block-house at 
 Last, to find Archie's Family all Safe — ^Welcome Rest . . 95 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ON THE ALERT. 
 
 At the Station — After Buffalo — ^Return of Red Squirrel from a Scout 
 with News of the Blackfeet — A Hasty Return — ^A Party Sent Out 
 to Bring Back the Hunters to the Fort — A Strange Fire— Red 
 Squirrel goes off again on the Scout 100 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. - 
 
 ATTACKED BY THE REDSKINS. 
 
 Prolonged Absence of Red Squirrel — Arcliie sees Men Approaching 
 His Camp — ^Flight — ^Tlie Strangers prove to be Friends — ^Return 
 to the Fort — Uncle Donald Opposes the Doctrine of Non-re- 
 sistance — ^The Guard over the Fort — The Indians Attack the 
 Fort 107 
 
• •• 
 
 VIU 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 In 
 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 AN OLD FlUEND. 
 
 f>AQE. 
 
 Tlio Wackfcct Meet a Warm Keception— and Retreat— A Wounded 
 I lulian— Proves to bo Ponoko— who Tells of a Wliite Man in the 
 Indian Camp — A Friendly Confcrenco 113 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 A HAPPY ENDING. 
 
 Ponoko Recovers— Time Passes without Further Attack, and Meat 
 has to bo Procured — Red Squirrel again sent on Scout — Returns 
 pursued by Six BUckfeet — ^Timely Rescue — Poor Red Squirrel 
 is quite Exhausted — The Blackfeet Return in Large Numbers— 
 Ponoko goes out to Meet Them — Effect of his Appearance on 
 tho Tribe— He Returns with a White Man — Rose finds a Father 
 —And both find a Wife and Mother— All Ends Happily at Last 121 
 
^^»^v^- 
 
 ?^':'t 
 
 ^^-V4c;-^:.:;;;v,,::'j^: 
 
 AMONG THE RED-SKINS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 , MISSING. 
 
 An Unexpected Return— IIuf*h is Absent — Xo Knowlc<3j»o of his ■V^licrc- 
 abouts — Uncle Donald's Apprehensions — A Hurried Supper, and 
 Preparations for a Search. 
 
 HUG-H, my lad I Hugh, run and 
 tell Madge we have come 
 back," cried Uncle Donald, as he and 
 I entered the house on our return, 
 one summer's evening, from a hunt- 
 ing excursion in search of deer or any 
 other game we could come across, 
 accompanied by three of our dogj^, 
 Whiskey, Pilot, and Muskymote. 
 As he spoke, he unstrapped from his shoulders a 
 heavy load of cariboo meat. I, having a similar load, 
 did the same — mine was lighter than his— and, Hugh 
 not appearing, I went to the door and again called. No 
 answer came. - 
 
 " Rose, my bonnie Rose I ^ladge, I say ! Madge I 
 "Where are you all ? " shouted Uncle Donald, while he 
 
10 
 
 • 
 OVER THE noCKY MOUxNTAlNS. 
 
 hung his rifle, with his powder-horn and shot-pouch, in 
 their accustomed places on the wall. 
 
 On glancing round the room he seemed somewhat vexed 
 to perceive that no preparations had been made for supper, 
 which we expect d to have found ready for us. It was 
 seldom, however, that he allowed himself to be put out. 
 I think I can see him now — his countenance, though 
 weather-beaten and furrowed by age, wearing its usual 
 placid and benignant expression ; while his long silvery 
 beard and the white locks which escaped from beneath 
 his Highland bonnet gave him an especially venerable 
 appearance. His dress was a plaid shooting-coat, and 
 high leggings of well-tanned leather, ornamented with 
 fringe after the fashion of the Indians. Upright as an 
 arrow, with broad shoulders and wiry frame, he stood 
 upwards of six feet in his mocassins, nor did he appear 
 to have lost anything of the strength and energy of 
 youth. 
 
 As no one appeared, I ran round to the back of the 
 house, thinking that Rose and Madge, accompanied 
 by Hugh, had gone to bring in the milk, which it was 
 the duty oi Sandy M'Tavish to draw from our cows, and 
 that he, for some cause or other, being later than usual, 
 they had been delayed. I was not mistaken. I presently 
 met them, Madge carrying the pails, ?nd Rose, a fair- 
 haired, blue-eyed little maiden, tripping lightly beside 
 her. She certainly presented a great contrast in appear- 
 ance to the gaunt, dark-skinned Indian woman, whose 
 features, through son'ow and hardship, had become pre- 
 maturely old. I inquired for Hugh, 
 
 " Is he not with you ? " asked Rose, in a tone of some 
 little alarm. " He went ofif two hours ago, saying that 
 
MISSING. 
 
 11 
 
 he should be sure to fall in with you, and would assist 
 in bringing home the game you might have killed." 
 
 " Yes, Hugh would go. What he will he do," said 
 the Indian woman, in the peculiar way of speaking used 
 by raost of her people. 
 
 " He felt so much better in the afternoon that he was 
 eager to go out and help you," said Rose. " He thought 
 that Uncle Donald would not be angry with him, though 
 he had told him to remain at home." 
 
 We soon got back to the house. When Uncle Donald 
 heard where Hugh had gone, though he expressed no 
 anger, he looked somewhat troubled. He waited until 
 Rose had gone out of the room, then he said to me — 
 
 " I noticed, about four miles from home, as we went 
 out in the morning, the marks of a ' grizzly,' which had 
 been busy grubbing up a rotten log, but as his trail ap- 
 peared to lead away up the mountains to the eastward I 
 did not think it worth my while to chase him ; and you 
 having just before separated from me, I forgot to men- 
 tion the fact when you came back. But vexed would I 
 be if Hugh should have fallen in with the brute. He's 
 too venturesome at times ; and if he fired and only 
 wounded it, I doubt it would be a bad job for him. 
 Don't you let Rose hear a word about the * grizzly,' 
 Archie," he hastilv added, as she re-entered the room. 
 
 Both Madge and Rose were, however, very anxious 
 when they found that Hugh had not returned with us. 
 There was still an hour or so of daylight, and we did 
 not therefore abandon the hope that he would retm-n 
 before dark. Uncle Donald and I were both very hungry, 
 for we had been in active exercise the whole of the day, 
 and had eaten nothing. 
 
12 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 
 
 i 
 
 Madge knowing this set about preparing supper with 
 all haste. She could not, however, help running to the 
 door every now and then to ascertain if Hugh were 
 coming. At length Sandy M'Tavish came in. He was 
 something like Uncle Donald in figure, but though not 
 so old, even more wiry and gaunt, looking as if he were 
 made of bone and sinews covered with parchment. 
 
 He at once volunteered to set out and look for Hugh. 
 
 " Wait till we get our supper, and Archie and I will 
 go too. What's the use of man or boy with an empty 
 stomach ? " said Uncle Donald. 
 
 " 'Deed an' that's true," observed Sandy, helping 
 himself from the trencher which stood in the ceiitre of 
 the table. " It's a peety young Ked Squirrel isna here; 
 he would ha been a grand help if Maister Hugh's missin'. 
 But I'm thinkin' he's no far off, sir. He'll have shot 
 some beast likely, and be tr}ang to trail it hame ; it 
 wud be a shame to him to hae lost his way ! I canna 
 believe that o' Maister Hugh." 
 
 Sandy said this while we were finishing our supper, 
 when, taking down our rifles, with fresh araihunition, 
 and bidding Eose and Madge " cheer up," we three set 
 out in search of Hugh. 
 
 Fortunately the days were long, and we might still 
 hope to discover his track before darkness closed upon 
 the world. 
 
pper with 
 ng to the 
 ugh were 
 He was 
 lOugh not 
 f he were 
 ent. 
 
 or Hugh, 
 and I will 
 an empty 
 
 , helping 
 ceiitre of 
 snahere; 
 's missin'. 
 lave shot 
 hame ; it 
 I canna 
 
 r supper, 
 hunition, 
 three set 
 
 ight still 
 sed upon 
 
 i 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 AN INDIAN RAID. 
 
 Scene of the Story — History of Archie and Hugh — A Journpy Across 
 tlio rriiirie — A Villngo Burnt by tlic Indians — Undo Donald Pursuo.s 
 tlio Tjlackfuet — Anival at the Indian Camp. 
 
 BUT where did the scene just 
 described occur ? And who 
 were the actors ? 
 
 Take a map of the v;orld, run 
 your eye over the broad Atlantic, 
 up the mighty St. Lawrence, 
 across the great lakes of Canada, 
 then along well-nigh a thou- 
 sand miles of prairie, until 
 the Rocky Mountains are 
 reached, beyond which Ues 
 British Columbia, a region of 
 lake?, rivers, and streams, of lofty, rugged, and pre- 
 cipitous heights, the further shores washed by the 
 Pacific Ocean. 
 
 On the bank of one of the many affluents of its chief 
 river — the Fraser — Uncle Donald had established a loca- 
 tion, called Clearwater, far removed from the haunts of 
 civiligod man. In front of the house flowed the ever- 
 
1' '■ • 
 
 1 1 
 
 14 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 I, 
 
 I I 
 
 bright current (hence the name of the farm), on the 
 opposite side of which rose rugged pine-crowned heights ; 
 io the left were others of similar altitude, a sparkling 
 torrent running amid them into the main stream. Di- 
 rectly behind, extending some way back, was a level 
 prairie, interspersed with trees and bordered by a forest 
 extending up the sides of the variously shaped hills ; 
 while eastward, when lighted by the rays of the declining 
 sun, numberless snow-capped peaks, tinged with a roseate 
 hue, could be seen in the far distance. Horses and cattle 
 fed on the rich grass of the well-watered meadows, and 
 a few acres brought under cultivation produced wheat, 
 Indian corn, barley, and oats sufficient for the wants of 
 the establishment. 
 
 Such was the spot which Uncle Donald, who had won 
 the friendship of the Sushwap tribe inhabiting the dis- 
 trict, had some years ago fixed on as his abode. He had 
 formerly been an officer in the Hudson's Bay Company, 
 but had, for some reason or other, left their service. 
 Loving the country in which he had spent the best years 
 of his life, and where he had met with the most strange 
 and romantic adventures, he had determined to make it 
 his home. He had not, however, lost all affection for the 
 land of his birth, or for his relatives and friends, and two 
 years before the time I speak of he had unexpectedly ap- 
 peared at the Highland village from which, when a young 
 man, more than a quarter of a century before, he had 
 set out to seek his fortune. Many of his relatives and the 
 friends of his youth were dead, and he seemed, in con- 
 sequence, to set greater value on those who remained, 
 who gave him an affectionate reception. Among them 
 was my mother, his niece, who had been a little bloom- 
 
AN INDIAN RAID. 
 
 15 
 
 ing girl when he went away, but was now a staid 
 matron, with a large family. 
 
 My father, INIr. Morton, was a minister, but having 
 placed himself under the directions of a Missionary 
 Society, he was now waiting in London until it was de- 
 cided in what part of the world he should commence his 
 labours among the heathen. My two elder brothers 
 were already out in the world — one as a surgeon, the 
 other in business — and I had a fancy for going to sea. 
 
 " Let Archie come with me," said Uncle Donald. " I 
 will put him in the way of doing far better than he ever 
 can knocking about on salt water ; and as for adventures, 
 he'll meet with ten times as many as he would if he 
 becomes a sailor." He used some other arguments, 
 probably relating to my future advantage, which I did not 
 hear. They, at all events, decided my mother ; and my 
 father, hearing of the offer, without hesitation gave his 
 consent to my going. It was arranged, therefore, that 
 I should accompany Uncle Donald back to his far-off 
 home, of which he had left his faithful follower, Sandy 
 M'Tavish, in charge during his absence. 
 
 " I want to have you with me for your own benefit; 
 Archie ; but there is another reason. I have under my 
 care a boy of about your own age, Hugh M'Lellan, the 
 son of an old comrade, who died and left him to my 
 [charge, begging me to act the part of a father to him. 
 I have done so hitherto, and hope to do so as long as I 
 live ; you two must be friends. Hugh is a fine, frank 
 laddie, and you are sure to like one another. As Sandy 
 [was not likely to prove a good tutor to him, I left him 
 at Fort Edmonton when I came away, and we will call 
 for him as we return." 
 
10 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 >■■ \ 
 
 
 ! ; 
 
 n i 
 
 : 
 
 ! 
 
 I must pass over the parting with the dear ones at 
 home, the voyage across the Atlantic, and the journey 
 through the United States, which Uncle Donald took 
 from its being in those days the quickest route to the 
 part of the country for which we were bound. 
 
 After descending the Ohio, we ascended the Mississippi 
 to its very source, several hundred miles, by steamboat ; 
 leaving which, we struck westward, passing the head 
 waters of the Rod River of the north, on which Fort 
 Garry, the principal post of the Hudson's Bay Company, 
 is situated, but which Uncle Donald did not wish to visit. 
 
 We had purchased good saddle-horses and baggage 
 animals to carry our goods, ;nid had engaged two men — 
 a French Canadian, Pierre Le Clerc, and an Irishman, 
 Cornelius Crolly, or "Corney, " as he was generally 
 called. Both men were known to Uncle Donald, and 
 were considered trustworthy fellows, who would stick 
 by us at a pinch. The route Uncle Donald proposed 
 taking was looked upon as a dangerous one, but he 
 was so well acquainted with all the Indian tribes of 
 the north that he believed, even should we encounter a 
 party of Blackfeet, they would not molest us. 
 
 We had been riding over the prairie for some hours, 
 with here and there, widely scattered, farms seen in the 
 distance, and were approaching the last frontier settle- 
 ment, a village or hamlet on the very outskirts of 
 civilisation, when we caught sight of a column of smoke 
 ascending some way on directly ahead of us. 
 
 " Can it be the prairie on fire ? " I asked, with a 
 feeling of alarm ; for I had heard of the fearful way in 
 which prairie fires sometimes extend for miles and 
 miles, destroying everything in their course. 
 
 A 
 
AN INDIAN RAID. 
 
 17 
 
 ne, but he 
 n tribes of 
 encounter a 
 
 Uncle Donald stood up in his stirrups that he might 
 obtain a better view before us. 
 
 "No ; that's not the smoke of burning grass. It looks 
 more like that from a building, or may be from more 
 than one. I fear the village itself is on fire," he 
 answered. 
 
 Scarcely had he spoken when several horsemen ap- 
 peared galloping towards us, their countenances as they 
 came near exhibiting the utmost terror. They were 
 passing on, when Uncle Donald shouted out, " Hi I 
 where are you going ? What has happened ? " On hear- 
 ing the question, one of the men replied, " The Indians 
 have surprised us. They have killed most of our people, 
 set fire to our houses, and carried off the women and 
 children." 
 
 "And you running away without so much as trying to 
 recover them ? Shame upon ye I " exclaimed Uncle 
 Donald. " Come on with me, and let's see what can be 
 done ! " 
 
 The men, however, who had scarcely pulled rein, were 
 galloping forward. Uncle Donald shouted to them to 
 come back, but, terror-stricken, they continued their 
 course, perhaps mistaking his shouts for the cries of the 
 Indians. 
 
 " We must tiy and save some of the poor creatures," 
 said Uncle Donald, tuiiiing to our men. "Come on, 
 lads I You are not afraid of a gang of howling red- * 
 skins ! " and we rode .on, making our baggage horses 
 move much faster than they were wont to do under or- 
 dinary circumstances. 
 
 Before reaching the village we came to a clump of 
 trees. Here Uncle Donald, thinking it prudent not to 
 
 B 
 
( 
 
 18 
 
 !j 
 
 I ' 
 
 1 
 
 i ,! 
 
 ^l! 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 expose his property to the greedy eyes of the Indians^ 
 should we overtake them, ordered Corney and Pierre to 
 halt and remain concealed, while he and I rode forward. 
 By the time we had got up to the hamlet every farm 
 and log-house was burning, and the greater part reduced 
 to ashes. 
 
 No Indians were to be seen. According to their 
 custom, after they had performed their work they had 
 retreated. 
 
 I will pass over the dreadful sights we witnessed. 
 Finding no one alive to whom we could render assistance, 
 we pushed on. Uncle Donald being anxious to come up 
 with the enemy before they had put their captives to 
 death. Though darkness was approaching, we still rode 
 forward. 
 
 " It's likely they will move on all night, but, you see, 
 they are loaded, and we can travel faster than they will. 
 They are sure to camp before morning, and then we'll get 
 up with them," observed Uncle Donald. 
 
 " But what will become of our baggage ? " I asked. 
 
 *' Oh, that will be safe enough. Pierre and Corney 
 will remain where we left them until we get back," he 
 answered. 
 
 I was certain that Uncle Donald knew what he was 
 about, or I should have been far from easy, I confess. 
 
 We went on and on, the Indians keeping ahead of us. 
 From this circumstance. Uncle Donald was of opinion 
 that they had not taken many prisoners. At length we 
 came to a stream running northward, bordered by willows 
 poplars, and other trees. Instead of crossing directly in 
 front of us, where it was somewhat deep, we kept up 
 along its banks. We had not got far when we saw the 
 
AN INDIAN RAID. 
 
 ID 
 
 light of a fire, kindled, apparently, at the bottom of the 
 hollow through which the stream passed. 
 
 "If I'm not far wrong, that fire is in^the camp of 
 their rear guard. Their main body cannot be far off," 
 observed Uncle Donald. " Dismount here, Archie, and 
 you hold the horses behind these trees, while I walk 
 boldly up to them. They won't disturb themselves much 
 for a single man." 
 
 I dismounted as he desired, and he proceeded toward 
 t he fire. I felt very anxious, for I feared that the Black- 
 feet might fire and kill him without stopping to learD 
 who he was. 
 
 i ; 
 
 I 
 
 -i#"^ 
 
^^•- — rJ« 
 
 
 1 
 
 I ( 
 
 l\ 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 WITH THE REDSKINS. 
 
 Uncle Donald and tlie Blackfoot — ^Tho Chief's Speech — A Fortunate 
 Recognition — ronoko gives up a Little Girl to Uncle Donald — Im" 
 possible to do any more — Ponoko urges Departure — Rose is Adopted 
 by Uncle Donald — Hugh M'Lellan — Madge— Story of a Brave Indian 
 Mother — Red Squincl— The Household at Clearwater. 
 
 I 
 
 WAITED with intense 
 anxiety for Uncle 
 Donald who appeared to have 
 been a long time absent. I 
 dared not disobey his orders 
 by moving from the spot, yet 
 I felt eager to creep up and 
 try and ascertain what had 
 happened. I thought that by 
 seeming the horses to the 
 trees, I might manage to get 
 near the Indian camp with- 
 out being perceived, but I overcame the temptation. 
 At length I heard footsteps approaching, when, greatly 
 to my relief, I saw Uncle Donald coming towards me, 
 can-ying some object wrapped up in a buffalo robe in 
 his arms. 
 I will now mention what occurred to him. He 
 
 |U \ 
 
WITH THE REDSKINS. 
 
 21 
 
 advanced, as he told me afterwards, without uttering 
 a word, until he was close up to the fire round which 
 tlie braves were collected, then seating himself opposite 
 the chief, whom he recognised by his dress and ornaments, 
 said, " I have come as a friend to visit my red brothers ; 
 they must listen to what I have to say." The chief 
 nodded and passed the pipe he was smoking round to 
 bim, to show that he was welcome as a friend. Uncle 
 Donald then told them that he was aware of their attack 
 upon the village, which was not only unjustifiable, but 
 very unwise, as they would be certain to bring down 
 on their heads the vengeance of the " Long-knives " — so 
 the Indians call the people of the United States. That 
 wide as was the country, the arm of the Long-knives 
 could stretch over it ; that they had fleet horses, and 
 guns which could kill when their figures appeared no 
 larger than musk rats ; and he urged them, now that the 
 harm was done, to avert the punishment which would 
 overtake them by restoring the white people they had 
 captured. 
 
 When he had finished, the chief rose and made a long 
 speech, excusing himself and his tribe on the plea that 
 the Long-knives had been the aggressors; that they had 
 killed their people, driven them from their himting- 
 grounds, and destroyed the buffalo on which they lived. 
 No sooner did the chief begin to speak than Uncle 
 Donald recognised him as a Sioux whose life he had 
 saved some years before. He therefore addressed him 
 by his name of Ponoko, or the Eed Deer, reminding 
 him of the circumstance. On this the chief, advancing, 
 embraced him ; and though unwilling to acknowledge 
 that he bad acted wrongly, he expressed his readiness 
 
00 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY ^lOUNTAINS. 
 
 i 
 1 1 
 
 I i 
 
 I 
 I 
 
 to follow the advice of his while friend. He confessed, 
 however, that bis ])and liad only one captive, a little 
 girl, whom 1:3 was carryiuf^ oil' as a present to his 
 wife, to replace a cliild she had lost. "She would 
 be as a (lau<(hter to me ; l)ut if my white father 
 desires it, I will, forego the j)leasiire I expected, and 
 give her up to him. As for wbat the rest of my people 
 may determine I cannot be answerable ; but I fear 
 that they will not give up their captives, should they 
 have taken any alive," ho addi.'d. 
 
 "It would have been a terrible thing to have left 
 the little innocent to be brought up among the savages 
 and taught all their heathen ways, though they, no 
 df .bt, would have made much of her, and treated her 
 like a little queen," said Uncle Donald to me ; " so I at 
 once closed with the chief's offer. Forthwith, a little 
 girl, some five years of age, was brought out from a 
 small hut built of boughs, close to where the party was 
 sitting. She appeared almost paralysed with terror; 
 but when, looking up, she saw that Uncle Donald was 
 a white man, and that he was gazing compassionately 
 at her, clinging to his hand, she entreated him by her 
 looks to save her from the savages. She had been so 
 overcome by the terrible scenes she had witnessed that 
 she was unable to speak. 
 
 Uncle Donald, lifting her up in his arms, endeavom-ed 
 to calm her fears, promising that he would take care of 
 her until he had restored her to her friends. He now 
 expressed his intention of proceeding to the larger camp, 
 but Ponoko urged him on no account to make the 
 attempt, declaring that his life would not be safe, as 
 several of their fiercest warriors were in command, who 
 
 i 
 ■f 
 
 U 
 
It; 
 
 i 
 
 I MAS VEUV MUCH iUSTOM'HED TO SEE THE LITTLE QinL,—{Sce p. 25,) 
 
had 
 otbe 
 
 aske 
 with 
 
 clone 
 
 the 
 
 Pone 
 
 forwj 
 
 there 
 
 sun I 
 
 my V 
 
 Pc 
 that I 
 fearii 
 him, 
 powe 
 roun( 
 comi 
 had ] 
 urgec 
 
 "] 
 «I r 
 pipe 
 whit( 
 hood 
 
 Bi 
 as w< 
 fore, 
 
 I) 
 thert 
 
Wrni THE REDSKINS. 
 
 25 
 
 had vowed the destruction of all the Lonjj-knives or 
 otbcra tbey should encounter. 
 
 " But the prisoners 1 What will they do with them ? ** 
 asked Uncle Donald. " Am I to allow them to perish 
 without attempting their rescue ? " 
 
 " My white father must be satisfied with what IVe 
 done for him. I saw no other prisoners taken. All 
 the pale-faces in the villages were killed," answered 
 Ponoko. "For his own sake I cannot allow him to go 
 forward ; let him return to his own country, and he will 
 there be safe. I know his wishes, and will, when the 
 sun rises, go to my brother chiefs and tell them what 
 my white father desires." 
 
 Ponoko spoke so earnestly that Uncle Donald, seeing 
 that it would be useless to make the attempt, and 
 fearing that even the little girl might be taken from 
 him, judged that it would be wise to get out of the 
 power of the savages; and carrying the child, who clung 
 round his neck, he bade the other braves farewell, and 
 commenced his return to where he had left me. lie 
 had not got far when Ponoko overtook him, and again 
 urged him to get to a distance as soon as possible. 
 
 "Even my own braves cannot be trusted," he said, 
 " I much fear that several who would not smoke the 
 pipe may steal out from the camp, and try to kill my 
 white father if he remains longer in the neighbour- 
 hood." 
 
 Brave as Uncle Donald was, he had me to look after 
 as well as the little girl. Parting with the chief, there- 
 fore, he hurried on, and told me instantly to mount. 
 
 I was very much astonished to see the little girl, but 
 there was no ame to ask (questions ; so putting spurs to 
 
r 
 
 t! 
 
 Ill 
 
 26 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 our horses, we gallojoed back to where we had left our 
 men and the baggage. 
 
 As both we and our horses required rest, we camped 
 on the spot, Pierre and Comey being directed to keep 
 a vigilant watch. 
 
 The little girl lay in Uncle Donald's arms, but she 
 had not yet recovered sufficiently to tell us her name, 
 and it was with difficulty that we could induce her to 
 take any food. 
 
 Lute in the day we met a party going out to attack 
 the Indians; but, as Uncle Donald observed, "they 
 might just as well have tried to catch the east wind. We 
 waited to see the result of the expedition. They at length 
 returned, not having come near the enemy. The few men 
 who had escaped the massacre were unable to give any in- 
 formation about the little girl or her friends, nor could we 
 learn to whom she belonged. All we could ascertain 
 from her was that her name was Rose, for her mind had 
 sustained so fearful a shock that, even alter several davs 
 had passed, she was unable to speak intelligibly. 
 
 " Her fate among the Indians would have been terrible, 
 but it would be almost as bad were we to leave her 
 among the rough characters hereabouts," observed Uncle 
 Donald. " As none of her friends can be found, I will 
 be her guardian, and, if God spares my life, will bring 
 her up as a Christian child." 
 
 It was many a long day, however, before Rose recovered 
 her spirits. Her mind, indeed, seemed to be a blank as 
 to the past, and Uncle Donald, afraid of reviving the 
 recollection of the fearful scenes she must have witnessed, 
 forbore to say anything which might recall them. How- 
 ever, by the time we reached Fort Edmonton, where 
 
WITH THE REDSKINS. 
 
 27 
 
 Hugh M'Lellan had been left, she was able to prattle 
 away right merrily. The officers at the fort offered to 
 I take charge of her, but Uncle Donald would not consent 
 to part with his little " Prairie Eose," as he called her ; 
 and after a short stay we set out again, with Hugh 
 added to our party, across the Eocky Mountains, and 
 at length anived safely at Clearwater. 
 
 Corney and Pierre remained with us, and iook the 
 [places of two other men who had left. 
 
 Hugh M'Lellan was a fine, bold little fellow, not 
 [quite two years my junior ; and he and I — as Uncle 
 I Donald had hoped we should — soon became fast friends. 
 
 He had not much book learning, though he had been 
 [instructed in the rudiments of reading and writing by 
 one of the clerks in the fort, but he rode fearlessly, and 
 could manage many a horse which grown men would 
 Ifear to mount. 
 
 " I want you, Archie, to help Hugh with his books," 
 [said Uncle Donald. " I believe, if you set wisely about 
 it, that he will be ready to learn from you. I would not 
 like for him to grow up as ignorant as most of the 
 people about us. It is the knowledge we of the old 
 country possess which gives us the influence over these 
 [untutored savages ; without it we should be their 
 linferiors." 
 
 I promised to do my best in fulfilling his wishes, 
 [though I took good care not to assert any superiority 
 over my companion, who, indeed, though I was better 
 acquainted with literature than he was, knew far more 
 [about the country than I did. 
 
 But there was another person in the household whoso 
 [Jiistory 13 worthy of narration— the poor Indian womaa 
 
28 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 W 
 
 ill 
 
 
 — " Madge," as we called her for shortness, though her 
 real name was Okenmadgelika. She also owed her life 
 to Uncle Donald. 
 
 Several years before this, she, with her two children, 
 had accompanied her husband and some other men on 
 an expedition to trap beavers, at the end of autumn, to- 
 wards the head waters of the Columbia. While she waa 
 seated in her hut late in the evening, one of the men 
 staggered in desperately wounded, and had just time 
 to tell her that her husband and the rest were murdered, 
 when he fell dead at her feet. She, instantly taking up 
 her children — one a boy of six years of age, the other a 
 little girl, an infant in arms — fled from the spot, with 
 a horse and such articles as she could throw on its back, 
 narrowly escaping from the savages searching for her. 
 
 She passed the winter with her two young ones, no 
 human aid at hand. On the return of spring she set 
 off, intending to rejoin her husband's people far away to 
 the westward. After endiuring incredible hardsliips, she 
 had been compelled to kill her horse for food. She had 
 made good some days' journey, when, almost sinking 
 from hunger, and fearing to see her children perish, she 
 caught sight of her relentless foes, the Blackfeet. In 
 vain she endeavoured to conceal herself. They saw her 
 and were approaching, when, close to the spot where she 
 was standing, a tail white man and several Indians sud- 
 denly emerged from behind some rocks. The Blackfeet 
 came on, fancying that against so few they could gain 
 an easy victory ; but the rifles of the white man and his 
 party drove them back, and Uncle Donald — for he was 
 the white man — conveyed the apparently dying woman 
 and her little ones tp his camp. 
 
mTH THE REDSKINS, 
 
 29 
 
 The house at Clearwater had not yet been built. By 
 being well cared for the Indian woman and her children 
 recovered ; but though the hoy flourished, the little girl 
 seemed like a withered flower, and never regained her 
 strength. 
 
 Grateful for her preservation, the poor woman, when 
 she found that Uncle Donald was about to settle at 
 Clearwater, entreated that she might remain with her 
 
 I children and labour for him, and a faithful servant she 
 
 [had ever since proved. 
 
 Her little girl at length died. She was for a time 
 
 I inconsolable, until the arrival of Kose, to whom she trans- 
 ferred all her maternal feelings, and who warmly retm'ned 
 
 [her affection. 
 
 But her son, whose Indian name translated was Bed 
 
 'Squirrel, by which appellation he was always known, had 
 grown up into a fine lad, versed in all Indian ways, and 
 possessing a considerable amount of knowledge gained 
 from his white companions, without the vices of civili- 
 Bation, He was a great favourite with Uncle Donald, 
 who placed much confidence in his intelligence, courage, 
 
 land faithfulness. 
 
 Nearly two years had passed since Bose, Hugh, and I 
 
 [had been brought to Clearwater, and by this time we 
 
 [were all much attached to each other. We had also 
 
 jleamed to love the place which had become our home ; 
 
 (but we loved Uncle Donald far more. 
 
 i 
 
\\\l 
 
 m \ 
 
 m 
 
 !■'! 
 
 j^»j^^MA^« 
 
 1 
 
 ■ 
 
 1 
 
 ^^^^H 
 
 ^^1 
 
 HHHimBV 
 
 9im 
 
 '^^'^■^ri^J^BB 
 
 I^^^H 
 
 MHUlBJH^Hlfl^ 
 
 m 
 
 SKft 
 
 s 
 
 KI^H 
 
 I^S^jI 
 
 ^H 
 
 ||^^K^?^^^M 
 
 HH 
 
 ^v vnS?^^^'^! 
 
 ^^^^1 
 
 
 ^97 
 
 l^^Pfl 
 
 ^H 
 
 ■Hfe^^i^ 
 
 ^ri 
 
 ^^^M 
 
 ^M 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 iSH 
 
 H 
 
 H|^^ 
 
 Q 
 
 ^^^M 
 
 H 
 
 ^^^■^^ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 ^^^^^^ 
 
 ^^; 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 1^^^ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^^:;l^ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 ^^^i^S^ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER lA^ 
 
 THREE GRIZZLIES. 
 
 The Start after Hugh— A Footprint — Following the Trail — Archer Meets I 
 a G rizzly— A Miss-fire— Discretion the Better Part of Valour — Far 
 more Bears — Help, and a Joint Attack — Hugh up in a Tree — The | 
 Result of Disobedience. 
 
 MUST now continue my I 
 narrative from the evening- 
 Hugh was missing. 
 
 The moment we had finished 
 our hurried meal we set out. 
 Sandy, in case we should be 
 benighted, had procured a 
 number of pine torches, which 
 he strapped on his back; and 
 Uncle Donald directed Corney 
 and PieiTe who came in as we 
 were starting, to fDllow, keep- 1 
 jng to the right by the side of the torrent, in case Hugh 
 should have taken that direction. 
 
 Whiskey, Pilot, Muskymote followed closely at our 
 heels — faithful animals, ready to drag our sleighs ini 
 winter, or, as now, to assist us in our search. We walk-! 
 ed on at a rapid rate, and were soon in a wild region ofl 
 forests, rugged hills, and foaming streams. As we went I 
 
THREE GRIZZLIES. 
 
 ai 
 
 tilong we shouted out Hugh's name, and searched about 
 for any signs of his having passed tha*) woy. At length 
 we discovered in some soft ground a foot-print, which 
 Ithere could be no doubt was his, the toe pointing in 
 |the direction we were going, 
 
 " Now we have found the laddie's trail we must take 
 jare not to lose it," observed Uncle Donald. " It leads 
 towards the very spot where I saw the grizzly this 
 lorning." 
 
 On and on we went. Soon another foot-print, and 
 then a mark on some fallen leaves, and here and there a 
 twig bent or broken off, showed that we were on Hugh's 
 trail. 
 
 But the sun had now sunk beneath the western range 
 )f mountains, and the gloom of evening coming on 
 rould prevent us from tracing our young companion 
 luch further. Still, as we shouM have met him had 
 le turned back, we followed the only track he was 
 [ikely to have taken. 
 
 We were approaching the spot where Uncle Donald 
 lad seen the bear, near a clump of trees with a thick 
 mdergrowth, a rugged hill rising beyond. We were 
 ^omewhat scattered, hunting about for any traces the 
 raning light would enable us to discover. I half feared 
 [,hat I should come upon his mangled remains, or some 
 )art of his dress which might show his fate. I had 
 ly rifle, but was encumbered with no other weight, and 
 my eagerness, I ran on faster than my companions, 
 was making my way among some fallen timber blown 
 [own by a storm, when suddenly I saw rise up, just 
 ifore me, a huge form. I stopped, having, fortunately, 
 le presence of mind not to run away, lox I at once 
 
ii.il 
 
 i ' H i 
 
 •! i 
 
 :ii 1 ! 
 
 m 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 recognised the animal as a huge grizzly, wh?ch had been 
 engaged in tearing open a rotten trunk in search of| 
 insects. I remembered that Uncle Donald had told me, 
 should I ever find myself face to face with a grizzly, to 
 throw up my arms and stand stock still. 
 
 The savage brute, desisting from its employment, 
 came towards me, growling terribly, and displaying its 
 huge teeth and enormous mouth. 
 
 I was afraid to shout, lest it might excite the animal's I 
 rage ; but I acted as Uncle Donald had advised me. As 
 I lifted up my rifle and flourished it over my head, thej 
 creature stopped for a moment and got up on its hindj 
 logs. 
 
 Now or never was my time to fire, for I could noti 
 expect to have abetter opportunity, and bringing myj 
 rifle, into which I had put a bullet, to my shoulder, I i 
 took a steady aim and pulled the trigger. To my dis-l 
 may, the cap snapped. It had never before played me I 
 such a trick. Still the bear kept looking at me, apparently 
 wondering what I was about. Mastering all my nerve, 
 and still keeping my eye fixed on the shaggy monster in 
 front of me, I lowered my rifle, took out another cap, 
 and placed it on the nipple. I well knew that should I 
 only wound the bear my fate would be sealed, for it 
 would be upon me in an instant. I felt doubly anxious 
 to kill it, under the belief that it had destroyed my friend 
 Hugh ; but still it was sufficiently far off to make it 
 possible for me to miss, should my nerves for a moment i 
 fail me. As long as it remained motionless I was un- 
 willing to fire, in the hope that before I did so Uncle | 
 Donald and Sandy might come to my assistance. 
 
 Having re-capped my rifle, I again lifted it to my I 
 
THREE GRIZZUES. 
 
 83 
 
 Blioulder. At that moment Bruinj'who had grown tired 
 of watching me, went down on all fours. The favour- 
 able opportunity was lost ; for although I might still 
 lodge a bullet in its head, I might not kill it at once, 
 and I should probably be torn to pieces. I stood steady 
 as before, though sorely tempted to run. Instead, 
 however, of coming towards me, to my surprise, the bear 
 returned to the log, and recommenced its occupation of 
 scratching for insects. 
 
 Had it been broad daylight I might have had a fair 
 chance of shooting it ; but in the obscurity, as it scratched 
 away among the fallen timber, from which several gnarled 
 and twisted limbs projected upwards, I was uncertain as 
 to the exact position of its head. Under the circum- 
 stances, I considered that discretion was the better part of 
 valour ; and feeling sure that Uncle Donald and Sandy 
 would soon come up and settle the bear more effectually 
 than I should, I began slowly to retreat, hoping to get 
 away unperceived. I stepped back very cautiously, 
 scarcely more than a foot at a time, then stopped. As I 
 did so I observed a movement a little distance off beyond 
 the big bear, and presently, as I again retreated, two 
 other bears came up, growling, to the big one, and, to 
 my horror, all three moved towards me. 
 
 Though smaller than their mother, each bear was large 
 enough to kill me with a pat of its paw ; and should I 
 even shoot her they would probably be upon me. Again, 
 however, they stopped, unwilling apparently to leave 
 their dainty feast. 
 
 How earnestly I prayed for the arrival of Uncle Donald 
 and Sandy ! I had time, too, to think of poor Hugh, 
 and felt more convinced than ever tlipt he had fallen a 
 
 
 
 •! I 
 
84 
 
 OVEIl THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 victim to the ferocious grizzlies. I still dared not cry 
 out, but seeing them again turn to the logs, I began, as 
 before, to step back, hoping at length to get to such a 
 distance that I might take to my heels without the risk 
 of being pursued. In doing as I proposed I very nearly 
 tumbled over a log, but recovering myself, I got round 
 it. When I stopped to see what the bears were about 
 they were still feeding, having apparently forgotten me. 
 I accordingly turned round and ran as fast as I could 
 venture to go among the trees and fallen trunks, till 
 at length I made out the indistinct figures of Uncle 
 Donald and Sandy, with the dogs, coming towards 
 me. 
 
 " I have just seen three bears," I shouted. " Come 
 on quickly, and we may be in time to kill them ! " 
 
 " It's a mercy they did not catch you, laddie, " 
 said Uncle Donald, when he got up to me. "With 
 the help of the dogs we'll try to kill them, however. 
 Can you find the spot where you saw them ? " 
 
 "I have no doubt about that," I answered. 
 
 " Well, then, before we go further we'll just look 
 to our rifles, and make sure that there's no chance 
 of their missing fire." 
 
 Doing as he suggested, we moved on, he in the 
 centre and somewhat in advance, Sandy and I on 
 either side of him, the dogs following and waiting for 
 the word of command to rush forward. 
 
 The bears did not discover us until we were within 
 twenty yards of them, when Uncle Donald shouted 
 to make them show themselves. 
 
 I fancied that directly afterwards I heard a cry, but 
 it might only have been the echo of Uncle Donald's 
 
 
THREE GRIZZLIES. 
 
 So 
 
 voice. Presently a loud growl from the rotten log 
 ghowed us that the bears were still there, and we soon 
 saw all three sitting up and looking about them. 
 
 " Sandy, do you take the small bear on the right ; I 
 will aim at the big fellow, and leave the other to you, 
 Archie ; but do not fire until you are sure of your aim," 
 said Uncle Donald. " Now, are you ready ? " 
 
 We all fired at the same moment. Sandy's bear 
 dropped immediately, but the big one, with a savage 
 growl, sprang over the logs and came towards us, 
 followed by the one at which I had fired. 
 
 Uncle Donald now ordered the dogs, which had been 
 barking loudly, to advance to the fight; but before 
 they reached the larger bear she fell over on her side, 
 and giving some convulsive struggles, lay apparently 
 dead. The dogs, on this, attacked the other bear, which, 
 made furious by its wound, was coming towards us, 
 growling loudly. On seeing the dogs, however, the brute 
 stopped, and sat up on its hind legs, ready with its huge 
 paws to defend itself from their attacks. We all three, 
 meantime, were rapidly re-loading, and just as the bear 
 had knocked over Whiskey and seized Muskymote in 
 its paws. Uncle Donald and Sandy again fired and 
 brought it to the ground, enabling Muskymote, sorely 
 mauled, to escape from its deadly embrace. 
 
 I instinctively gave a shout, and was running on, 
 when Uncle Donald stopped me. 
 
 " Stay ! " he said ; " those brutes play 'possum' some- 
 times, and are not to be trusted. If they are not sham- 
 ming, they may suddenly revive and try to avenge them- 
 selves." 
 
 "We'll soon settle that," said Sandy, and quickly 
 
♦•- so 
 
 OVEll THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 reloading, he fired his rifle into the head of the fallen 
 bear. 
 
 " Have you killed them all ? " I heard a voice exclaim, 
 which seemed to come from the branches of a tree some 
 little distance off. 
 
 I recognised it as Hugh's. "Hurrah I" I shouted; 
 " are you all right ? " 
 
 " Yes, yes," answered Hugh, " only very hungry and 
 stiff." 
 
 We quickly made our way to the tree, where I 
 found Hugh safe and sound, and assisted him to descend. 
 He told us that he had fallen in with the bears on 
 his way out, and had just time to escape from them 
 by climbing up the tree, where they had kept him a 
 prisoner all day. 
 
 " I am thankful to get ye back, Hugh. You disobeyed 
 orders, and have been punished pretty severely. I hope 
 it will be a ksson to you," was the only remark 
 Uncle Donald made as he grasped Hugh's hand. I 
 judged, by the tone of his voice, that he was not inclined 
 to be very angry. 
 
 Having flayed the bears by the light of Sandy's 
 torches, we packed up as much of the mciit as we could 
 carr}^, and hung up the remainder with the skin??, intend- 
 ing to send for it in the morning. We then, having 
 met the other two men, hastened homewards with 
 Hugh ; and I need not say how rejoiced Rose and 
 Madge were to see him back safe. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 AN EXPEDITION. 
 
 Wiiitini,' for tlio jros-ongcrs— Two Tired Indians— 1> id Nows of Aroliie'9 
 I'athcr — Undo Donald Dctcrminos to Cr(js.s tlio Rocky Mountaun.-* — 
 rivpiirations — Nowa of tlio Ulackfoot — Indian Canoos— Tlio Expo- 
 
 dilion Starts. 
 
 SUM^IER was advancing, and 
 we liad for some time been 
 expecting the return of lied 
 Squirrel and Kondiarak, another 
 Indian, who had been sent in the 
 spring to Fort Edmonton with 
 letters, and directions to bring 
 any which might have come for 
 us. At length we became some- 
 what anxious at their non-appear- 
 some serious accident might have 
 happened to them, or that they might have fallen into 
 the hands of the savage Blackfeet, the chief predatory 
 tribe in the country through which the;- had to pass. 
 
 Hugh and I were one evening returning from trap- 
 ping beaver, several of which we carried on our backs. 
 Though the skins are the most valued, the meat of the 
 animal serves as food. We were skirting the edge of 
 
 ance, fearing that 
 
 i' i 
 
M • 
 
 88 
 
 ovi:u THE nocivY mountains. 
 
 Iji i!! 
 
 I 
 
 the prairie, when we caught sight of two figures descend- 
 ing the hills to the east by the pass which led from 
 Clearwater towards the Rocky Mountains. 
 
 " They are Indians," cried Hugh, " What if they 
 should be enemies ? " 
 
 " It is more likely that they are friends," I answered. 
 *' If they were enemies they would take care not to show 
 themselves. Let us go to meet them." 
 
 The two men made their way slowly down the moun- 
 tains and had got almost up to us before we recognised 
 Red Squirrel, and his companion Kondiarak (" the rat "), 
 BO travel-stained, wan, and haggard did they look. 
 
 They had lost their horses, they said, after our first 
 greetings were over. One had strayed, the other had 
 been stolen by the Blackfeet, so that they had been 
 compelled to perform the greater part of the journey 
 on foot ; and having exhausted their ammunition, they 
 had been almost starved. They had succeeded, however, 
 in preserving the letters confided to them, and they had 
 brought a packet, for Uncle Donald, from a white 
 stranger at whose hut they liad stopped on tixc way. 
 
 On seeing the beavers we carried they entreated that 
 we would give them some meat without delay, saying 
 that they had had no food for a couple of days. 
 
 Their countenances and the difficulty with which 
 they dragged their feet along corroborated their asser- 
 tions. We, therefore, at once collecting some fuel, lighted 
 a fire, and having skinned and opened one of the beavers, 
 extended it, spread-eagle fashion, on some sticks to cook. 
 They watched our proceedings with eager eyes ; but 
 before there was time to warm the animal through their 
 hunger made them seize it, when tearing ofif the still 
 
AN EXl'KDlTlON. 
 
 SI) 
 
 unco()ked flerib, they bcgau to gubblo it up with the 
 grtutest avidity. 
 
 I was afraid they would suffer fi'^m over eating, but 
 nothing Hugh or I could say would induce them to stop 
 until they had consumed the greater part of the beaver. 
 They would then, had we allowed them, have thrown 
 themselves on the ground and gone to sleep; but 
 anxious to know the contents of the packets they had 
 brought, relieving them of their guns, we urged them to 
 lean upon us, and come at once to the farm. It wa? 
 almost dark before we reached home. 
 
 Madge embraced her son affectionately, and almost 
 wept when she observed the melancholy condition to 
 which he was reduced. He would not, however, go to 
 sleep, as she wanted him to do, until he had delivered 
 the packets to Uncle Donald, who was still out about the 
 farm. 
 
 He in the meantime squ ted down near the fire, where 
 he remained with true Indian patience till Uncle Donald 
 came in, when, rising to his feet, he gave a brief account 
 of his adventures, and produced the packets, carefully 
 wrapped up in a piece of leather. 
 
 To those which came by way of Edmonton I need not 
 further refer, as they were chiefly about business. One, 
 however, was of great interest ; it was in answer to 
 inquiries which Uncle Donald had instituted to discover 
 any relatives or friends of little Rose. To his secret 
 satisfaction he was informed that none could be found, 
 and that he need have no fear of being deprived of 
 her. As he read the last packet his countenance 
 exhibited astonishment and much concern, 
 
 "This letter is from your mother, Archie," he said, at 
 
 
 H i 
 
40 
 
 OVER The. iiocKY Mountad:s. 
 
 length, when he had twice read it through. •*Your 
 father has brought her and the rest of the family to 
 a mission station which has been established for the 
 benefit of the Sercies, on the other side of the Rocky 
 Mountains. Scarcely had they been settled for a few 
 months, and your father had begun to win the confidence 
 of the tribe among whom he had come to labour, than 
 the small-pox broke out in their village, brought by the 
 Blackfeet from the south ; and their medicine-men, 
 who had from the first regarded him with jealous eyes, 
 persuaded the people that the scourge had been sent in 
 consequence of their having given a friendly reception 
 to the Christian missionary. Some few, whose good 
 will he had gained, warned him that his life was in 
 danger, and urged him to make his escape from the 
 district. Though unwilling liimself to leave his post, he 
 had proposed sending your mother and the children away, 
 when he was attacked by a severe illness. She thus, 
 even had she wished it, could not have left him, and 
 they have remained on at the station, notwithstanding 
 that she fears they may at any time be destroyed by the 
 saviiges, while the medicine-men have been using all 
 their arts to win over the few Indians who continue 
 faithful. These have promised to protect them to the 
 best of their power, but how long they will be able to do 
 so is doubtful. Their cattle and horses have been stolen, 
 and vhey have for some time been short of provisions; 
 thus, even should your father regain his health, they 
 •will be unable to travel. He, like a true missionary of 
 the Gospel, puts his confidence in God, and endeavours, 
 your mother says, ever to wear a cheerful countenance. 
 She does not actually implore me to come to her assis- 
 
AN ICXPEDITION. 
 
 m 
 
 tanco, for she knows the length and difficulties of the 
 journey ; and she expresses her thankfulness that you are 
 safe on this side of the mountains, but I see clearly that 
 she would be very grateful if I could pay her a visit ; 
 and I fear, indeed, unless help reaches yoiu: family, that 
 tlie consequences may be serious. I have, therefore, 
 made up my mind to set off at once. We may manage 
 to get across the mountains before the winter sets in, 
 though there is no time to be lost. 1 will take Pierre 
 and Comey, with Red Squirrel and a party of our own 
 Indians, and leave Sandy, with Hugh and you, in 
 charge of Clearwater." 
 
 " ^lay I not go, also ? " I asked, in a tone of disappoint- 
 ment. Surely I may be able to help my father and 
 mother, and Hugh would be very sorry to be left 
 behind." 
 
 " It is but natural that you should wish to go ; and 
 Hugh, too, maybe of assistance, for I can always trust to 
 your discretion and judgment should any difficulty occur," 
 he observed. 
 
 " Then you will take us, won't you ? " we both cried at 
 once. 
 
 " Yes," he answered. " I would nol take one without 
 the other, so Hugh may go if he wishes it." 
 
 " Thank you, thank you ! " I exclaimed, gratified at 
 Uncle Donald's remark ; " we will try to deserve your 
 confidence. What shall we do first ? " "^■ 
 
 " We must have the canoes got ready, and lay in a stock 
 of provisions so that we may not be delayed by having 
 to hunt ; indeed, except some big-horns, and perhaps a 
 grizzly, we shall not find much game on the mountains,** 
 he remarked. 
 
 
} I 
 
 4-2 
 
 OVER TUE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 I!,: 
 
 ' :i 
 
 fi'i 
 
 That evening all our plans were completed, and 
 Sandy and the other men received their directions. 
 Saddle and pack horses were at once to be started 
 off by a circuitous route, carrying only light loads how- 
 ever., and were to meet us at the head of the river navi- 
 gation, however, while we were to go as far up the stream 
 as we could in canoes, with as large a supply of provi- 
 sicns as they could convey. 
 
 The very next morning at daybreak while we were 
 engaged in preparing the birch bark canoes by covering 
 the seams with gum, and sewing on some fresh pieces 
 of bark with wattap, which is formed of the flexible 
 roots of the young spruce tree, an Indian was seen on 
 the opposite side of the river making a signal to us that 
 he desired to cross. One of the canoes which was ready 
 for launching was sent for him and brought him over. 
 
 " He had come," he said, " to bring us information 
 that a large body of Blackfeet were on the war-path, 
 having crossed the Eocky Mountains at one of the 
 southern passes, and that having attacked the Sinapools, 
 their old enemies on the Columbia, they were now 
 bending their steps northward in search of plunder and 
 scalps. He came to tell his white friends to be prepared 
 should they come so far north." 
 
 On hearing this I was afraid that Uncle Donald would 
 give up the expedition and remain to defend Clearwater, 
 but on cross-questioning the Indian, he came to the 
 conclusion that the Blackfeet were not at all likely to 
 come so far, and Sandy declared that if they did he 
 would give a very good account of them. 
 
 Still, as it was possible that they might make their 
 appearance, Uncle Donald considered that it was safer 
 
 
 s^^^S 
 
 liH 
 
[eted, and 
 directions. 
 3e started 
 ioads how- 
 river navi- 
 the stream 
 ' of provi- 
 
 J we were 
 ^ covering 
 3sh pieces 
 le flexible 
 s seen on 
 to us that 
 was ready 
 him over, 
 formation 
 war-path, 
 le of the 
 Sinapools, 
 vere now 
 inder and 
 prepared 
 
 aid would 
 earwater, 
 
 le to the 
 likely to 
 
 !y did he 
 
 ^:Mm 
 
 
 >^\- 
 
 m- 
 
 ^^g^mm, '^^^^^ 
 
 '^-aV> 
 
 
 ^■:|^H 
 
 ake their 
 
 ^3^H 
 
 was safer 
 
 
 J 
 
 'JH 
 
 TIIK STAKT.— (.S'a- p. lo.) 
 
 i 
 
 \\ 
 
 in 
 
 1' 
 
 iipp.i 
 
to taJ 
 whid 
 
 »k 
 
 3Iadg 
 ' withoi 
 
 kk 
 
 K 
 
 Thel 
 
 not a 
 
AN EXrEDITION. 
 
 45 
 
 
 to take Kose with us notwithstanding the hardships to 
 which she might be exposed. 
 
 " Then Madge will go too," exclaimed Rose ; " poor 
 3Iadge would be very unhappy at beicg left alone 
 without me." 
 
 " Madge shall go with us," said Uncle Donald ; and 
 Eose, highly delighted, ran off to tell her to get ready. 
 
 The horses had been sent off at dawn, but we were 
 not able to start until the following morning as it 
 took us the whole day to prepare the packages of dried 
 fisli, pemmican, and smoked venison and pork, which 
 were to serve us as provisiona. 
 
 On a bright clear morning, just before the sun rose 
 
 : over the hills to the east, we pushed off from the bank 
 
 I in four canoes. In each were five people, one to steer 
 
 and the others to paddle. Uncle Donald took Rose in 
 
 I his as a passenger, 
 
 Hugh and I went together with Red Squirrel to steer 
 [for us, and Corney and Pierre had each charge of another 
 Icanoe. 
 
 I will describe our canoes, which were light, elegant, 
 
 |and wonderfully strong, considering the materials of 
 
 \'hich they were forcced. They were constructed of the 
 
 )ark of the white birch-tree. This had been peeled 
 
 From the tree in large sheets, which were bent over 
 
 slender frame of cedar ribs, confined by gunwales, 
 md kept apart by thin bars of the same wood\ 
 'he ends were alike, forming wedge-like points, and 
 turned over from the extremities towards the centre 
 so as to look somewhat like the handle of a violin. 
 Ihe sheets of bark were then fastened round the 
 gunwales by wattap, ana sewn together with the same 
 
 ■■■■'1 
 
 I 
 
40 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 materials at the joinings. These were afterwards covered 
 by a coat of pine pitch, called gum. The seats for the 
 paddlers were 'made by suspending a strip of board with 
 cords from the gunwales in such a manner that they did 
 not press against the sides of the canoe, At the second i 
 cross-bar from the bow a hole was cut for a mast, so' 
 that a sail could be hoisted when the wind proved 
 favourable. Each canoe carried a quantity of spare bark, 
 wattap, gum, a pan for heating the gum, and some 
 smaller articles necessary for repairs. The canoes were | 
 about eighteen feet long, yet so light that two men 
 could carry one with ease a considerable distance when 
 we had to make a " portage." A " portage," I should 
 say, is the term used when a canoe has to be carried 
 over the land, in consequence of any obstruction in the 
 river, such as rapids, falls, or shallows. 
 
 As soon as we were fairly off Pierre struck up a 
 cheerful song, in which we, Corney, and the Indians 
 joined, and lustily plying our paddles we urged our 
 little fleet up the river. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 rADDLlXG UP STREAM. 
 
 The First Camp — Rapids — A Portage— Indians Attack the Canoes — A 
 Race for Life — He's Won just in Time — More Rapids in an Awkward 
 Place— The Canoes Poled up Stream — An Upset— The Indians 
 Again, and Hu?h in Danger— Other Canoes to the Rescue. 
 
 F 
 
 OR the first day we made 
 good progress, stopping 
 only a short time to land 
 and cook our provisions. 
 We then paddled on until 
 nearly dark, when we went 
 on shore, unloaded our 
 canoes, hauled them up, 
 lighted a fire for cooking, 
 and pitched a small tent 
 for Rose, in front of which 
 pladge, as she always afterwards did, took up her post to 
 [be ready to guard her in case of danger. 
 
 As soon as supper was over, two men were placed 
 
 [on watch, and the rest of the party lay down round the 
 
 ire with our buffalo robes spread on fresh spruce oi 
 
 )ine boughs as beds. Before dawn we were aroused by 
 
 Tncle Donald. 
 
 f! 
 
i 
 
 19 i 
 
 ii »!•. 
 
 i 
 
 llf 
 
 1^ 
 
 •': 'I ! 
 
 i! 
 
 ( 
 
 48 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Tlic morning was calm, the stars were slightly paling, 
 a cold yellow light began to show itself. Above the 
 river floated a light mist through which olyects on the 
 opposite y)ank were dimly seen, while on the land side a 
 wall of forest rose up impenetrable to the eye. From 
 the dying embers of the camp fire a thin column of 
 smoke rose high above the trees, while round it wcretlio 
 silent forms of the Indians, lying motionless at f '1 
 length on their backs, enveloped in their blankets. Vo 
 stretch my legs I walked a few paces from the camp, 
 when I was startled by a sudden rush through the 
 underbrush. For a moment I thought of the Blackfeet, 
 but the movement proved to be made by a minx or mar- 
 ten, which had been attracted to the spot by the remains 
 of last night's meal. 
 
 On hearing Uncle Donald's voice the Indians started 
 to their feet, and after a hurried breakfast, the canoes 
 being launched and the baggage stowed on board, we 
 proceeded on our voyage. The mist by degrees cleared 
 away, the sun mounting over the hills, lighted up' the 
 scenery, and our crews burst into one of the songs with 
 which they were wont to beguile the time while plying 
 their paddles. Having stopped as before to dine we 
 were paddling on, when we heard a low ceaseless roar 
 coming down between the high banks. In a short time 
 we saw the waters rushing and foaming ahead of us, as 
 they fell over a broad ledge of rocks. 
 
 " Can we get over there ? " asked Hugh. 
 
 "No," I answered ; "see, Uncle Donald is steering in 
 for the shore." 
 
 We soon landed, the canoes were unloaded, and being 
 hauled up the bank, each was placed on the shoulders 
 
IS cam:v -{See p. 47.) 
 
 ¥ 
 
 
 h^ 
 
 
 u 
 
 
 ■i 
 
 : 
 
 
 i 
 
 ' M 
 
 ( !«■ 
 
 
 n 
 
 -1 
 
 if I 
 'J I 
 
 lli 
 
 !«. 
 
 ; 
 
 III 
 
of 
 le 
 
PADDLING UP STREAlt. 
 
 «1 
 
 
 of two men, who trotted off with them by a path paral- 
 lel to the river; the rest loaded themselves with the 
 bales. Hugh and I imitated their example, INIadgo 
 carried as heavy a package as any of the men, and Rose 
 begged that she might take charge of a small bundle, 
 with which she trotted merrily off, but did not refuse 
 to let Madge have it before she had gone half way. 
 After proceeding for nearly a mile among rocks and 
 trees, the canoes were placed on the banks where the 
 river flowed calmly by, and the men returned for the 
 remainder of the baggage. Three trips had to be made 
 to convey the whole of the cargoes above the falls. This 
 is what is called "making a portage." 
 
 Re-embarking, on we went until nightfall. During 
 the next few days we had several such portages to 
 make. We were at times able to hoist our sails, but 
 when the stream became more rapid and shallow, we 
 took to poling, a less pleasant way of progressing, 
 though under these circumstances the only one avail- 
 able. Occasionally the river opened out, and we were 
 able to resume our paddles. 
 
 We had just taken them in hand and were passing 
 along the east bank when Hugh exclaimed, " I see 
 some one moving on shore among tiie trees! Yes, 
 1 thought so; he's an Indian," and he immediately 
 added, " there are several more." 
 
 1 shouted to Uncle Donald to tell him, and then 
 turned to warn Pierre and Corney. 
 
 Scarcely had I spoken than well nigh fifty savages 
 appeared on the banks, and, yelling loudly, let fly a 
 cloud of an'ows towards us, while one of them shouted 
 to us to come to shore. 
 
 i 1 
 
 % 
 1 
 
52 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " Very likely we'll be after doin' that, Mister Red- 
 skins," cried Corney. 
 
 " And we all, following Uncle Donald's example, turn- 
 ing the heads of our canoes, paddled towards the opposite 
 bank. 
 
 We were safe for the present, and might, had we 
 chosen, have picked off several of the savages with our 
 rifles ; Corney and Pierre had lifted theirs for the pur- 
 pose, but Uncle Donald ordered them not to fire. 
 
 " Should we kill any of them we should only find it 
 more difficult to make peace afterwards," he observed. 
 
 The river was here wide enough to enable us to keep 
 beyond range of their arrows, and we continued our 
 course paddling along close to the western bank. After 
 going a short distance we saw ahead of us a lake, which 
 we should have to cross. The Indians had disappeared, 
 and I hoped we had seen the last of them, when Corney 
 shouted out that he had caught sight of them running 
 alo'ng the shore of the lake to double round it. Their 
 object in so doing was evident, for on the opposite side 
 of the upper river entered the lake, rounding a point by 
 a narrow passage, and this point they hoped to gain 
 before we could get through, so that they might stop 
 our progress. 
 
 " Paddle, lads — paddle for your lives ! " cried Uncle 
 Donald. " We must keep ahead of the redskins if we 
 wish to save our scalps." 
 
 We did paddle with might and main, making the 
 calm water bubble round the bows of our canoes. 
 
 Looking to our right, we every now and then caught 
 a glimpse of the Blackfeet, for such we knew they were 
 by their dress. They were bounding along in single file 
 
TADDLINQ UP STREAM. 
 
 ts 
 
 among the trees, led apparently by one of their most 
 nimble warriors. It seemed very doubtful whether wo 
 could pass the point before they could reach it. We 
 persevered, for otherwise we should be compelled either 
 to turn back, or to run the risk of being attacked at one 
 of the portages, or to land at the western side of the lake, 
 and to throw up a fort in which we could defend our- 
 selves should the Blackfeet make their way across the 
 river. It was not likely, however, that they would do this. 
 They had already ventured much farther to the north 
 than it was their custom to make a raid ; and should they 
 be discovered, they would run the risk of being set upon 
 by the Shoushwaps, the chief tribe inhabiting that part 
 of the country, and their retreat cut off. Still it was 
 of the greatest importance to lose no time, and we 
 redoubled our efforts to get by the point. The Indians 
 had a greater distance to go ; but then they ran much 
 faster than we could paddle our canoes. As we neared 
 the point, I kept looking to the right to see how far 
 our enemies had got. Again I caught a glimpse of their 
 figures moving among the trees, but whether or not 
 they were those of the leaders I could not distinguish. 
 
 Uncle Donald reached the point, and his canoe dis- 
 appeared behind it. Hugh and I next came up, closely 
 followed by the other two. We could hear the savage 
 shouts and cries of the redskins ; but there was now a 
 good chance of getting beyond their reach. 
 
 " There goes the captain's canoe," I heard Corney sing 
 out; "paddle, boys, paddle, and we'll give them the 
 go-by 1" 
 
 We had entered the upper branch of the river ; the 
 current ran smoothly. Still we were obliged to exert 
 
 
 
 ,r 
 
 
u 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 
 
 ! 
 
 ourselves to force our canoes up against it. Looking 
 back for a moment over my shoulder, I could sec the 
 leading Indians as they reached the point we had just 
 rounded. Enraged at being too late to stop us, they 
 expended another flight of arrows, several of which 
 struck the water close to us, and two went through the 
 after end of Pierre's canoe, but fortunately above water. 
 
 Though we had escaped for the present, they might 
 continue along the eastern bank of the river, and meet 
 us at the next portage we should have to make. The 
 day was wearing on, and ere long we should have to 
 look out for a spot on which to camp, on the west bank, 
 opposite to that where we had seen the Indians. 
 
 We had got four or five miles up the river when the 
 roaring sound of rushing waters struck our ears, and we 
 knew that we should have to make another portage. 
 The only practicable one was on the east bank, and as it 
 would occupy us the greater part of an hour, we could 
 oarcely hope to escape the Indians, even should they 
 not already have arrived at the spot. On the left rose a 
 line of precipitous rocks, over which we should be unable 
 to force our way. At length we got up to the foot of 
 the rapids. Uncle Donald took a survey of them. I 
 observed on the west side a sheet of water flowing down 
 smoother and freer from rocks than the rest. 
 
 "We must pole up the rapids, but it will need 
 caution ; follow me," said Uncle Donald. 
 
 We got out our long poles, and Uncle Donald leading 
 the way, we commenced the ascent. 
 
 While resting on our paddles Corney and Pierre liad 
 overtaken us, and now followed astern of Uncle Donald, 
 30 that our canoe was the last. We had got nearly half- 
 
need 
 
 •p 
 
 i 
 
 V 
 
 ( 
 
 1 
 
 < d 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 iji I ' 
 
 XPOVE THE BAPID9.— (5e« f . M.) 
 
50 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 way up, the navigation becoming more difficult as we 
 proceeded. The rocks extended farther and farther across 
 the channel, the water leaping and hissing r nd foaming 
 as it rushed by them. One of our Indians sat in the 
 bows with a rope ready to jump out on the rocks and 
 tow the canoe should the current prove too strong for 
 us. Ked Squirrel stood aft with pole in hand guiding 
 the canoe, whil^ Hugh and I worked our poles on 
 either side. Corney and Pierre were at some little 
 distance before us, while Uncle Donald, having a stronger 
 crew, got well ahead. 
 
 "We shall soon be throur/h chis, I hope," cried 
 Hugh ; " pretty tough work though." 
 
 As he spoke he thrust down his pole, which must have 
 been jammed in a hole, and his weight being thrown 
 upon it, before he could recover it broke, and over he 
 went ; I in my eagerness, leaning on one side, attempted 
 to grasp at him, the consequence was that the canoe, 
 swinging round, was driven by the current against the 
 rock. I heard a crash, the foaming water washed over 
 us, and I found myself struggling in its midst. My 
 first impulse was to strike out, for I had been a swimmer 
 from childhood. 
 
 Notwithstanding, I found myself carried down. I 
 looked out for Hugh, but the bubbling water blinded my 
 eyes, and I could nowhare see him nor my Indian com- 
 panions ; still I instirctively struggled for life. Suddenly 
 I found myself close to a rugged rock, whose sides 
 afforded the means of holding on to it. By a violent 
 effort I drew myself out of the watet Ahd elitiabed to the 
 top. I looked round to see what had become of the rest 
 of the crew ; my eye first fell on the canoe, to which 
 
PADDLTNG U? STREAM. 
 
 67 
 
 Hugh was clinging. It was being whirled hurriedly 
 down the rapids ; and some distance from it, indeed, 
 almost close to where I now was, I saw the head of an 
 Jndian. His hands and feet were moving ; but instead 
 of trying to save himself by swimming towards the rock 
 on which I was seated, he was evidently endeavouring 
 to overtake the canoe. I could nowhere see our other 
 companion; he had, I feared, sunk, sucked under by the 
 ciurrent. A momentary glance showed me what I have 
 described. 
 
 Directly I Lad recovered breath I shouted to Pierre 
 and Comey, but the roar of the waters prevented them 
 from hearing my voice ; and they and their companions 
 were so completely occupied in poling on tneir canoes 
 that they did not observe what had occurred. Again 
 and again I shouted; then I turned round, anxiously 
 looking to see how it fared with Hugh and the Indian, 
 
 The canoe had almost reached the foot of the rapids, 
 but it went much faster than the Indian, who was still 
 bravely following it. He had caught hold of one of the 
 paddles, which assisted to support him. I was now sure 
 that his object was to assist Hugh, for he might, as I 
 have said, by swimming to the rock and clutching it, 
 have secured his own life until he could be taken oflf by 
 Comey or Pierre. Hugh still held tight hold of the 
 canoe, which, however, the moment it reached the foot 
 of the rapids, began to drift over to the eastern shore. 
 
 Just then what was my dismay to see a number of 
 redskins rush out from the forest towards the bank. 
 They were those, I had no doubt, from whom we were 
 endeavouring to escape. They must have seen the 
 canoe, and were rejoicing in the thoughts of the captiu'e 
 
C8 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 they were about to make. Hugh's youth would not 
 save him from the cruel sufferings to which they were 
 wont to put their prisoners, should they get hold of 
 him, and that they v/ould do this seemed too prol)able. 
 I almost wished, rather tlian he should have had to 
 endure so cruel a fate, that he had sunk to the bottom. 
 Even now the Indian might come up with the canoe, 
 but would it be possible for him to tow it to the west 
 bank, or support Hugh while swimming in the same 
 direction. Though the rock was slippery I at length 
 managed to stand up on it, and as I did so I gave as 
 shrill a shout as I could utter. One of the Indians in 
 Corney's canoe glanced at me for a moment. He at 
 once saw what had happened, and I guessed from his 
 gestures was telling Pierre as well as Corney of the 
 accident. In an instant the poles were thrown in, and 
 the Indians seizing their paddles, the canoes, their 
 heads turned round, were gliding like air bubbles down 
 the torrent. 
 
 
i CHAPTER Vir. 
 
 1 
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 Ilugh's Canoe Arrested by Red Squirrel just in Time— The Canoe Saved 
 — All got up the Rapids at Last— Camp at the Top — The Blackftct 
 reach the Camp to find the Party gone — The Indians Pursue, and 
 Uncle Donald lies by for Two Days on an Island — End of the 
 Water Passage — The Horses do not Appear. 
 
 AS Coraey and Pierre 
 approached I waved 
 to them to go on, pointing 
 to the canoe to which Hugh 
 was clinging. They saw 
 the necessity of at once 
 going to his rescue, and so 
 left me on the rock, where 
 I was perfectly safe for the 
 present. There was need, 
 in truth, for them to make 
 haste, for already Hugh was 
 drifting within range of 
 
 the Indians' aiTows, and they might shoot him in 
 
 revenge for the long run we had given them. 
 The overturned canoe seemed to be gliding more and 
 
 more rapidly towards them, w^hen I saw its progress 
 
 arrested. 
 
 ill 
 
 I^^H 
 
 ^^K 
 
 4 i ^p 
 
 
 '^^B^ 
 
 
 
 -. 'H 
 
 iHi 
 
 
 f^^^H 
 
 i 91 
 
60 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 The brave Indian had seized it, and was attempting 
 to tow it ffway from the spot where the savages were 
 collected. But all his efforts could scarcely do more 
 than stop its way, and he apparently made but little 
 progress towards the west shore. Comey and Pierre 
 were, however, quickly getting up to it. I shouted with 
 joy when I saw Hugh lifted into Corney's canoe, and 
 the Indian with some assistance clambering into that of 
 Pierre. Not satisfied with this success they got holil 
 of the canoe itself, determined to prevent it from falling 
 into the hands of the enemy. This done, they quickly 
 paddled over to the west shore, where a level spot 
 enabled them to land. They had not forgotten me ; and 
 presently I saw Corney's canoe, with three people in 
 her, poling up towards the rock on which I stood, 
 while Pierre's was engaged in picking up such of the 
 articles of baggage as had floated. It was not without 
 some difficulty that I got on board. My first inquiry 
 was to ascertain which of the Indians had assisted to 
 save Hugh, and I was thankful to hear, as I had ex- 
 pected, that it was Ked Squirrel who had behaved so 
 gallantly. 
 
 We then had to decide what to do — whether to con- 
 tinue our course upwards, to let Uncle Donald know 
 what had happened, or to rejoin Pierre. Though I had 
 managed to cling on to the rock I found my strength so 
 much exhausted that I could afford but little help in 
 poling up the canoe. While we were discussing the mat- 
 ter, what was my dismay to see an Indian on tlie top of 
 the western cliff. 
 
 " Our enemies must have crossed, and we shall be at' 
 tacked," I exclaimed. 
 
A NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 CI 
 
 " Sure no, it's one of Mr. Donald's men who Las been 
 gent to see what has become of us," answered Corney. 
 
 Such I saw was the case. We could not hear his 
 voice, but getting closer to us he made signs which his 
 own people understood, that he would go back to Uncle 
 ponald and learn what we were to do. In reply our two 
 Indians pointed down to where Pierre's party were now 
 on shore, letting him understand exactly what had 
 happened. 
 
 He quickly disappeared, and we had to wait some 
 time, hanging on to a rock by a rope, until he returned 
 with two other men. They then pointed up the stream 
 as a sign to us that we were to proceed. We accord- 
 ingly did so, poling up as before. By the time we got to 
 the head of the rapids we saw that Pierre was coming 
 after us, apparently towing the shattered canoe. 
 
 Above the rapids we discovered a small bay, towards 
 which Uncle Donald's voice summoned us. As we landed 
 he grasped my hand, showing his joy at my escape. 
 It was some time before Pierre arrived. Hugh came in 
 his canoe, while the rest of the men had arrived over 
 land with the luggage which had been saved, as also 
 with our rifles, which, having been slung under the 
 thwarts, had fortunately not slipped out. 
 
 We immediately began our preparations for camping, 
 but had, besides doing what was usual, to collect mate- 
 rials for a stockade, which might enable us to resist a 
 sudden onslaught of the Blackfeet should they cross the 
 river. One of the men was also placed on watch all the 
 time to prevent surprise. 
 
 While most of the party were thus engaged, Ked 
 Squirrel and Jock, who were the best canoe builders, 
 
OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 
 
 were employed in repairing the shattered canoe, and 
 making some fresh paddles and poles ; indeed there was 
 so much work to be done, that none of us got more 
 than a few hours' rest. "We had also to keep a vigilant 
 watch, and two of the men were constantly scouting 
 outside the camp, to guard us more effectually from 
 being taken by surprise. 
 
 All was ready for a start some time before daylight, 
 when Uncle Donald, awakening the sleepers, ordered 
 every one to get on board as noiselessly as possible. He, 
 as usual, led the way^ the other canoes following close 
 astern. The last man was told to make up the fire, 
 which was left burning to deceive the enemy, who 
 would suppose that we were still encamped. 
 
 We had got some distance, the wind being up stream, 
 when just at dawn I fancied that I heard a faint though 
 prolonp^ed yell. We stopped paddling for a moment, 1 
 asked Ked Squirrel if he thought that the Blackfeet 
 had got across to our camp. He nodded, and uttered 
 a low laugh, significant of his satisfaction that we had 
 deceived them. Daylight increasing, we put up our 
 masts and hoisted the light cotton sails, which sent our 
 canoes skimming over the water at a far greater speed 
 than we had hitherto been able to move. 
 
 Another lake appeared before us. By crossing it we 
 should be far ahead of the Blackfeet, We had brou^fht 
 some cooked provisions, so that we were able to break- 
 fast in the canoes It was long past noon before, the 
 river having again narrowed, we ventured ou shore for a 
 brief time only to dine. 
 
 The next portage we came to was on the east bank. 
 It was fortunately a short one, and Uncic Donald kept 
 
A NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 63 
 
 some of the men under arms, a portion only being 
 engaged in carrying the canoes and their cargoes. No 
 Indians, however, appeared. 
 
 " I hope that we have given them the go-by,*' said 
 Hugh, " and shall not again see their ugly faces." 
 
 " We must not be too certain ; I'll ask Red Squirrel 
 what he thinks," I replied. 
 
 " Never trust a Blackfoot," was the answer. " They 
 are as cunning as serpents, and, like serpents, they 
 strike their enemies from among the grass." 
 
 We expected in the course of two or three days more 
 to come to an end of the river navigation at a spot 
 where Uncle Donald had directed that the horses should 
 meet us. We were not without fear, however, that 
 some, if not the whole of the animals, might have been 
 stolen by the Blackfeet should they by any means have 
 discovered them. 
 
 Occasionally sailing, sometimes paddling and poling, 
 and now and then towing the canoes along the banks, 
 we continued our progress. As we went along we kept 
 a look-out for the Blackfeet, as it was more than possible 
 that they might pursue us. We accordingly, in prefer- 
 ence to landing on either bank, selected an island in the 
 centre of the stream for our camping-ground. 
 
 We had just drawn up the canoes among the bushes 
 and formed our camp in an open spot near the middle 
 of the island, when one of the men who was on the look- 
 out brought word that he saw a large number of savages 
 passing on the east bank. We were, however, perfectly 
 concealed from their keen eyes. Watching them atten- 
 tively, we guessed by their gestures that they were 
 looking for us, and not seeing our canoes, fancied that 
 
 I 
 
 .f 
 
6i 
 
 OVER THE UOCKY MOUNTALVS. 
 
 we had passed on. Night was now approaching. We 
 were afraid of lighting a fire, lest its glare might betray 
 our position to our pursuers. They would, however, on 
 not discovering us, turn back, so that we should thus 
 meet them, and Uncle Donald resolved, therefore, to re- 
 main where we were, until they had retreated to the 
 southward. Even should they discover us we might 
 defend the island more easily than any other spot we 
 could select. We had plenty of provisions, so that we 
 could remain there without inconvenience for several days, 
 except that we should thus delay our passage over the 
 mountains. Hugh and I were, much to our satisfaction, 
 appointed by Uncle Donald to keep watch, Hugh on one 
 side of the island and I on the other, for fear lest, should 
 the redskins find out where we were, they might attempt, 
 by swimming across, to take us by surprise. 
 
 None appeared, however, and two more days went by. 
 At last Uncle Donald began to hope that they, supposing 
 we had taken another route, were on their way back . 
 We accordingly, seeing no one the next morning, em- 
 barked, and the river here expanding into a lake, we 
 were able to paddle on without impediment across it, 
 and a short distance up another stream, when we came 
 to a fall of several feet, beyond which our canoes could 
 not proceed. This was the spot where we had expected 
 to find the horses, but they had not arrived. We were 
 greatly disappointed, for, having been much longer than 
 we had calculated on coming up, we naturally expected 
 that they would have been ready for us. Winter was 
 rapidly approaching, and in the autumn before the 
 streams are thoroughly frozen the dangers of crossing 
 the mountains are greater than at any other period. 
 
A NAtinOW ESCAI*£l. 
 
 05 
 
 As the canoes could go no higher we took them up 
 the stream and placed them "en cache," where there 
 was little chance of their being discovered. They were 
 to remain there until the return of our men, who would 
 accompany us to the foot of the mountains and go back 
 again that autumn. 
 
 On not finding the horses Uncle Donald went to the 
 highest hill in the neighbourhood, overlooking the 
 country through which they had to pass, in the hopes of 
 seeing them approach. He came back saying that he 
 could perceive no signs of them, and he ordered us forth- 
 with to camp in such a position that we might defend 
 ourselves against any sudden attack of hostile Indians. 
 
 Hi 
 
tliei 
 loud 
 
 CIIAPTEK Vlir. 
 
 AMON(} THK MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Tho Ilorso Party nri ivo.s nt last, but witli half tlio Horses Stolon— Tl»e 
 Rtnrt AiTot<a tho Moimtnins— More Blackfcot in tho way oblige llio 
 r.irty to take a StriVu;j;o Piiss— It bocomos Colilor— Snow comes on 
 —A Pack of Wolves— Sl(«i;.';h.s and Snow Sliocs— In tho llciirt of tho 
 " llockios "— Corney lias ;i Narrow Escape and a Cold Hath— Snow 
 in tho Canoes— DifficuUicn of tho Way— Tho Pass at I^ast— A fear- 
 ful Avalanche. 
 
 S 
 
 EVKKAL days passed 
 by. We wer(3 not 
 molested by tho Indiinis, 
 but the horse;^ did not 
 arrive. Uncle Donald never 
 fretted or fumed, thoiiijfli it 
 was enough to try his teni- 
 })er. 1 asked him to allow 
 me to set off with Corncy 
 and Pierre to ascertain if 
 Ihey had gone by mistak'e 
 Lo any other place. We were on the point of starting 
 when we saw a party of horses and men approaching. 
 They proved to be those we were expecting, but there 
 were only eight horses, less than half the number we 
 had sent off. The men in charge had a sad account to 
 give. The rest had been stolen by Indians, and one of 
 
AMONG THE MOl/NtATNS. 
 
 C7 
 
 tlieir party had becMi killed, whilo they hud to make :i 
 long round to escape from the thieves, who would other- 
 wise very likely have carried off the remainder. The 
 men also had brought a dozen dogs — our three especial 
 favourites being among tliem — to be used in dragging 
 our sleighs in case the horses should be unable to get 
 through. We had carried the materials for forming 
 sleighs with us in the canoes, while the harness had 
 been transported thus far with the other packages by 
 the horses. The poor beasts, though very thin, were 
 better than no horses at all. There were a sufficient 
 number to convey our stores and provisions, one for 
 Uncle Donald, who carried Rose on his saddle, and two 
 others for Hugh and me. The rest of the party had to 
 proceed on foot. I offered mine to Madge, but shu 
 declared that she could walk better than I could. 
 
 We made a short day's journey, but the poor animals 
 were so weak that we were compelled to camp again at 
 a spot where there was plenty of grass. It was here 
 absolutely necessary to remain three days to enable them 
 to regain their strength. 
 
 While we were in camp Uncle Donald sent out Pierre 
 and one of our Indians to try and ascertain if any of the 
 Blackfeet were still hovering in the direction we pro- 
 posed taking across the mountains. We did not wait 
 for the return of oiu: scouts, but started at the time 
 proposed, expecting to meet them on the road we should 
 travel. 
 
 We were engaged in forming our camp, collecting 
 wood for the fires, and putting up rough huts, or rather 
 arbours of boughs, as a protection from the wind — which 
 here coming off the snowy mountains was exceedingly 
 
 ifi 
 
 ] * 
 
 
 * i' 
 
6d 
 
 OVER The rocky mountains. 
 
 cold at night — while the gloom of evening was comingf 
 on, when one of the men on watch shouted — 
 
 " The enemy 1 the enemy are upon us I " 
 
 While some of our people ran out intending to bring 
 in the horses, the rest of us flew to our arms. 
 
 Uncle Donald, taking his rifle, at once went out in 
 the direction in which the sentry declared he had seen 
 the band of savages coming over the hill. 
 
 Our alarm was put an end to when, shortly afterwards, 
 he came back accompanied by Pierre and his companion, 
 who brought the unsatisfactory intelligence that a large 
 body of Blackfeet were encamped near the pass by which 
 we had intended to descend into the plains of the Sas- 
 katchewan. 
 
 Ever prompt in action, Uncle Donald decided at once 
 to take a more northerly pass. 
 
 Tho country through which we were travelling was 
 wild and rugged in the extreme ; frequently we had 
 to cross the same stream over and over again to find 
 a practicable road. Now we had to proceed along the 
 bottom of a deep valley among lofty trees, then to climb 
 up a steep height by a zigzag course, and once more to 
 descend into another valley. Heavily laden as were 
 both horses and men, our progress was of necessity slow. 
 Sometimes after travelling a whole day we found that 
 we had not made good in a straight line more than 
 eight or ten miles. 
 
 The weather hitherto had been remarkably fine, and 
 Hugh and Kose and I agreed that we enjoyed our 
 journey amazingly. Our hunters went out every day 
 after we had camped, and sometimes before we started 
 in the morning, or whilo we were moving along, and 
 
 we 
 
AMOXa THE ^rOUNTAINS. 
 
 never failed to bring in several deer, so that we were 
 well supplied with food. The cold at night was very 
 considerable ; but with good fires blazing, and wrapped 
 up in buftalo robes, we did not feel it ; and when the 
 Bun shone brightly the air was so pure and fresh that we 
 were scarcely a^are how rapidly winter was approach- 
 ing. 
 
 It should be understood that there are several passes 
 through the lofty range it was our object to cross. 
 These passes had been formed by the mountains being 
 rent asunder by some mighty convulsion of nature. All 
 of them are many miles in length, and in some places 
 several in width ; now the pass presents a narrow gorge, 
 now expands into a wide valley. The highest point is 
 called the watershed, where there is either a single small 
 lake, or a succession of lakelets, from which the water 
 flows either eastward through the Saskatchewan or Atha- 
 basca livers, to find its way ultimately into the Arctic 
 Ocean, or westward, by numberless tributaries, into the 
 Fraser or Columbia rivers, which fall, after making 
 numerous bends, into the Pacific. 
 
 We had voyaged in our canoes up one of the larger 
 tributaries of the Fraser, and had now to follow to its 
 source at the watershed one of the smaller streams 
 which flowed, twisting and turning, through the dense 
 forests and wild and rugged hills rising on every side. 
 
 The country had become more and more difficult as 
 we advanced, and frequently we had to wind our way 
 in single file round the mountains by a narrow path 
 scarcely affording foothold to our horses. Sometimes on 
 one side, sometimes on the other were steep precipices, 
 over which; by a false step, either we or our animals 
 
 'I 1] 
 
 f 
 
70 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 might be whirled into the roaring torrent below, Now 
 we had to force a road through the tangled forest to cut 
 oflf an angle of the stream, and then to pass along 
 narrow gorges, beetling cliffs frowning above our heads, 
 and almost shutting out the light of day. 
 
 At length we camped on higher ground than any wo 
 had yet reached. On one side was a forest, on the other 
 a rapid stream came foaming by. The sky was over- 
 cast, so that, expecting rain, we put up all the shelter 
 we could command. 
 
 The hunters having brought in a good supply of 
 meat, our people were in good spirits, and seemed to 
 have forgotten the dangers we had gone through, while 
 they did not trouble themselves by thinking of those 
 we might hL>,ve to encounter. We had no longer hostile 
 Indians to fear ; but we still kept a watch at night in 
 case a prowling grizzly or pack of hungry wolves might 
 pay the camp a visit. The wind blew cold; not a 
 star was visible. The light from our fire threw a lurid 
 glare on the stems and boughs of the trees and the 
 tops of the rugged rOcks which rose beyond. 
 
 Having said good night to Rose, whom we saw 
 stowed away in her snug little bower, Hugh and I 
 lay down a short distance from the fire, sheltered by 
 some of the packages piled up at our heads. Uncle 
 Donald was not far from us. On the other side were 
 Pierre and Corney and Red Squirel, while Madge took 
 her post, disdaining more shelter than the men, close 
 to Rose's hut. Two of the men kept awake, one watch- 
 ing the camp, the other the horses, and the rest lay 
 in a row on the opposite side of the fire. 
 
 Such was the scene I looked on till, completely 
 
 I 
 
A:iONG THE M0UNTAiN3. 
 
 1 
 
 
 covering my head up in a buffalo robe, I closed my 
 eyes. I was awakened by finding an unusual weight 
 above me. I threw my arms about, when down came 
 a cold shower on my face and clearing my eyes I could 
 just see the snow on every side, while my body was com- 
 pletely covered up. I was perfectly warm, however, 
 and felt no inclination to get out of my cosy bed to 
 brush the snow away. I drew my robe again over 
 my head ; being well assured that Uncle Donald would 
 arouse us if there was any risk of our being com- 
 pletely covered up. How much longer I had slept I 
 could not tell, when I was once more awakened by 
 a terrific howling, yelping, the barking of dogs, the 
 trampling and snorting of horses, followed by the shouts 
 and shrieks of our men. 
 
 I speedily drew myself out of my snowy burrow, 
 and through the gloom I caught sight of our horses 
 endeavouring to defend them'^elves })y kicking out 
 with their heels against a pack of wolves which had 
 followed them up to the camp, and Uncle Donald with 
 the men engaged, some with their rilles and others with 
 sticks, in endeavouring to drive off the savage brutes, 
 but they were afraid of firing, for fear of wounding the 
 horses. I felt about for Hugh, who being covered up by 
 the snow, had not been awakened by the din. 
 
 " What is happening ? " he exclaimed, sitting up. 
 " Are the Indians upon us ? '* 
 
 " Only some hungry wolves, and we are all right,'* 
 I said. 
 
 "Why, I fancy it has been snowing !" he exclaimed. 
 
 " I should think so," I answered. " Come, j ump up, 
 we'll help put those brutes to fiiglit." 
 
n 
 
 OYER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 When the wolves found themselves encountered by 
 human beings, they quickly turned tail, but we had 
 some difficulty in catching the frightened horses, and I 
 was just in time to seize one which was on the point of 
 dashing into Kose's hut. As it was almost daylight, 
 no one again turned in ; the fires were made up, and we 
 began cooking our morning meal. 
 
 The snow continued to fall so heavily, that Uncle 
 Donald decided to remain where we were, or rather ' •-• 
 form another camp more under shelter of the trees. 
 To proceed with the horses would have been almost im- 
 possible, and he therefore settled to send them back and 
 to prepare the sleighs and snow-shoes for the rest of our 
 journey. A sleigh is simply a thin board, ten feet long 
 and about a foot broad, turned up at one end. The 
 baggage is secured to it by leathern thongs,, 
 
 To form a cariole, a cradle or framework like the body 
 of a small carriage is fixed on a sleigh such as I have 
 just described, and is covered with buffalo skin parch- 
 ment, the inside being lined with a buffalo robe. When 
 the traveller is seated in a cariole with outstretched 
 legs, he is only separated from the snow by the thin 
 plank which forms the flj)or. The dogs which drag the 
 sleighs are attached to them by leathern thongs and 
 collars generally decorated with beadwork and tassels, 
 surmounted by arches, to which are suspended strings 
 of small bells. We had brought a supply of snow-shoes 
 and moccasins for all the party. The snow-shoe is an 
 oval frame five or six feet in length, about one in width, 
 the intermediate space being filled with network, except 
 a hole in the centre for the heel of the wearer. It is 
 attached to the foot by leathern thongs. All hands were 
 
 bus) 
 
 hai 
 
 hor^ 
 
 depj 
 
 RosJ 
 
 and 
 
AMONG THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 73 
 
 
 busily engaged in putting the sleighs together, fitting the 
 harness to the dogs, and arranging the cargoes. The 
 horses were sent back. The canoe men had taken their 
 departure, and our party now consisted of Uncle Donald, 
 Kose, Hugh and I, Pierre, Comey, Madge, Red Squirrel, 
 and four Indians. 
 
 We had to wait until the snow had somewhat 
 hardened, and the stream up which we were to proceed 
 had been frozen over. Uncle Donp'd had made for 
 Rose to sleep in a bag of buffalo robes lined with softer 
 furs, which kept her perfectly warm. She was the only 
 person who was to enjoy the privilege of a sleigh, 
 drawn by Whiskey and Pilot, and guided by Uncle 
 Donald. The rest of us were to travel on snow-shoes, a 
 mode of proceeding which, though fatiguing, kept us 
 warm. 
 
 The last night of our stay in camp arrived. We were 
 to start, should the weather be propitious, the next 
 morning. Soon after we turned in for the night, before 
 I had fallen asleep, I was greatly surprised to hear the 
 sound of chopping in a wood at no great distance off. 
 I called to Hugh, he heard it also, as did Uncle Donald. 
 
 One after the other the men expressed their wonder 
 at the sound. Comey, who was on guard, walked a few 
 paces in the direction from whence it came, evidently 
 thinking that something was wrong, but he soon re- 
 turned, declaring that he could see no one. Suddenly 
 there came the crash of a falling tree. After this 
 mysterious occurrence, nothing could induce him to go up 
 to the spot, though it could not have been more than 
 two hundred yards off. No one had been seen 0:1 the 
 previous evening, and had Indians been there, they would 
 
74 
 
 OVm THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 have observed our fire, and would long ero this Lave 
 gathered round it. 
 
 What Uncle Donald thought I could not tell, he cer- 
 tainly did not get up to try and solve the mystery, 
 nor did any of the Indians. Night passed away without 
 disturbance, and the next morning, though Hugh, and 
 Pierre, and I made a circuit of the camp, we could dis- 
 cover no footsteps to indicate that any one had been in 
 the neighbourhood, nor signs of chopping, nor a fallen 
 tree, so that the mystery remained unexplained. 
 
 Breakfast over, our four Indians were sent ahead to 
 trample down the snow with thek snow-shoes, the loaded 
 sleighs following, driven by the other men and IMadge, 
 who was as good a driver as any of them. Uncle Donald 
 in charge of Rose bringing up the rear with Hugh and 
 me. Such was to be our proceeding for many a day, 
 until we vrere over the mountains. 
 
 We were now in the heart of the " Rockies." The 
 valley of the river we were following was about a mile 
 wide, and on eii'her side rose high rocky peaks, covered 
 with perpetual snow, among which big-horns could be 
 seen watching us, the intruders into their domains, 
 and daring us, as it were, to scale the glaciers and meet 
 them on their own ground. 
 
 We several times met with moose, one of which 
 was shot nearly every day to supply our camp with 
 meat. We were anticipating getting through the pass 
 without difficulty, when we found ourselves at the 
 bottom of a fall a hundred feet in height, with thickly 
 timbered hills on each side, which, rising abruptly froni 
 the water's edge, seemed to offer no footing even for a 
 snow-shoe, much less a practicable trail for dog-sleighs. 
 
 Ul 
 oncel 
 of tl 
 shov^ 
 the 
 first 
 riveri 
 
AMONG THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 7j 
 
 Uncle Donald was not to be defeated, however, and at 
 once ordered a regular track, graded round the face 
 of the bluffs, to be formed. By using snow-shoes as 
 shovels, and poles and brush for bridges, we crossed 
 the intervening gullies and reached the edge of the 
 first fall. Going on a mile further, we found the 
 river confined between perpendicular walls of rock, 
 up which there was no climbing. We had to form 
 another path, carrying it over ledges of rock, banks 
 of ice and snow, making bridges from one huge boulder 
 to another with the dark water boiling at our feet ready 
 to engulf any one who might make a false step. 
 
 To our joy, the formidable obstacle being surmounted, 
 the good ice was reached at last, when we pushed on, 
 the dogs trotting gaily along, and we following behind. 
 
 But ere long another fall barred our progress. Before 
 attempting to surmount it, we halted for dinner. 
 
 As I was looking up I espied a big-horn, or mountain 
 goat, and believing that we could get near enough to 
 shoot it, Hugh and I set off with our guns. The animal 
 is about the size of a common sheep, with conical horns, 
 nearly three feet long, and forming a complete circle, 
 but so thick is the wool which covers its head and body 
 that their full length is not seen. 
 
 "Sure, you'll not be gettin' up after thatbastol" I 
 heard Corney say, he having followed us. 
 
 "We'll try," I answered, and began ascending the 
 steep rocks. The difficulties were greater than we ex- 
 pected, but still we did not like to be defeated. We had 
 Deen deceived by the clearness of the atmosphere, and 
 after climbing up and up, the goat appeared as far off 
 as ever. Presently he saw us, and off he bounded, 
 
79 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 
 
 springing along places whore it would have l)ecn mad- 
 ness to follow. 
 
 " I tould ye so ! " cried Cornoy from below, for he had 
 still followed us. " Ye must git above one of those gentle- 
 men if you want to shoot him. Now dinner will be cooked, 
 and we had better be after gettirg down to eat it." Wo 
 accordingly descended t ^^hev ve hadlef^oursn nv-shoes. 
 
 " t.*!)lop a momeit I * cri' !t ( .orrsey. " Just let mo get a 
 drink of water, for I see a j iU (hir«phig over a rock there." 
 
 Corney accordingly made his way up to the perpen- 
 dicular bank, but scarcely had he reached it, when, to 
 our horror, there was a crash, and he suddenly disap- 
 peared, leaving, however, his long pole behind him. 
 
 I knew that the river was running like a mill sluice 
 down below, so rushing forward I shoved the pole across the 
 opening, and holding it in one hand, as I threw myself 
 flat on the ice, I thrust down my arm. To my relief, I 
 felt Corney's head as he came to the surface, and seizing 
 his hair, hauled away with might and main. Hugh now 
 assisted me, and we managed to drag up the Irishman 
 from his fearfully perilous position. It recpiired caution, 
 however, to get him on the ice, as that at any moment 
 might give way, and we should have to share the fate 
 from which we were trying to rescue him. 
 
 "Arrah! the spalpeens I why don't they help us?" 
 cried Corney. " Shout, INIr. Archie I shout, Mr. Hugh ! " 
 
 Our cries brought Pierre, who was nearest at hand, 
 carrying a long rope and a pole. 
 
 By resting on the poles, and lowering the rope with 
 a bowline knot at the end, we got it under his arms, 
 and soon hauling him upon the ice, we humed away 
 from the dangerous spot. 
 
 V/ j V Jl 
 
 I ^K 
 
 WK MAK, 
 
\y. 
 
 WK MAKAOXD TO DBAQ UP THE IRISHATAV FROM HIS FEARFULLY PERILOUS 
 
 Posixio-N,— (6'ce ;j. 70.) 
 
78 
 
 OVER THE ROCICY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 lie was none the worse for his dip, though it was no 
 joke to be plunged head over cars in that icy cold water. 
 Several of the other men fell in at different times, for 
 although it was freezing hard the rapidity of the current 
 prevented the ice forming securely in many places. We 
 had occasionally, therefore, to leave the river and to 
 make our way through the forest — no easy undertaking. 
 But we could get through any places, provided they were 
 more than two feet wide. When camping, we shovelled 
 away the snow until we reached the moss on which we 
 formed our beds ; then we made our fire in the centre of 
 the hole, and took our places round it. 
 
 When we went to sleep it was pretty deep, but in the 
 morning, on getting up, I found that 1 could not see 
 over the wall of snow. By beating down the edges, 
 however, we managed to climb out. 
 
 In spite of the depth of the snow, we travelled on, 
 though as our snow-shoes sank in places nearly a foot 
 deep, the fatigue was very great. Kose laughed heartily 
 as she saw us trudging on, and wanted Hugh to take her 
 place in the sleigh and let her go on foot while he rested. 
 
 Again we came to a more mighty canon than any we 
 had yet encountered. This necessitated a detom-, to 
 avoid it, of about three miles overland. 
 
 A canon, from the Spanish, is a deep gully or gorge, 
 either with a river or stream flowing through the bot- 
 tom or not, but the canons in this part of the Rockiijs 
 nearly always have a stream at the bottom. 
 
 We had again reached the river where it flowed on a 
 more even course. It was entirely frozen over, but we 
 were high above it, and the difficulty was to get down. 
 
 Pierre was the first to start. Away went the dogs 
 
 witli 
 its ^> 
 and 
 into 
 
 fast 
 
 gent 
 
 howe 
 
 way, 
 
 sheer 
 
 theot 
 
 petus 
 
AMOXG THE MOUNTAIN'S. 
 
 n 
 
 a 
 
 I we 
 ivn. 
 
 )g3 
 
 W'itli the sloyi, Pit'iTc haulinn^ it back and trying to stop 
 its way. liut all would not do, and presently he, dogs, 
 and sleigh, went rolling over and over, until they plunged 
 into the snow at the bottom, to a considerable depth. 
 
 "Och sure I'll V)o wiser," cried Corney ; and he made 
 fust a tail rope to a tree, thus enabling him to lower it 
 gently for a short distance at a time. In slipping it, 
 liowever, from one tree to another, the sleigh gathered 
 way, but scarcely had it got abreast of the dogs than it 
 sheered off on one side of a small tree, the dogs rolling on 
 the other. The tree —a mere sapling — bent, and the im- 
 petus carried the ivhole train nearly twenty feet out 
 towards its end — the dogs hanging by their traces on one 
 side, counterbalancing the sleigh on the other, where 
 they swayed to and fro in the most ludicrous fashion, 
 yelping, barking, and struggling to get free, and running 
 a great risk of being hanged. 
 
 " Surely I'll be afther losin' me dogs, and the sleigh 
 will be dashed to pieces I " cried Corney, wringing his 
 hands in his despair. 
 
 Uncle Donald told us to take charge of Eose ; then 
 springing down the bank with the agility of a young 
 man, axe in hand, with a few blows he cut the tracv^s 
 and set the poor dogs free, while the sleigh bounded 
 down the hill into the snow at the bottom, where Pierre 
 was trying to put his train to rights, the new arrival 
 adding not a little to his difficulties. 
 
 Fearing that Eose might meet with a similar acci- 
 dent, Uncle Donald, taking her in his arms, carried her 
 down, while Hugh and I managed the sleigh. As soon 
 as we were all to rights, we had the satisfaction of seeing 
 before us a clear "glare" of icj. The dogs, entering 
 
 ^ 
 
 I 
 
80 
 
 OVKR TIIK noCKV MOUNTAtK^. 
 
 into our feelings, set off at a scamper to cross it. 
 
 In less than an hour we had got over a greater dis- 
 tance than we had the whole of the previous day. We 
 had now reached the entrance to the pass. On cither 
 side rose pyramidical peaks, covered with perpetual 
 snow, three thousand feet above the valley. Shortly 
 afterwards we came to the foot of a magnificent glacier, 
 which must have been scarcely less than a mile in 
 length and several hundred feet in height. As we had 
 made a good day's journey, and evening was approach- 
 ing. Uncle Donald was looking out for a place at which 
 to camp. We had just fixed on a spot on the bank of 
 the river at the edge of a thick belt of trees, which here 
 intervened between it and the cliffs, when a roar as of 
 distant thunder reached our ears. 
 
 " Look out I look out I " cried the Indians in chorus, 
 and they pointed upwards. 
 
 We did look, and there we saw the whole side of the 
 mountain, as it seemed, in movement. Huge rocks and 
 vast masses of ice came rolling down towards the spot 
 we were passing over, threatening to overwhelm us. 
 
 Down rushed the fearful avalanche. One huge rock 
 was so directing its course that our destruction seemed 
 certain, when it crashed in among the trees, tearing 
 several up by the roots, but meeting with one of a 
 larger size, just before it reached us, it was turned aside, 
 and forcing its way through the remainder, it plunged 
 into the river, not many feet from where we stood. 
 
 As may be supposed, we did not camp at that spot, 
 but, thankful for our preservation, pushed on to where, 
 the valley slightly widening out, we ran less risk of being 
 overwhelmed by an avalanche. 
 
 
 \ ^ 
 
 T*. ^- 
 
 .^ 
 
 zus s 
 
 ..^ 
 
led 
 ►f a 
 
 >ot, 
 
 jre, 
 
 tins: 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 i4 
 
 (•' I i^ 
 
 Ills SLKiail M'F.KT ROTXIXO OVKR AM> OVKU. I NTIL THEY I'LLNOED TO 
 
 TUB DOlxoM,— (.6't;e p. 7y.) 
 
 \? r 
 
 *c.. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LOST IN THE SNOW. 
 
 The dividing Kidjje — A Mishap — More difficulty with the Snow — The 
 Provisions run short — Tho Do^s bof,Mn to Succumb — Hugh, Archie, 
 nnd Red Squirrel arc Lost in a Snowbtorm — Done up, and no 
 Shelter. 
 
 I HE first part of our difli- 
 culties are approaching 
 an end," said Uncle 
 Donald the next morn^ 
 ino', as we were starting. 
 "It is possihle that we 
 may reach the dividing 
 rid^e by nightfall." 
 
 The news caused every 
 
 countenance to assume 
 
 a cheerful expression. 
 
 We pushed on in high 
 
 spiri rs. The river, which 
 
 had been growing lesa 
 
 and ess as we proceeded, 
 
 at length became a small 
 
 stream, fed by a fall down a steep elope, up which we 
 
 had, as before, to make our way by a zigzag path. 
 
 On reaching the summit we found ourselves in an 
 
 4%^- 
 
■I 
 
 LOST IN THE SNOW. 
 
 m 
 
 ^^ 
 
 elevated valley, with mountain peaks on eacli side towo 
 ing magnificently to the sky, the rays of the rising sun 
 glancing on their snow-clad sides. 
 
 The surface of the lakes afforded a level and easy road. 
 Away went the dogs at a brisk trot, the men shouting 
 with glee as they thought our difficulties were over. 
 
 Climbing up the banks of one lake, we crossed over 
 the ground to another, and then went on again as before. 
 We quickly got over seven or eight miles, when we saw 
 a stream, which, issuing from the eastern end of the last 
 lake, ran down a gentle incline. The bright rivulet wa:4 
 a feeder of one of the vast rivers which flow towards the 
 Arctic Ocean. 
 
 A joyous shout was raised ; we had crossed the divi- 
 ding ridge, and the vast plain through which flow the 
 Saskatchewan and Athabasca lay below us. Several trees 
 which grew by the lakelet were marked, to show the 
 boundary of the North West Territory, into which we 
 had now entered. Having quenched our thirst from the 
 little stream, we again set out, the ground sloping per- 
 ceptibly towards the east. 
 
 The rivulet widened as we advanced, and after wo 
 had gone a short way we found it completely frozen 
 over. The ice being of sufficient thickness to bear our 
 weight, we at once descended on to it, and away we 
 went at a greater speed than we had hitherto gone, every 
 one being in the highest spirits. 
 
 We had now to make a long circuit through a dense 
 forest, keeping away from the river, for fear of slipping 
 down over the precipices which formed the side. 
 
 Hugh and I, while sitting on our snow-shoes, were 
 gliding downwards, fancying that we should reach the 
 
 ? 
 
 
84 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 bottom of a hill without difficulty, when presently I saw 
 him, on coming to some object concealed by the snow, 
 give an unintentional jump, and over he went, head 
 first, clutching at the shrubs and trying to stop himself. 
 I was laughing at his mishap, when I felt myself jerked 
 forwards, and then away I went in the same fashion. 
 
 After some tumbling and rolling, with arms and legs 
 outstretched, we were both pitched into a deep snow reef 
 at the foot of the hill. 
 
 One of the loaded sleighs, driven by Corney, before 
 he had time to unharness the dogs, as he was about to 
 do, broke away from him, and away it went, the poor 
 dogs, terribly frightened, endeavouring to keep ahead 
 of it, but it went faster than they could. In vain Corney 
 and Red Squirrel tried to stop it. Had it kept clear of 
 all impediments no great harm would have happened ; 
 but, unfortunately, it came in contact with a log, turn- 
 ing the poor dog who had the leader's place into a 
 pancake, while the front part of the sleigh itself was 
 uhattered to fragments. We hurried to the spot. The 
 poor dog lay dead, with its head and limbs fractured. 
 
 We were some time occupied in repairing the broken 
 sledge and harness. Continuing cu.r journey, the river 
 level was at last reached, when, on looking up, we saw 
 that we had stood on a projecting ledge of ice not more 
 than two feet in thickness, which might have given way 
 beneath our weight and carried us down to destruction. 
 
 Hitherto, when not travelling on the ioe, we had to 
 make our way over snow seldom less than two feet deep, 
 but as we reached the base of the mountains it suddenly 
 disappeared. As far as we could see to the eastward, 
 not a patch was visible. Had it not been for the frozen 
 
LOST IN Tlir. SNOW. 
 
 85 
 
 rivers and the leafless trees, we might have fancied that 
 summer was returning. This phenomenon occurs along 
 the whole base of the Kocky ^lountains, where there is 
 a belt of nearly twenty miles in width perfectly free from 
 snow. 
 
 The ground being hard, we made good way over it, 
 directing our course about south-east towards a stream 
 running into the Saskatchewan. 
 
 The stream we were steering for was reached. Travel- 
 ling over the ice, we were soon again in a region where 
 the snow lay thicker than ever, and it became very trying 
 to oiu" dogs. Our special favourites. Whiskey, Pilot, 
 and Muijkymote, went on bravely, in spite of their hard 
 labour by day and the intense cold to which they were 
 exposed by night. Tliey, knowing fellows, whenever 
 they stopped, carefully picked out the snow which, 
 getting between their toes, would have cut them severely ; 
 but some of the younger ones, not understanding the 
 necessity of so doing, alLwed it to accumulate, and 
 became lame. 
 
 The snow now lay two feet in thickness over the whole 
 suj'face of the country, making it fearfully heavy work 
 to get along. We frequently had to go ahead to form a 
 track; and even so soft was the snow, that the poor 
 dogs would wallow through it up to their bodies, until 
 they were well-nigh worn out with their incessant 
 labour. 
 
 We, however, pushed on, for had we ventured to stop 
 our whole party might have succumbed. Our provi- 
 sions were well nigh exhausted, and neither buffalo, nor 
 deer, nor smaller game appeared to enable us to replen- 
 ish our stock of food. Our object was to get on a 
 
 t 
 
 ,1 
 
 31 
 
86 
 
 OVEll TOE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Siream with a southerly or south-easterly course, on 
 which we could travel until we could strike a line across 
 the country leading to the missionary station. 
 
 We made short journeys between sunrise and sunset. 
 At the end of each day our first task was to clear away 
 the snow, so as to have a space for our camp fire and 
 room for the party to stretch themselves round it. The 
 most sheltered spot ^^ as selected for Rose's hut, which, 
 when wood was wanting, was formed of bufifalo robes. 
 She seemed to enjoy tlie journey, and was as blooming 
 and meny as ever. Tlie poor dogs were tlie greatest 
 sufferers. They had hard work and scanty food. First 
 one stretched out its legs and died, and then another 
 did tlie same ; and one morning, when we were starting, 
 even Pilot could not Ijc coaxed away from the camp 
 fire. No one had Hie heart to kill him, but stand on his 
 legs he either could not or would not, so he was left to 
 his fate in the faint hope that in an hour or so he 
 might recover his sin'nL,''h and overtake us. 
 
 As we pushed forward, on one side rose the lofty peaks 
 of the Rocky jNIountains, and on the other stretched 
 out a vast extent of comparatively level Lmd, in 
 some parts open prairie, in others dense forest. The 
 boughs of the trees were thickly laden with snow, the 
 whole country, indeed, was wrapped in a white wintry 
 mantle. The scenery was dreary in the extreme. Our 
 Fpirits sank ; it seemed that we should never come to an 
 end of our long journey. 
 
 The sk' . hitherto bright, ])ecame overcast with clouds 
 about the iiui' tliat we had got over about two-thirds 
 of the day'- j'^uT'^y. Hugh an 1 Red Squirrel and I 
 were at Ss* loj c 'to*. ;< 4 t ae rear of the party, when snow 
 
 al 
 
 • 1 
 
 II 
 
LO.'^T IN TUE SNOW. 
 
 87 
 
 be^n to full and the wind to blow with unusual 
 viuience. The snow curae down so thickly that it seemed 
 as if the contents of a hiij^e feather-bed had suddenly 
 been emptied upon us. Tliicker and thicker it fell ; so 
 ^eat was the obocuiity that we could scarcely see a yard 
 aliead, while the tracks of our companions were almost 
 instantly oblirorateil. 
 
 We shoutetl, expcctinj^ that they would reply, and 
 that wo should be j^iided by their voices, but no sound 
 came in return. We tried to run on, hoping to over- 
 take them, when Ilui^h fell and broke one of his snow- 
 shoes. We, of course, stopped to help him up, .and 
 in so doing must have turned slightly about. Ked 
 Scpiirrel, ever fertile in resources, set to work to mend 
 the shoe. This he did very rapidly ; but even that short 
 delay was serious. As soon as Hugh was on his leg« we 
 again hurried on, supposing that we were following 
 close behind tlie rest of the party. We shouted and 
 shouted, but still there was no reply. I asked Ked 
 Squirrel if he thought we were going right. 
 
 1 le did not answer. 
 
 It is seldom that an Indian loses his way, but at le ,'th 
 I began to fear that he was at fault. He acknowh < ^'•ed, 
 indeed, that he was so. We unslung our guns, lining 
 that if we fired our friends would hear the repoi ; . and 
 fire theirs in return, but neither Hugh's nor miii would 
 go off. We put on fresh caps, and both again snapped. 
 I felt in my pouch for my pricker, to try and clear out 
 the nipple, but could not find it. I asked I [ugh for his. 
 
 " I'm afraid that I dropped it yesterday evening in 
 the camp, and I thought that I would look for it ;ri the 
 morning, but forgot to do so," he answered. 
 
OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 At last we gave up the attempt in despair. More 
 valuable time had thus been lost. Red Squirrel urged 
 as to go on, saying that he thought he could guide us 
 by the wind. On and on we went. The snow fell as 
 thickly as ever. At last Hugh declared that he could 
 go no further. We were both suffering from fearful 
 pains in our ankles — the mal deraquette, as the French 
 Canadians call it, produced by the pressure of the siiow- 
 fchoe straps. 
 
 I looked anxiously about, hoping to discover some 
 trees v-r shrubs which might afford us shelter and enable 
 us to light a fire, but a thick veil of falling snow shrouded 
 us on every side. I consulted Red Squirrel as to what 
 we should do. One thing was certain — that if we 
 remained in the open, exposed to the biting blast, we 
 Rhould perish. I feared that such would be our fate. 
 Poor Hugh gave way altogether, and, casting off the 
 straps from his ankles, threw himself down on the snow, 
 and begged us to leave him. 
 
 
 "Rci 
 
 / 
 
 sui 
 Sq 
 an 
 up 
 
 go 
 he 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 SNOWKD V\\ 
 
 Ecd Squirrel and Archie Dig a IIolo in tlie Snow — Tho Snow Shelter- 
 Sleep — No Food, and IJuried in Snow — Efforts to Dig Out— Somo 
 Animal Scratches at tho lIoIo — Last Efforts at Defence. 
 
 T 
 
 |0 leave Hugh was not to bo 
 
 thought of. 
 " Oh, say what we must do I " 
 I exclaimed, adrcssiur Ked 
 Squirrel. 
 
 '• Make haste," he answered, 
 taking off his snow-shoes. 
 
 I took off mine also, and 
 using them as spades, we ener- 
 getically set to work to shovel 
 up the snow until we had got 
 down to the ground, building 
 up a wall with what we had 
 thrown out. There was just 
 sufficient space to hold three. We tlien placed Red 
 Squirrel's shoes on the top, for they were the longest, 
 and Hugh's above them, while with mine we threw 
 up more snow to form a roof. As soon as we had 
 got thus far, we lowered Hugh into our burrow, that 
 he might be sheltered from the wind, placing the 
 guns beside liim, "VVe then continued throwing up 
 
 I 
 
00 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTiUNS. 
 
 the snow until we had completely surrounded the 
 hole, leaving only a small aperture through which 
 we could crawl in on hands and knees. AVe next covered 
 one of my snow-shoes with snow, patted it down until it 
 was like a board, and this served as the door of our bur- 
 row. We had just space sufficient to sit up, or lie down 
 packed close together, for we knew that the smaller 
 its size the warmer it would be, or, rather, the less should 
 feel the cold. 
 
 The chancre from the outer Intinij: air made us feel 
 tolerably comfortiiblo, and we had no great fear of being 
 frozen to death. Hugh, from not having exerted him- 
 self in building the hut, suffered more than Ked 
 Squirrel or I, and as soon as the door was closed I 
 bet to work to rub his hands and feet to restore 
 circula^i'^Ti, for I was afraid that they might have 
 been frost-bitten. 
 
 A very faint light at first cnmo in through the snowy 
 w.dls, but this lessened, until we could not see our 
 hands held close to i ur faces. 
 
 Night we knew must have at length come on. 
 We were very hungry, but as we had not a particle 
 of food, there was no use in complaining. 
 
 For a long time neither Hugh nor I could go to 
 sleep. At last Ked Scpiirrel set us the example, and 
 when, some time afterwards, I addressed Hugh, he did 
 not answer, so that I knew he had forgotten his troubles, 
 and I hoped that perfect rest would enable him to 
 recover from the pain he had been suflfering. I at last 
 also dropped off to sleep. 
 
 When I awoke the darkness was as complete as ever, 
 though supposing it was still night, I once more went 
 
 to 
 
 da 
 
 I 
 
 an^ 
 
 coi 
 
 ha( 
 
ir 
 
 e 
 
 o 
 
 :o 
 
 t 
 
 BNOWEB UP. 
 
 01 
 
 
 to sleep. The ne-t time I opened my eyes it was still 
 (lark as before. I felt warmer tlian I had expected, but 
 I was desperately hungry. PVom this I fancied that 
 another day must have begun. In a short time my 
 companions awoke. Hugh said the pain in his instep 
 had gone, but that he would give much for some- 
 thing to eat. Red Squirrel did not suffer as much as 
 we did, for Indians are able to endure hunger and pain 
 a much longer time than can white people. 
 
 " Surely it must be day," said Hugh. " We ought to 
 try and get out, and find our friends. Rose and Uncle 
 Donald will bo dreadfully frightened at having lost us. 
 
 "I hope that no accident has happened to them," 
 I could not help saying, for the recollection came upon 
 me that they also had been exposed to the snowstorm ; 
 but then I reflected that they were a large party, and 
 mi<»ht have reached the shelter of a wood. This was 
 some consolation. 
 
 " Oh, how hungry I am ! " cried Hugh. " We must 
 get out." 
 
 I took up my rifle and tried to open the door with the 
 barrel, but, although I ran it up to the lock, on again 
 withdrawing it I could not see daylight through the 
 hole. 
 
 ** I am afraid that the snow must be very thick," I said. 
 The dreadful idea now occm'red to me that we were 
 buried alive in a snow tomb. Such had happened to 
 other people, I knew, and it might be our fate, for if 
 the snow once froze over us we might be unable to force 
 our way out. I asked Red Squirrel what he thought. 
 
 He answered with an ominous "Very bad! Try," 
 he added, and I found that he was groping about to find 
 
02 
 
 oveh the noniY mountains. 
 
 the floor. ITc (lid not spoiik, but I h(»:ir(l liim scraping 
 away with his liaiuls, just as a icrricr docs at the en- 
 trance of a rabhit burrow, Avith a vclicmence wliich 
 hhowcd Iiow much lie feared tliat we were completely 
 buried. I could feel the suuw which he dug up earning 
 down on my legs. 
 
 At last he asked for my gun. Ho thrust it into the 
 hole he had fonncd, but still no lij^ht streamed through 
 it. We must, however, by some means or other, force 
 our way out or pi^rish. 
 
 *'AVe had better try to work upwards," I observed. 
 *' The falling snow has surrounded the walls of our hut, 
 and though we made the roof pretty thick, we are more 
 likely to reach the open air tluou^»h it than by working 
 at the sides." 
 
 The Indian followed my suggestion. Of course, we 
 could all work together, but then we might have 
 pulled a mass of snow down on our heads. Our object 
 was simply to make a hole through which we could look 
 out and ascertain if it were daylight, and if so to try and 
 find out whereabouts we were. We might all the time 
 be close to our party. I earnestly hoped that we were, 
 so that we might satisfy the cravings of hunger without 
 delay. The Indian t ried to force off the snow-shoe which 
 formed the door, but found that impossible, lie then 
 worked away above it. The snow he brought down 
 considerably decreased the size of oui hut. Still he 
 persevered in working away, until I thought that he 
 would never get through the roof. At last he asked me 
 again to hand him up my gun, and having forced the 
 barrel upwards, as he withdrew it we could feel the cold 
 fiir coming down, while a gleam of daylight entered o\xx 
 
 bu 
 we 
 for 
 
s^KoWKD rr. 
 
 03 
 
 burrow. But it would still require much labour before 
 we could cnliirgo the hole sufficiently to enable us to 
 force our bodies through it. 
 
 At last, by dint of hard work, standing; on the snow 
 he had brought down, Ked hJciuirrel got out his head. 
 The report he gave was unsatisfactory. Scarcely, how- 
 ever, listening to what he said, I jumped up and thrust 
 out my head, eager to ascertain the state of affairs. I 
 could see nothing but a vast plain of snow on every side 
 without a single object to direct our steps. Snow was 
 still falling and had already reached above the level of 
 our hut. We could not make our way over the vast 
 plain without our snow-shoes, and it would take a con- 
 siderable time before we could dig them out ; and in the 
 meantime we should be well-nigh frozen, » 
 
 I drew in my head again, my face chilled by the cold 
 air, and, sinking down to the bottom of the hut, consulted 
 with Red Squirrel and Hugh as to what was to be done. 
 Hunger made us all anxious to go on ; but then arose the 
 question. In what direction should we go? We might 
 perish in the attempt to reach our friends. We accord- 
 ingly agreed to wait until the snow had ceased. 
 
 Ked Squirrel had, in the meantime, stopped up the 
 hole to prevent the cold from getting in. Hunger and 
 darkness soon caused us again to drop off to sleep, and 
 thus we must have remained some hours. When at 
 length I awoke, I had neither tlie inclination nor power 
 to move. 
 
 I called to Hugh. He answered faintly. I had, how- 
 ever, my senses sufficiently about me to be aware of our 
 perilous position. The acute sensation of hunger had 
 gone off, and my only wish was to be left alone. I tried 
 
(♦; 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 J^^4i. 
 
 
 
 y. 
 
 ie 
 
 r.i> 
 
 m £ 
 
 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 1.25 
 
 Ui|2£ 12.5 
 2.0 
 
 KS 112 
 
 va 
 
 MX 
 
 m 
 
 18 
 
 1.4 
 
 
 % 
 
 V) 
 
 5 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 r 
 
 # 
 
 y 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
 •O^ 
 
 \ 
 
 <^ 
 
 n:i 
 
 ^9> 
 
 V 
 
 
 <^ 
 
 ''^ <*». 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 6^ 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, N.Y. 14380 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
 
 > 
 
01 
 
 OVER THE noCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 to rouse i ay self, and endeavour to get up, but sank again 
 to the ground. I then asked Red Squirrel to take a look 
 out. He at once rose and scrambled up to the hole. It 
 was some time before he could force off the snow. He 
 then told us that the snow had ceased, and that it was 
 night, for he could see the stars shining overhead. 
 
 " We must wait until morning, then," I said, thankful 
 that I should not have to move. 
 
 Once more we all dropped off into a state of stupor 
 rather than sleep. I don't know how long we had thus 
 remained, when I was aroused by a noise which came 
 down the funnel. It seemed as if some animal were 
 scratching away at the entrance. The idea seized me 
 that it was a bear, and I thought how unable we were to 
 diefend'ourselves. I felt about for my gun, forgetting 
 that it had refused to go off. Just as I grasped it I re- 
 membered this, and desperately plunged my hand into 
 my pouch, when at the bottom I discovered my pricker, 
 which my numbed fingers had before failed to feel. 
 Clearing out the nipple as well as I could in the dark, 
 I put on a fresh cap. While doing so, I awoke my 
 companions. Hugh answered faintly. Red Squirrel 
 immediately got up, and together we managed to crawl 
 to the opening through which I thrust my rifle, ready to 
 fire should the bear show himself. 
 
 The scratching continued more vehemently than 
 before. " He'll be upon us presently," I whispered to 
 Red Squirrel, as a gleam of light came down through the 
 aperture. " Do you take the gun ; I haven't strength 
 enough to fire ; " and I sank back quite exhausted. 
 

 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 RESCUED. 
 
 The Animal Troves to be One of the Do;,'s— Wlio gfoca off for Rosrue— 
 Help Comes at Last — How the Doji; had fountl the Party— Effects 
 of the Adventure— The Party reach the Block-house at last, to 
 find Archie's Family all Safe and welcome Rest. 
 
 I FULLY expected the next 
 moment to see the huge 
 claws of a monstrous grizzly 
 as he worked his way down 
 to us, when, instead of a 
 growl, I heard the whine and 
 sharp bark of a dog. It was 
 the voice I felt sure, of our 
 faithful Pilot, whom we had left at our last camp, as we 
 supposed, on the point of death. I called out his name, 
 and he answered with a joyous bark. Presently we saw 
 him looking down upon us, when, satisfied that we were 
 really there, he gave another bark, and then Red 
 Squirrel, who had clambered up to the surface, told me 
 that he was scampering away to the southward. I 
 tried to get out to watch him, but was utterly unable to 
 accomplish the task, and Red Squin-el himself was too 
 weak to help me. I felt sure, however, that the dog had 
 gone to summon our friends. I tried to cheer up poor 
 Hugh with the news. He seemed scarcely able to under- 
 
 # 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 ' va 
 
 i'lli 
 
OG 
 
 6VEn THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 stand "what had occurred, and I became greatly alarmed 
 at his condition. 
 
 We waited and waited ; it seemed as if several hours 
 had elapsed. At last Red Squirrel, who had gone to the 
 hole, exclaimed that he saw some dark objects moving 
 over the snow. They came nearer and nearer. I cannot 
 describe the joy I felt when I heard Uncle Donald's 
 voice, and presently I saw Red Squirrel's legs disappear 
 as he was drawn up through the hole. Directly after- 
 wards another person came slipping down. 
 
 " Arrah ! we've found ye at last, sure ! " exclaimed 
 Corney, lifting me in his arms. 
 
 "Take up Hugh," I said, "he is in a worse state 
 than I am." He did as I requested, but he was dowTi 
 again in a minute, and carrying me up, wrapped me in 
 buffalo-robes and placed me in one of the sleighs 
 which Uncle Donald, who was engaged in feeding Hugh 
 from a can of broth, had brought to convey us. Some of 
 the broth was immediately given to me. I could have 
 gobbled up the whole of it, for the moment I felt the 
 fresh air the keenness of my appetite returned. 
 
 " I feared, my dear lads, that you were lost I " ex- 
 claimed Uncle Donald, as he ran backwards and forwards 
 between Hug'i and me, giving us each alternately a 
 mouthful of the food. "But through the mercy of 
 Heaven, as I will tell you by-and-by, we were led to this 
 spot, and now the sooner we get back to camp the 
 better, for you require careful nursing, I suspect. It is 
 a wonder that you have escaped. 
 
 Red Squirrel came in for a portion of the broth, and, 
 not suffering so much from hunger as we were, he was 
 Boon able, after he had swallowed the food, to move 
 
iiEscuEn. 
 
 9? 
 
 le of 
 
 lave 
 
 the 
 
 ex- 
 brds 
 ly a 
 of 
 ithis 
 the 
 '.t is 
 
 md, 
 was 
 lOve 
 
 about and assist Corney in digging out our snow-shoes. 
 As soon as they had been recovered, we set out for the 
 camp, which we found under the shelter of a wood 
 about two miles off. 
 
 How Pilot, who had been left, as we supposed, dying 
 in the camp, had found us out, we were curious to know. 
 It appeared that one of the Indians had left, as he con- 
 fessed, a load of pemmican behind. This the dog must 
 have scented out after we had gone, and having eaten 
 it, had remained sheltered during the storm under the 
 snow. His provisions exhausted, he had set out to rejoin 
 his companions, and on his way had providentially been 
 1^ to the mouth of our burrow. Finding that he could 
 not get us out, he had gone on, and on coming up with 
 the party, by his extraordinary behaviour attracted atten- 
 tion. The moment he had had some bufifalo meat, he rushed 
 back towards where he had left us, and then pulled at 
 Corney's and Uncle Donald's leggings, thus leading 
 them to believe that he knew where we were to be found. 
 The cold was intense, but as it had hardened the snow, 
 and the dogs had greatly recovered by having had plenty 
 of buffalo meat to eat, we made rapid progress. Hugh 
 was placed in Kose's sleigh, and I had one to myself, 
 with some of the cargo stowed at my back, for even 
 after two day's rest we were unable to walk ; Eed Squirrel, 
 however, was soon himself again, and was able to keep 
 up with the rest of the men. 
 
 More than a week had passed, when, as evening was 
 approaching, we caught sight of a flagstaff, above a 
 block-house, and a circle of palisac'es rising out of the 
 snow on the banks of a stream backed by a lofty range 
 of mountains, spurs of the Eockics, 
 
 ti- 
 
 ll 
 
 I! 
 
 I 
 
03 
 
 OVER TflE tiOCKY MOUNTATlCS. 
 
 Though there were no trees in the immediate neigh- 
 bourhood, a thick forest was seen on either side, extend- 
 ing backwards, and rising up the steep slopes. 
 
 It was the station to reach which we had travelled 
 many hundred miles. Descending to the river, which 
 was frozen over, we dashed across it, and were met on 
 the other side by a party who issued from the stockade 
 as we approached. At first we could only make out a 
 number of Indians, but presently a lady and five young 
 people appeared among them. To my joy, I recognised 
 the lady as my mother, the others were my two sisters 
 and three younger brothers, but they had all grown so 
 much that I should not have known them ; and certainly 
 they did not know me, for they looked greatly surprised 
 at the afifectionate greeting my mother gave me. 
 
 ** I am grateful, most grateful to you. Uncle Donald, 
 for having come to our assistance," she said, as she 
 kissed his weather-beaten cheek. " Your appearance 
 will revive my poor husband, who is still suffering from 
 Bickness. He has not got over the fearful scenes wo 
 witnessed, and is still anxious about our safety, as the 
 savage Indians have vowed that they will return in the 
 spring and put us and those of their tribe who have 
 become Christians to death, should the pest again 
 break out among them, and I much fear, in consequence 
 of their careless and dirty habits, that it will do so. 
 
 " Cheer up, my good niece, we will now go into the 
 house, and then arrange what is best to be done," 
 answered Uncle Donald. 
 
 I, in the meantime, was receiving the embraces of my 
 brothers and sisters, the latter of whom immediately 
 rushed towards Eose, and conducted her to tb3 house* 
 
eigll- 
 tend- 
 
 vrclled 
 which 
 et on 
 ckade 
 out a 
 younjr 
 
 rnised 
 sisters 
 wn so 
 rtainly 
 rprised 
 
 onald, 
 
 ,s she 
 
 xance 
 
 from 
 
 es wo 
 
 ,s the 
 
 tn the 
 
 have 
 
 again 
 
 uence 
 
 [o the 
 lone," 
 
 lof my 
 
 jiately 
 
 louse. 
 
 RESCUED. .M 
 
 My brothers also gave a warm greeting to Hugh, JSfy 
 poor father had risen to receive us. He looked fearfully 
 thin and careworn, though our arrival, it was evident, 
 cheered him. Very soon we were all assembled round a 
 roaring fire in the sitting-room, thankful for our preser- 
 vation from the dangers of our journey, and not a little 
 pleased to be able to throw off our heavy clothing. 
 The Indians took good care of Madge, Corney, and 
 Pierre, and the rest of the party, not neglecting the 
 poor dogs, honest Pilot especially, when the service 
 he had rendered us was told, coming in for a large 
 share of their f:ivoui*. 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 !■ 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ON THE ALEUT. 
 
 At the Station — After Buffalo— Return of Red Squirrel from a Scout 
 with News of the Blackfcet — A Party Return — A Party sent out to 
 bring l)ack the Hunters to the Fort — A Strange Fire— Red Squirrel 
 goes off again on the Scout. 
 
 M' 
 
 Y brothers and sisters, Hugh 
 Eose, and I were very happy. 
 The former fancied that now we 
 had come, all their troubles would 
 be over. They had, however, passed 
 a sad and anxious time; the mis- 
 sionary who had accompanied my 
 father, with his wife and two cliil- 
 dren, had died, as had several of the 
 Christian Indians, while some lum- 
 dreds of the wild Indians had been 
 swept off by the fearful pestilence. 
 The latter had gone away south 
 during the winter, and it was sup- 
 posed that they would not return till 
 the spring. 
 
 Hugh and I occasionally went out with Uncle Donald, 
 or Pierre and Corney, in search of buffalo or deer, "We 
 were generally fortunate enough to kill either the one 
 gr the other. Uncle Donald had lost no time in sending 
 
ON THE ALERT. 
 
 101 
 
 ill 
 
 15 
 e 
 ie 
 
 is 
 
 out trusty scouts to try and ascertain the whereabouts 
 of the Blackfeet. 
 
 lied Squirrel, from beinpj one of the most active 
 and intelligent of our Indians, was thus constantly 
 employed. The duty was a hazardous one, for, as he 
 well knew, should the enemy catch him, they would 
 to a certainty take his scalp. 
 
 As neither buffalo nor deer had for several days 
 appeared near the station, the hunters had to go a 
 considerable distance in search of them. As soon as 
 an animal was killed one of the dog sleighs was sent 
 out to bring in the meat. 
 
 I have not described tlie station. It was in some 
 respects like a fort, being entirely surrounded by pali- 
 sades, both that it might be defended from an hostile 
 attack, and for the purpose of protecting the build- 
 ings in the interior from the cold winds in winter, 
 and to prevent the snow from drifting round them. 
 There was a strong gate on one side which could 
 be securely closed with bars, and a narrow platform 
 with a parapet ran round the upper part of the pali- 
 sades, from which its defenders could fire down on 
 their assailants. It was in this respect very different 
 from the usual missionary stations, which are entirely 
 without defence. It had been built as a fort by the 
 fur traders, and being in the neighbourhood of a 
 savage and warlike tribe, it was considered prudent 
 to repair it in the fashion I have described. When 
 existing as a fort, it had been more than once cap- 
 tured and plundered by the Indians, and on one 
 occasion the whole of the defenders had been put to 
 death. 
 
 \ 
 
102 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 I had ono morninpf gone up to the platform to 
 take a look out, when I espied far off to the southward 
 a small herd of buffalo. Our hunters had, on the 
 previous evening, gone off to the eastward, and, unless 
 they should find game near, were not likely to return 
 for some days. I hurried down to Uncle Donald to 
 tell him what I had seen, and request permission to 
 set off to try and kill a buffalo. 
 
 " I will go with you," he said ; and Hugh begged 
 that he might accompany us. So we set off with 
 our guns, hoping, that by keeping among the woods, 
 we might get to leeward of the herd, and sufficiently 
 near to shoot one or more beasts. 
 
 My brother Alec, who was nearly as old as Hugh, 
 went also. We hurried along on our snow-shoes, 
 eager to get up to the herd before they should move 
 otf. This they were not likely to do, as they had 
 found a spot where the snow was less deep than 
 in other places, and they had got down to the grass 
 by pawing with their feet. 
 
 They did not perceive us, and the wind being 
 north-east, we succeeded in getting round to the south 
 of them. We then crept carefully up, and Uncl^^ 
 Donald, firing, brought a fat cow to the ground. Hugh 
 and I aimed at another, which we badly wounded ; but 
 instead of running off with its head lowered, ploughing 
 up the snow as a ship turns up the foaming water, 
 it came charging towards us. 
 
 " Now, Alec, see what you can do I " exclaimed Hugh 
 and I, as we rapidly re-loaded ; " but run aside as soon 
 as you have fired, or the brute may kill you." 
 
 I heard Alec's shot, when, looking up, to my dismay, I 
 
►uth 
 
 [ugh 
 but 
 ling 
 iter, 
 
 lugh 
 
 5ooa 
 
 X 
 
 ON THE ALERT. 
 
 103 
 
 saw thai he had missed. The buffalo was within twenty 
 paces of us. Alec did his best to make off on one side, 
 which, however, could not be done very rapidly with 
 snow-shoes on. In another instant the buffalo would 
 have reached us, when a shot which came from behind a 
 tree laid him low, and looking round, I saw an Indian, 
 whom I directly recognised as Red Squirrel. The rest of 
 the lierd being thus disturbed had made off. Uncle 
 Donald now came up and thanked Red Squirrel for 
 his timely aid. He reported that he was on his return 
 to the fort with somewhat alarming intelligence. Ho 
 had got up one night, he said, close to the Blackfeet 
 lodges, where he observed the chiefs seated in council. 
 He caught the meaning of some of their speeches, from 
 which he gathered that it was their intention, before 
 long, to come north and avenge themselves on the white 
 medicine man — so they called my father — for the pesti- 
 lence which they asserted he had inflicted on them be- 
 cause they had refused to become his proselytes. Red 
 Squirrel also stated that he had seen among them 
 a white man, who had spoken, and tried to dissuade 
 them from prosecuting their design. He was clothed, 
 like them, in a dress of buffalo-robes, from which Red 
 Squirrel argued that he had been some time among 
 them. They seemed, however, in no way inclined to 
 listen to the advice of the white stranger, and expressed 
 their intention of setting out as soon as their medicine 
 man should pronounce the time to be propitious. 
 
 " We must return at once and put the station in a 
 state of defence " said Uncle Donald, on hearing this. 
 '' The savages may be upon us in the course of two or 
 three days, and will give us but a short time to prepare 
 
104 
 
 OVKR TITE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 for them. It is unfortunate that the hunters are away, for 
 we require their assistance ; and should the IHackfeetfall 
 in with them they will lose their scalps to a certainty/' 
 
 "I would willingly go oiit and try and find them," I 
 said. " As no snow has fallen since they started, I can 
 easily find their tracks." 
 
 " I would much rather send Red Squirrel or Corney ; but 
 I'll think about it as wo go along," said Uncle Donald. 
 
 Pierre had gone with the hunters, so that only the Irish- 
 man and young Indian were available for the purpose. 
 
 We at once turned our flices homewards, going on as 
 fast as we could move on our snow-shoes. We thought 
 it possible that we might find on our arrival that some 
 of the hunters had returned, but none had made their 
 appearance. My father looked very anxious when he 
 heard the information brought by Red Squirrel. 
 
 " We might repulse them should they attack the 
 place, but if any are killed, what hope can I afterwards 
 have of winning them over to the Gospel ? " he said. 
 "I talk to them of peace, and urge them to enlist 
 under the banner of the Prince of Peace, and yet they 
 find me and my friends allied in arms against them." 
 
 " But if we don't defend ourselves, they will knock 
 us on the head and carry off our scalps," answered 
 Uncle Donald. " I will do all I can to preserve peace, 
 and induce them to go back without fighting, should I 
 be able to hold any communication with them. In the 
 meantime, we must prepare to defend the fort. Archie 
 has volunteered to go out in search of the hunters, who 
 must be forthwith called in, but without your permis- 
 sion I do not like to let him go." — "As it is in the path 
 of duty, I will not forbid him," answered my father. 
 
ON THE ALKUT. 
 
 10.5 
 
 »» 
 
 " If Avcluc (voes, let rae r^o too," cried Aloe. "I caa 
 run as fast as he rlocs on snow-shoos." 
 
 After some demur, Alec got leave to accompany rae, 
 for Hugh, not being quite well, was unable to go. 
 
 We were in good spirits, pleased at the confidence 
 placed in us, and only regretting that Hugh had not 
 been able to come. The trail of the hunters was per- 
 fectly clear, leading away to the south-east. They had 
 taken a couple of sleiglisto bring in the moat, so that 
 we had no difficulty in directing our course. 
 
 We had made ^^ood nearly ten miles, and had not 
 met any buffalo tracks, which showed us that the 
 hunters must still be some way ahead, when we heard 
 a voice shouting to us, and, looking back, we saw an In- 
 dian running towards us over the snow. As he was 
 alone, we had no doubt that he was a friend, and as he 
 came nearer we recognised Red Squirrel. 
 
 He could not, he said, allow us to go without him, and 
 as soon as he had taken some food he had set off. He had 
 left Uncle Donald busily engaged, assisted by my father 
 and the remaining men in the fort, in strengthening the 
 palisades. " If the Blackfeet come expecting to get in 
 and plunder the fort, they will find themselves mis- 
 taken," he added. 
 
 We were very glad to have Eed Squirrel with us; 
 although, accustomed as we were to travel over the 
 snow-covered plains, and having the mountains with 
 whose forms we were well acquainted to the eastward, 
 we had no fear about finding our way back, provided 
 that the weather should remain clear. There was, ot 
 course, the possibility of a snow-storm coming on, and 
 then we might have been greatly puzzled. 
 
 i 
 
106 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 n 
 
 Notwithstanding the fatigue Red Squirrel had gone 
 through during the last few days, he was as active as 
 ever, and kept us moving as fast as we could go. 
 
 Before sunset we came upon the tracks of buffalo, 
 though the animals themselves were nowhere to be seen. 
 " We'll soon find them," observed the Indian ; but 
 though we went on some distance, neither buffalo nor 
 hunters could we discover, and we were glad, just as 
 night fell, to take shelter under the lee of a thick clump 
 of poplars and spruce pine. To cut sufficient wood for 
 our fire and clear away the snow was the work of a few 
 minutes, and, with our pot boiling, we were soon sitting 
 round a cheerful blaze discussing our supper. We con- 
 tinued sitting round the fire, wrapped in our buffalo- 
 robes, with our feet close to the embers, every now. and 
 then throwing on a stick, while we talked and Red 
 Squirrel smoked his pipe. 
 
 I proposed that two of us should lie down and go to 
 sleep, while the third kept watch, when Red Squirrel, 
 getting up, said he would take a look out. 
 
 Climbing up the bank, he went to the top of a knoll 
 a short distance off. We could see his figure against 
 the sky. In a short time he came back. 
 
 " See fire out there,'* he said, pointing to the south- 
 ward. " May be friends, may be enemies, may be 
 Blackfeet. If Blackfeet, sooner we get 'way better." 
 
 ** But how are we to find out whether they are friends 
 or foes ? " I asked. 
 
 " Red Squirrel go and see," he answered. " You stay 
 here ; " and taking up his gun, he quickly disappeared 
 in the darkness, leaving us seated at our camp fire. 
 
 Pi 
 
 n 
 
 8( 
 
 I 
 
 11 
 
 • 
 
 11 
 
 s; 
 
 a 
 
 d 
 
 I 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 ATTACKED BY THE REDSKINS. 
 
 Prolonged Abscnco of Red Squirrel— 'Flight — The Strangfers prove to be 
 Friends — Return to the Fort — Uncle Donald opposes the Doctrine 
 of Non-Resistance — The Guard over the Fort— The Indiana attack 
 the Fort. 
 
 W 
 
 'E felt very uneasy at the 
 strangely prolonged at 
 sence of Red Squirrel. He 
 could have anticipated no dan- 
 ger, or he would have advised 
 us what course to pursue should 
 he not return. At last, telling 
 Alec to sit quiet, I got up, and 
 made my way to the top of the knoll, whence I could 
 see over the country to the southward, in the direction 
 I supposed Red Squirrel had gone. I looked and looked 
 in vain through the gloom of night, though I could see 
 in the far distance the light of the fire of which he had 
 spoken. 
 
 Could he have been captured ? if so, what should Alec 
 and I do ? It would be impossible to rescue him — in- 
 deed, it was too probable that he had been immediately 
 put to death by the Blackfeet, and that we might our- 
 
108 
 
 OVEIt THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 
 
 selves, should we remain in the neighbourhood, be killed. 
 I came therefore to the conf»lusion that we must con- 
 tinue oar search for the hunters to the eastward, keeping 
 at the same time a watchful eye in the direction in 
 which we had seen the fire of our supposed enemies. I 
 say supposed enemies, because I still had a lingering 
 hope that, after all, the fire might be at the hunters* 
 camp. 
 
 Such were the thoughts which passed through my 
 mind as I stood on the top of the knoll. I had not been 
 there many minutes before I recollected how clearly I 
 had seen Red Squirrel in the same position against the 
 sky. Instead, therefore, of remaining upright, I stooped 
 down until I reached a thick bush, behind which I 
 crouched, as well able as before to see any objects moving 
 in the plain below. At last I thought that it was time 
 to go back to Alec, and was on the point of descending 
 the knoll, when I fancied that I saw some objects moving 
 along the ground. 
 
 I remained stock still, scarcely daring to breathe, with 
 my eyes fixed on the spot. They were human beings — 
 Indians I felt sure ; if so, they would soon see our fire, 
 and we should be discovered. 
 
 While there was time I hurried down the knoll and 
 flew to Alec. I made a sign to him to take up his rifle 
 and buffalo-robe, with a few other articles, left on the 
 ground, and led the way through the wood. Here we 
 might remain concealed until the savages had gone 
 away, and then try to get back to the fort. I had no 
 great hopes of success, still, it was the only thing to be 
 done. 
 
 We had reached the spot, and it was some way from 
 
 tl 
 h( 
 
ATTACKEB BV THE UEDSKINS. 
 
 100 
 
 )ving 
 
 with 
 fire, 
 
 and 
 
 rifle 
 
 Ihe 
 
 we 
 rone 
 
 no 
 lobe 
 
 From 
 
 the fire, but we were still able to see it by raising our 
 heads over the bushes. 
 
 We had both knelt down behind the bu?b^ with our 
 rifles ready to raise to our shoulders at any minute. 
 Alec, only the moment before I retm-ned, had thrown 
 some wood on the fire, so that it was now blazing up 
 brightly, and we could see all the objects round it. 
 Just then three figures appeared. Two were Indians — 
 there could be no doubt about it ; but the other we 
 could not make out clearly. They advanced, looking 
 eagerly around, but as they came more into the light, 
 instead of savages, with scalping knives in hand ready 
 to kill us, great was our joy to discover that one was 
 Pierre, and the others Red Squirrel and Kondiarak. 
 They looked very much astonished at not seeing us. 
 We did not keep them long in suspense, and Pierre then 
 told us that they had come on purpose to advise that 
 we should at once return to the fort, without waiting 
 for daylight. They had been successful in hunting, 
 having killed three buffalo cows, with the meat o£ 
 which the sleighs were already packed, and as the track 
 was formed, the dogs would find their way without the 
 slightest difficulty. 
 
 We reached the fort without having seen the enemy, 
 and, as mav be suonosed. were heartily welcomed. 
 
 Our arrival restored tlie spirits of my noor father and 
 mother, who were very anxious, not so much for them- 
 selves as for my younger brothers and sisters. They 
 were prepared to die, if God so willed it, in the path of 
 their duty. My father was still very unwilling to resort 
 to force, and proposed going out himself to meet the 
 enemy to try and induce them to tiu'n back. 
 
 « 
 
no 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAI^JS. 
 
 
 Uncle Donald, however, told him that as he was the 
 object of their vengeance they would, to a certainty, 
 seize and torture him, and then probably come on and 
 endeavour to destroy the fort. Thus no object would 
 have been gained, as we should do our utmost to defend 
 ourselves, and his life would be uselessly sacrificed. 
 
 " But I should have done my duty in attempting to 
 soften the hearts of the poor savages," answered my 
 fiither, meekly. 
 
 "My good nephew, it's just this, I'm not going to let 
 ye have your scalp taken off," said Uncle Donald, 
 bluntly. "I am commander here for the time being, 
 and no man, not e'en yourself, shall leave the fort with- 
 out my leave. If the savages come they must take the 
 consequences." 
 
 My father did not reply, but I am very sure that, had 
 he been left to act by himself, he would have carried out 
 his intentions, and would most probably have perished. 
 From Pierre's report we fully expected every minute to see 
 the Blackfeet appear. To each man under Uncle Donald's 
 directions a post was assigned, which he was charged to 
 defend with his life. Orders were, however, given that 
 no one was to fire until the word of command was re- 
 ceived. 
 
 Hugh, Alec, and I were stationed together, and 
 highly proud we were at the confidence placed in us, as 
 the post we had to maintain was one of the most im- 
 portant. 
 
 The day wore on, but we were still unmolested, and 
 at last darkness came down upon us. 
 
 The winter, it will be remembered, was not yet over. 
 To defend ourselves from the intense cold we all put on 
 
fas the 
 lainty, 
 yn and 
 would 
 defend 
 ;ed. 
 
 :ing to 
 ed my 
 
 f to let 
 )onald, 
 being, 
 t with- 
 ike the 
 
 lat, had 
 ied out 
 rished. 
 e to see 
 onald's 
 'ged to 
 n that 
 h'Viis re- 
 
 , and 
 
 us, as 
 
 st im- 
 
 l, and 
 
 t over. 
 )ut on 
 
 ATTACKED BY THE REDsKms?, 
 
 Ill 
 
 as many buffalo-robes and bear-skins as we could wo.ir, 
 and Hugh declared that we looked like a garrison of 
 grizzlies. 
 
 It was cold enough during the day, but it was still 
 colder at night ; notwithstanding this, as Alec and I had 
 had no sleep for many houi's, we found it difficult tr 
 keep awake. We, therefore, rolling ourselves up in our 
 wraps, lay down, while Hugh stood ready to call us at a 
 moment's notice. There were, however, sentries enough 
 to keep a lookout, and Uncle Donald continued going 
 round and round the fort, seeing that they were 
 watchful. 
 
 The dawn was approaching ; it was the time the 
 Redskins often make their attacks, as they expect to find 
 their enemies buried in sleep. 
 
 When morning at last came, and no enemy had ap- 
 peared, we began to hope that no Blackfeet had as yet 
 reached the neighbourhood. 
 
 Another day was drawing on. Except a few men 
 who remained on guard, the rest of the garrison lay 
 down to sleep, that they might be more watchful the 
 following night. 
 
 I spent a short time with my mother and sisters and 
 Rose, and did my best to encourge them, but I could 
 not help feeling that possibly it might be the last time 
 we should be together on earth. By Red Squiirel's re- 
 port, the Blackfeet were very numerous, and they are 
 noted for being the most savage and warlike of all the 
 northern tribes. 
 
 The next night was almost a repetition of the former, 
 except that Alec and I kept watch, while Hugh lay 
 down to sleep. Uncle Donald, as before, went his 
 
 y-\ 
 
 II 
 
 
 ''■ i 
 
112 
 
 OVER THE ilOCKV MOttNTAII^S. 
 
 rounds, and there seemed but little risk of our being 
 taken by surprise. lie had just left us, when Hugh, 
 who had got up and was standing near me, whispered, 
 
 "I see something moving over the snow. There I 
 there are others. Yes, they must be Indians." 
 
 " Wait until we are certain," I answered, in the same 
 low voice ; " and then, Alec, run round and tell Uncle 
 Donald." 
 
 We were not left long in doubt before we all three 
 were certain that the objects we saw were Indians, and 
 that they were trying to keep themselves concealed. 
 
 Alec set off to find Uncle Donald. He had not been 
 gone many seconds, when fearful yells rent the air. 
 Before us up started hundreds of dark forms, and a 
 shower of bullets and arrows came flying above our 
 heads. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 AN OLD FRIEND. 
 
 Tlic BlacTjfoet meet a Warm Reception— and Retreat — A Wounded In- 
 dian — Proves to be Ponoko, who tells of a White Man in the Indian 
 Camp — A Friendly Conference. 
 
 THE moment the war- 
 whoop of the Blackfeet 
 had ceased Uncle Donald's 
 voice was heard, ordering us 
 to fire. 
 
 We obeyed with right 
 good will, and must have 
 greatly astonished the sa- 
 vages, who, not aware of the 
 increased number of our gar- 
 rison, had probably expected 
 to gain quite an easy victory. Many of them had 
 muskets, but the larger number could only have been 
 aimed with bows and arrows. After they had shot five 
 or six showers of arrows and fired their guns — fortu- 
 nately, without hitting any of us, though we could hear 
 their missiles pinging against the thick palisades — they 
 suddenly ceased, and began to retreat, when Uncle 
 Donald shouted to them in their own language, inquiring 
 why they had attacked people who had done them no^ 
 harm, but were anxious to benefit them. 
 
114 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 No reply came. Our men uttered a shout of triumph. 
 Uncle Donald stopped them. 
 
 " The Blackfeet have retired, but I know their cunnin^j 
 ways, and I deem it more than likely that they will be 
 down upon us again when they think to catch us ofT our 
 guard or maybe they have devised some treacherous plot 
 to entrap us." 
 
 We waited, but, as far as we could judge by the 
 sounds which reached our ears, the savages had really 
 retreated, and did not intend to attack us again that 
 night. That they would give up their object was not 
 to be expected, and my father proposed, should we find 
 they had gone to a distance, that, rather than cause 
 more bloodshed, we should abandon the station and 
 retreat to one of the company's forts to the northward. 
 "We liave sleighs sufficient to convey the women and 
 children," he added; "and when the anger of the mis- 
 guided people has subsided, I will return by myself, and 
 endeavour to win them over by gentle means, for such 
 only should be employed to spread the Gospel among 
 the heathen." 
 
 " You are very right in that respect, but though we 
 may get to some distance, when the Blackfeet find that 
 we have gone, they will to a certainty follow on our trail 
 and quickly overtake us," answered Uncle Donald. " I 
 cannot consent to such a plan ; we must show them that 
 we are able to defend ourselves, and let their blood be 
 upon their own heads if they persist in attacking us. 
 We will, however, try how negotiation will succeed. I 
 used to be well-known among them, and I propose to- 
 moiTow, should they not again attack the fort, to go singly 
 into their camp and invite them to smoke the calumet 
 
AN OLD FRIICND. 
 
 11^ 
 
 trail 
 "I 
 that 
 )d be 
 
 of peace. Should I be detained, you must promise to 
 hold out to the last, and not any account trust to what 
 they may say. We will, in the meantime, send a 
 messenger to Rocky ISIountain House, entreating for 
 assistance. I feel sure that the officer in charge will send 
 as many men and horses as he can spare to enable you 
 to escape, or defend the fort, if necessary." 
 
 My father and mother entreated Uncle Donald not 
 thus to risk his life ; but he was firm in his resolution. 
 JMy father then proposed going with him, but to this 
 Uncle Donald would not consent. 
 
 A considerable portion of the night was consumed in 
 these discussions. A vigilant watch was of course kept, 
 but no one could be seen stirring outside the fort. 
 Having taken a brief nap, just before dawn I returned 
 to my post on the ramparts. As daylight increased 1 
 fancied that I saw the body of a man lying under a bush 
 some distance from the fort. Yes, I was certain of it. 
 I pointed him out to Hugh, and we both fancied that 
 we saw an arm move. 
 
 " He is one of the savages who was shot in the attack 
 last night, and, unperceived by his companions, he must 
 have fallen where we see him," observed Hugh. 
 
 While we were speaking, some of the Indians we had 
 brought with us — who, though faithful servants, were 
 still heathens— caur*ht sight of the body. Lowering 
 themselves down without asking leave, they were rush- 
 ing, with their scalping knives in their hands, towards 
 the hapless being. 
 
 Uncle Donald at that instant coming up on the ram- 
 parts saw them, and guessed their object. " Come 
 back, you rascals 1 " he shouted. " Whether that 
 
IIG 
 
 OVKU TIIK nOCIvY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 man be alive or dciid, don't touch a hiiir of liis 
 head I " 
 
 As they did not stop he firod liis rifh', the hullct pass- 
 ing just in front of the loadinL»' Indian, who now thought 
 it time to come to a standstill. 
 
 "Archie and Hugh, you go and look after thnt poor 
 fellow, and make our people bring him in," continued 
 Uncle Donald. 
 
 We instantly obeyed, for although the height was con- 
 siderable we could manage to drop to tlie bottom with- 
 out injuring ourselves. We then ran as fast as our legs 
 could carry us to overtake our Indians. 1 laving delivered 
 Uncle Donald's orders, we then hurried on to where the 
 Indian lay. At a glance I saw tliat he was desperately 
 wounded from the blood whicli flowed from both his legs, 
 while another shot had rendered his right arm power- 
 less. His eyes still wore a defiant expression, and he 
 appeared to fancy that we were about to kill liim. By 
 signs and such words of liis language as we could speak, 
 we endeavoured to make him understand that we had 
 come to carry him into the fort to try and save his life. 
 
 As there was not a moment to be lost, we first bound 
 up his wounds, and then ordering our people to assist 
 us we lifted him from the ground and hurried towards 
 the fort, meeting on our way Uncle Donald, who had the 
 gate open to admit us. Without stopping we carried 
 the wounded man into the house, where my father, who 
 had risen, was ready with bandages and salves to attend 
 to him. ]My mother, meantime, was preparing some 
 strong brothjwhich our prisoner eagerly swallowed. It 
 had an almost instantaneous effect in reviving him. 
 Uncle Donald, who had in the meantime been going 
 
 
 I 
 
had 
 life. 
 
 (oiind 
 
 issist 
 ard.s 
 tli(i 
 
 rried 
 who 
 
 tend 
 isome 
 It 
 
 him. 
 
 oing 
 
 *'rOXOKO AI-WAVS KKtrS lllA WORK," AKSAVKCED THE liilHAy.—{Sce p. 119.) 
 
 '1 
 
 i 
 
118 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 :i 
 
 round the fort to ascertain if more wounded had been 
 left in its neifjhbourhood, now entered the room, and aa 
 his eye fell on the countenance of our captive, ho 
 exclaimed, "Ponoko! Do you rGmcmber your white 
 friend ? " 
 
 The Indian made a sign that he was the person 
 supposed, thougli he was too weak to speak. 
 
 Uncle Donald then told him that although he had 
 come as an enemy he should he well cared for. 
 
 In a short time the judicious treatment he was 
 receiving enabled him to utter a few words. He seemed 
 grateful for the care taken of him, and his eyes bright- 
 ened when my young sisters and Kose brought him the 
 soup, which he received almost every hour. He especially 
 noticed Ivose, and when Uncle Donald came to see him, 
 inquired, in a tone of evident interest, who she was. 
 
 "You are right if you think you remember her, for 
 she IS the little girl you saved when you people at- 
 tacked the village in the territory of the Long-knives 
 some years ago," answered Uncle Donald. 
 
 " Will you now let me take her back ? " asked Ponoko. 
 
 "Do you think it likely that I should consent? " said 
 Uncle Donald. " Her ways are not the ways of your 
 people. She would pine and die were she to be treated 
 as your women are treated." 
 
 " But there is one who has long lived with us whose 
 heart would be rejoiced to see her," said Ponoko. " You 
 may remember when I parted from you I promised to 
 try and save the lives of any of our pale-faced prisoners. 
 I succeeded in saving that of one man just as he was 
 about to be tortured and killed, but it was on condition 
 that he would swear to remain with us, and never betray 
 
AN OLD FRIEND. 
 
 110 
 
 ad been 
 , and as 
 Live, lio 
 r white 
 
 person 
 
 he had 
 
 he was 
 seemed 
 briglit- 
 lim the 
 3ecially 
 ee him, 
 ras. 
 
 iier, for 
 )ple at- 
 knives 
 
 onoko. 
 ^ " said 
 f your 
 created 
 
 whose 
 « You 
 sed to 
 soners. 
 lie was 
 dition 
 betray 
 
 US to our enemies. lie was a great hunter, and bravo 
 as the bravest among us. He also, we found, was not 
 one of the Long-knives, but was a sulyect of the Queen 
 of the Pale-faces. He has kept his promise, though he 
 might often have made his escape. He had been many 
 months with us, before I found how sorely his heart 
 yearned to get away, and I would have set hira free, 
 but the other chiefs would not consent. He looked upon 
 me as his friend. He told me that his child and all his 
 household had died by the hands of our p(iople, except 
 his wife, who was away in one of the big cities in the 
 east at the time we attacked the place. I was thus led 
 to tell him of the little girl I had saved and given over to 
 you, and he has ever since been hoping that she might 
 prove to be one of his children. He has hoped and hoped 
 until he has persuaded himself that such she is. Thus 
 I know how it would rejoice his heart to see her." 
 
 " I have strong doubts about that," answered Uncle 
 Donald. " He would rejoice to see her, but not to have 
 her among your people, from whom she differs so 
 greatly. The only way truly to benefit him would be 
 to set him at liberty and allow him to return among the 
 Pale-faces to whom he belongs." 
 
 " But how can that be while I am sick and a prisoner 
 with you ? " asked Ponoko. 
 
 " You'll recover, I hope, ere long, and as you have 
 fulfilled your promise on one occasion, I feel confident 
 that you will not disappoint us if we set you at liberty 
 on your undertaking to restore this white stranger to 
 his people." 
 
 "Ponoko always keeps his word," answered tbo 
 Indian in a proud tone, 
 
 i 
 
120 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " But should the Blackfeet, in the meantime, attack 
 us, we may be destroyed, and they may take you 
 away with them, " observed Uncle Donald. 
 
 " If my people come, you shall carry me out on a 
 litter; I will tell them how well the Pale-faces have 
 treated me, and will urge them, instead of fighting, 
 to make a lasting peace with my white father and 
 his friends," said Ponoko. 
 
 "I will trust you, my brother," said Uncle Donald, 
 pressing Ponoko's hand. " I pray that you may soon bo 
 restored to health, and that you will teach your people 
 that it is to their true interests to be at peace with the 
 white men, and to trade honestly with them.'* 
 
 I 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 A HAPPY ENDING. 
 
 Ponoko recovers — Time passes without further Attack — and Moat has 
 to be Procured — Red Squirrel again sent on Scout — Returns pur- 
 sued by Six Blackfeet— Timely Rescue— Poor Red Squirrel is quite 
 Exhausted — Tlio Blackfeet Return in large Numbers — Ponoko goes 
 out to Meet them — Effect of his Api eirance on the Tribe — He returns, 
 with a White Man — Rose finds a la' her — and both find a Wife and 
 Mother — All Ends happily at Last. 
 
 D 
 
 ,AY after day went by, 
 and the Blackfeet did 
 not appear. Ponoko, never 
 having indulged in the per- 
 nicious fire-water, was 
 rapidly recovering under my 
 father's judicious care and 
 the attention he received 
 from Rose and the rest of 
 the family. We had not yet 
 told her of the possibility 
 that her father had escaped 
 and might be restored to her. I suspect that she would 
 not have understood us had we done so, for she looked 
 upon Uncle Donald as her father, though she called 
 him " Uncle " as Hugh and I did. Indeed, all the events 
 of her life which had occurred before the fearful night of 
 the massacre appeared to have faded from her memory. 
 
 fr. 
 
122 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNT.UNS. 
 
 
 At length, as the Blackfeet had not shown themselves, 
 we began to hope that they would allow us to r^oaain 
 at peace, and Uncle Donald already talked of returning 
 home, lie proposed that my mother and father and 
 the rest of the family should accompany him, but my 
 father replied that nothing should induce him to quit 
 his post, unless driven away b}' the savages, and that he 
 would then retire, with his converts, to some spot among 
 more friendly tribes further north. 
 
 Among others signs of returning cpring was tha 
 appearance of a herd of buffalo passing in the far distance, 
 and as our provisions were again running short. Uncle 
 Donald was compelled to allow the hunters to set off for 
 the purpose of killing some of the animals. Hugh and 
 I wanted to accompany them, but he would only allow 
 Pierre, and Corney, and four of the most active red men 
 to go on the expedition. 
 
 As soon as they set out, he sent off Red Squirrel to 
 try and ascertain the whereabouts of the Blackfeet camp, 
 with directions to come back should he discover that 
 they were on the move. 
 
 We waited day after day for Red Squirrel's expected 
 return, but he did not appear, and we began to havc^ 
 serious apprehensions that ho had been captured. 
 
 The hunters, however, had come back with a good 
 supply of buiTalo meat, so that we should be well pre- 
 pared in case we should be besieged. 
 
 At last, one evening as I was looking out towards the 
 south, I saw several objects moving across the prairie. 
 At first I thought that they might be deer or wolves, or 
 even smaller game. One was leading considerably ahead 
 of the rest. They were coming towards the fort, Be^ 
 
 ■.jjimiMn 
 
iselves, 
 remain 
 turning 
 ler and 
 3ut my 
 to quit 
 that he 
 
 among 
 
 ras th2 
 istance, 
 , Uncle 
 b off for 
 igh and 
 [y allow 
 led men 
 
 irrel to 
 b camp, 
 er that 
 
 :pected 
 o havtj 
 
 a good 
 11 pre- 
 
 rds the 
 )rairie, 
 ives, or 
 ahead 
 . Be- 
 
 X HAPPY ENDING. 
 
 123 
 
 sides the first I counted six others. I called the attention 
 of my companion to them, 
 
 " They are men I " exclaimed Ponoko. " Those six 
 are of my tribe ; they are in pursuit of the first I He 
 must run ftxst, or before he can reach the fort they will 
 overtake him. Already I see by his movements that 
 he is fatigued." 
 
 I had little doubt but that the leader was Red Squirrel. 
 I asked Ponoko, whose keen eves could distingniish his 
 dress better than the rest of us could do. 
 
 " Yes, he is your young friend," he answered. " See, 
 see ! he is increasing his speed, he may still escape, and 
 my people will go back disappointed. They will not 
 dare to come within range of your rifles." 
 
 " Then we will go out and meet them ! " I exclaimed, 
 hurrying down. I told Uncle Donald what Ponoko had 
 said. Taking our rifles, and buckling on our snow-shoes, 
 Hugh, Alec, Pierre, Corney, and I hurried out of the 
 fort, and set off running faster, I think, than we had 
 ever run before, to meet the hard-pressed fugitive. 
 
 Once more his pursuers were gaining on him ; before 
 long their scalping knives might be about his head. He 
 was the first to perceive us approaching, and it seemed 
 to add fresh nerve to his legs. Soon afterwards the 
 Blackfeet caught sight of us. The instant they did so 
 they sprang forward, making a last desperate effort to 
 overtake our friend ; but perceiving that we had rifles 
 ready, they well knew that, even should they succeed, 
 we should make them pay dearly for the act. 
 
 Giving up the chase, therefore, they stopped, and 
 turning round, ran off at a rate which scon placed them 
 beyond our reach. 
 
 M 
 
 
121 
 
 OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 In a few moments Red Squirrel was up to us, but so 
 hard pressed had lie been that he was unable to tell us 
 what had happened. Wo supported him, not without 
 difficulty, to the fort, when his snow-shoes being taken 
 off, had he not been resting in our arms, he would have 
 sunk fainting to the ground. We delivered him over 
 to his mother, who chafed his limbs, and used every 
 other means she could devise for restoring his strength. 
 It was some time before he could speak. He had ably 
 fulfilled his mission, having watched the enemy's camp 
 until the previous day, when finding that they were 
 about to move northward, lie had set off to bring us 
 tidings of their approach. 
 
 He was, however, observed, and six of their fleetest 
 runners had pursued him. Hour after hour he had 
 continued his flight, though he confessed that, had we 
 not come to his assistance, he should, he believed, have 
 fallen even in sight of the fort. 
 
 That night was an anxious one. Frequent alarms 
 were raised that the enemy were upon us. At length 
 the morning broke, and as the sun rose above the east- 
 ern prairie his beams fell on the plumed heads and 
 trappings of several hundred warriors, who came on, 
 confident in their numbers, and believing that our small 
 garrison would easily become their prey. 
 
 They halted when considerably beyond range of oui 
 weapons, and having sung a war-song, gave utterance 
 to one of those terrible whoops which are said to para- 
 lyse even horses and cattle. Ponoko had in the mean- 
 time, dressed himself in the costume in which he had 
 been discovered when lying wounded, and the gate 
 being openedj he sallied forth with feeble steps, very 
 
jast- 
 
 and 
 
 on, 
 
 lall 
 
 oui 
 mce 
 lara- 
 jan- 
 Ihad 
 fate 
 rery 
 
 'tun STn.v::(ji;R oa.zi:v LAUNLiiLY imo KO.^ii's C0L'.\TE>A>-Cii.— (.Vce /). 127.J 
 
12Q 
 
 oveh the nocKY mountains. 
 
 1? 
 
 ! 
 
 different from his once elastic tread. The gates of the 
 fort were closed behind him, and he proceeded towards 
 the warriors drawn up in battle array. We watched 
 him as he approached them. At length he stopped and 
 stretching out his arms, addressed his people. 
 
 The effect on his tribe of what he said was almost 
 electrical. They looked upon him as one restored from 
 the dead, for they had long mourned him as lost. We 
 watched him until he was among them, when, after some 
 time, he reappeared, leading by the hand a person who, 
 though dressed in Indian costume, we saw was a white 
 man. Together they approached the fort, when the 
 gate was opened to receive them. 
 
 The stranger gazed round with looks of astonishment, 
 evidently endeavoiu-ing to find the words to express him- 
 self. At last he said — 
 
 " I can scarcely believe my senses. A few minutes 
 'ago I was a prisoner, and threatened by the Indians with 
 a cruel death should they again be defeated." 
 
 "We are truly thankful that you have escaped," 
 answered Uncle Donald, advancing and taking his hand. 
 *• You owe your preservation to our friend PonoKO here." 
 
 "I am indeed grateful to him," said the stranger. 
 " He preserved my life when so many of my companions 
 were massacred. He has ever since continued my pro- 
 tector, but when it was supposed that he was killed, his 
 people threatened to avenge his death by murdering me. 
 Grateful as I am to him and to you, I am restored to 
 liberty a ruined and a childless man, while I know not 
 what has become of my poor wife, who was providentially 
 absent from the settlement at the time of the massacre, 
 but will have supposed that I, as well as our little girl, 
 
'c-N 
 
 A HAPPY ENDING. 
 
 127 
 
 Df the 
 iwards 
 itched 
 ;d and 
 
 ilmost 
 1 from 
 . We 
 c some 
 Q who, 
 white 
 ;n the 
 
 ament, 
 13 him- 
 
 linutea 
 IS with 
 
 shared the common fate," answered !Mr. Kennedy, for 
 such he told us was his name. 
 
 " Should your child have escaped, do you helicve you 
 would recoj^uise her? " asked Uncle Donald. 
 
 *' Among a hundred ! " answered the stranger. " I 
 should know her, however much grown, from her like- 
 ness to her mother." 
 
 Ashe spoke my sisters and Eose approached. Tlie 
 stranger glanced at the group, then rushing forward, 
 gazed earnestly into Hose's countenance. 
 
 " You would not deceive me ! " he exclaimed. " Say, 
 how did this young girl come to he with you ? Hose, 
 do you recollect me ? Speak, my child, are you not 
 Kose Kennedy ? " 
 
 " Kennedy ! Kennedy I " murmured Rose, looking 
 greatly astonished and somewliat frightened. " Ken- 
 nedy I Yes, that was my papa's name." 
 
 " You are my own child 1 " he exclaimed, kissing her -^ 
 brow and cheeks again and again while he held her in 
 his arms. 
 
 The lookers-on were greatly moved. It was some 
 time, however, before Kose couhl fully comprehend that 
 the stranger was her father, and that she belonged to him 
 rather than to Uncle Donald. 
 
 Mr. Kennedy now eagerly inquired whether we could 
 give him any tidings of his wife. 
 
 " Extraordinary as it may seem, I think I am able to 
 do so," said my father. " On stopping at the Red River 
 settlement on our way hither, I met a ^Irs. Kennedy, 
 whose husband and child had, I heard, been murdered by 
 the Indians." 
 
 I should like to prolong my history, but I must be 
 
123 
 
 OVEll THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 brief. Ponoko, after remaining a day or two with U3, 
 went among his tribe, and persuaded them that it would 
 be to their advantage to live peaceably with their neigh- 
 bours. Not many years after they entered into a treaty 
 with the Canadian Government, and the fearful state 
 of warfare which for so long a period had existed in that 
 fair northern region almost entirely ceased. 
 
 We were very, very sorry to lose Kose, but Mr. Ken- 
 nedy was, of course, most anxious to join his wife. As 
 soon as he could travel he set ofif for the Red River. He 
 promised to return and bring his wife and Rose with 
 him, having accepted an invitation from Uncle Donald 
 to settle at Clearwater. 
 
 In course of time, Hugh, Alec, and I established in 
 
 its neighbourhood several fairly flourishing farms, of one 
 
 of which Hugh, with Rose as its mistress, became the 
 
 owner. My father laboured for many years among the 
 
 heathen, greatly aided by Ponoko. 
 
 The entire country, including the Rocky IMountains 
 over which we passed, now forms part of the great 
 Canadian dominion, and probably, before another 
 generation has passed away, the whole region, from 
 east to west, will be the home of happy and flourishing 
 communities. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Casbell, Petter, Oalfin ft Co.* Belle Sauvage Works, London, E.G. 
 
 80,881 
 
with ug, 
 it would 
 ir neigh- 
 a treaty 
 111 state 
 in that 
 
 r. Ken- 
 ife. As 
 er. He 
 5se with 
 Donald 
 
 ished in 
 
 , of one 
 
 bme the 
 
 Long the 
 
 Dun tains 
 le great 
 another 
 ►n, from 
 urishing 
 
 Selections from Cassell, Fetter, Galpin & Co.'s 
 BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 SHILLING STORY BOOKS, ^ 
 
 All Illustrated, and coHtaming^ Intertsting Storits for Young PtopU. 
 
 Prut la. each. 
 
 The History of Five Uttle 
 Pltoliers who had Very 
 Large Kara. By Madrlinb 
 
 BoNAViA Hunt, Author of 
 " Maid Marjory," &c. 
 Diamonds in the Sand; and 
 other Stones. By s. T. A. 
 
 Radclikfe, Author of " The 
 Giant's Cradle," &c. 
 
 Surly Bob. By L. C. Silke, 
 Author of •• Shag and Doll," &c. 
 The GUnt's Cradle. By S T. 
 
 A. Radcliffe, Author of " Dia- 
 monds in the Sand," and other 
 Stories. 
 Shag and Doll; and other 
 Stories. By L. C. SiLKB. 
 Author of " In Mischief Again," 
 &c. 
 
 Aunt Lucia's Locket; and 
 other Stories. By Ruth 
 Mitchell, Author of " Marion's 
 Two Homes." 
 
 Kagio Mirror, The. By the 
 
 Author of "Aunt Tabitha's Waifs." 
 And other Stories. 
 
 The Cost of BeTenge. By 
 
 the Author of "Ned Wilton's 
 Victory." And other Stories. 
 
 Clever Frank. Bv the Author 
 
 of "Maid Marjory. And other 
 Stories. 
 
 Among the Redskins. By 
 
 the late W. H. G. Kingston. 
 
 The Ferrsrman of Brill; 
 and other Stories. By the 
 
 late W. H. G. Kingston. 
 
 Harry Blazwell; and other 
 Stories. 
 
 A Banished Monaroh. By 
 
 Jeanib Hbring. And other 
 Stories. 
 
 EIGHTEENPENNY STORY BOOKS, 
 
 All Illustrated throughout, and containing Stories /or Young People. 
 
 Published at Is. 6d. each. 
 
 Dick's Hero; and other 
 Stories. By Sarah Pitt. 
 
 The Chip Boy; and other 
 Stories. 
 
 Raggles, Baggies, and the 
 Emperor. By Clara 
 Mat^aux, Author of *' Home 
 Chat," &c. New Edition. 
 
 Roses from Thorns. By Mrs. 
 
 A. H. Martin, Author of " Into 
 
 the View." 
 Fatth's Father. A Story of 
 
 Child [.ife in London Byways. By 
 F. M. Holmes, Author of "The 
 Children of the Court." 
 
 By Land and Sea. By S. F. 
 
 A. Caulfeild. 
 The Young Berrlngtons. 
 
 By the late W. H. G Kingston. 
 
 Jeff and Leff: The Story of 
 Two Poor City Arabs. By the 
 Author of " Our Forefathers in 
 History." And other Stories. 
 
 Tom Morris's Krror. By 
 
 Emma Leslie. And other Stories. 
 
 Worth More than Gold. By 
 
 Julia Goddard. And other 
 Stories. 
 
 Through Flood — through 
 Fire. By Henry Frith. And 
 other Stories. 
 
 The Girl with the Golden 
 
 Looks. By the Hon. Zoe 
 Plunket. And Other Stories. 
 
 Stories of the Olden Time. 
 
 By M. Jones, Author of " The 
 Black Prince." New Edition. 
 
 h E.O. 
 
 0\. 
 
 Casselly Fetter^ Galpin «Sr* Co. : London^ Paris &* New York. 
 
 3C— 688 
 
 ^H: 
 
Selections from Casselly Fetter ^ Galpin &* Co.'s Books 
 /or Children and Young People (continued). 
 
 TmSHILLINQ STORY BOOKS, 
 
 All tUtistraied throughout, and containing Stories /or Voung Ptoplt, 
 Crown 8vo, handsomely bound in cloth gilt, price 28. each. 
 
 Possyt and other Tales. 
 
 By Florbncb Montcombry. 
 
 Little Flotsam. A Story for 
 Hoys and Girls ; and other 
 Tales. By Robrrt Richard- 
 son, B.A.. Author of "Phil's 
 Champion/ &c. 
 
 Ifadf e and Her Friends, or 
 Lmng unto Others. Uy 
 
 Mary F. A. Tknch, Author of 
 " Little Ned Mason, or the 
 Beauty of Holiness," ike. 
 
 The Children of the Conrt, 
 and Two Little WaUs. By 
 
 F. Morbll Holmes. 
 
 The Four Cats of the 
 Ttppertons ; and other 
 Stories about Animals. 
 
 By Julia Goodaro. 
 
 The Maglo Flower-Pot. and 
 other IStories. By Edward 
 Gamrbtt. 
 
 Blarlon's Two Homes. By 
 
 Ruth Mitciiki.l. 
 The Little Folks' Sunday 
 Boole By Christian Rbd- 
 
 FOKD. 
 
 Two Fonmenny Bits. By the 
 
 Author of " Tiny Houses." 
 Poor Nelly. By the Author of 
 
 " Paws and Claws." 
 Tom Heriot. By Edwin 
 
 HooDBR (Old Merry). 
 Through Peril to Fortune. 
 
 By A. K. LiBSCHiNG. 
 Aunt Tabltha's Waifs. By 
 
 the Author of" Little Hinges." 
 
 In Mlachlet Again. By the 
 
 Author of " Hugh's Heroism." 
 Maid Marjory. By the Author 
 of "LitUe Hinges." 
 
 HALF-CROWN STORY BOOKS. 
 
 Crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 28. 6d. each. 
 
 Little Zmpress Joan. By 
 
 Madeline Bonavia Hunt, 
 Author of " Little Hinges," &c. 
 Illustrated throughout. 
 
 Adventures of Working 
 Men. From the Note-Book of a 
 Working Surgeon. By G. Man- 
 viLLE Fenn. Illustrated. 
 
 Golden Days. An English 
 Girl's School Life in Germany. 
 By Jeanib Hering. New 
 Edition. 
 
 Notable Shipwrecks. Tales 
 
 of Disaster and Heroism at Sea. 
 By Uncle Hardy. Illustrated. 
 New Edition. 
 
 The Wonders of Common 
 Things. By ANhfiE Carry. 
 Being a New Edition, in One 
 Vol., of •' Autobiography of a 
 Lumpof Coal, "&c., and "'Fhreads 
 of Knowledge." Illustrated. 
 
 Friends I have Made. By 
 G. Manville Fenn. Illustrated. 
 
 CASSELL'S ONE SYLLABLE SERIES. 
 
 Each Book containing Eight Coloured Illustrations, and bound in 
 cloth, gilt edges. 28. 6d. each. 
 
 JEaop's Fables. i Resrnard the Fox. 
 
 Sandford and Morton. I The Pilgrim's Progteas. 
 
 Casselly FftUr^ Galpin &• Co. : London, Paris &* New York. 
 
 ill 
 
Selections from Casseli^ Petter^ Galpin 6- Co's Books 
 for Children and Young People {continued). 
 
 CASSELL'S OHILDREN'S TREASURIES, 
 
 A Series of Picture Books for Ch 
 containinz 43 full page Pictures 
 Music. Square crown 8vo, cloth 
 
 Simple Bbymes for B«ppy 
 Times. 
 
 Tanefal Lajre for 
 Days. 
 
 Cheerfal Songs for 
 
 Folks. 
 Pretty Poems for 
 
 PeopU. 
 The Children's Joy. 
 
 Young 
 Young 
 
 ildren, uniform in size and price, each 
 and accompanying Stories, Poetry, or 
 , la. each. 
 
 Pretty Plotores and Ple»- 
 sfuit Stories 
 
 Our Ploture Book. 
 
 Tales lor the Little Ones. 
 
 My Sunday Book of Pio- 
 turas. 
 
 Sunday Oarland of Pic- 
 tures and Mtorles. 
 
 Sunday Keadlngs tor Little 
 Polks, 
 
 Tales 
 at Sea. 
 istrated. 
 
 ^mmon 
 
 Carkv. 
 
 in One 
 »y of a 
 'rhreads 
 Ited. 
 
 >und in 
 
 Work. 
 
 CASSELL'S CHILDREN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 All Illustrated, and bound in cloth, gilt edges, price 8b. 6d. each. 
 
 The Children's Album. Con- 
 taining nearly aoo Engravings, 
 with Short Stories by Unclk 
 John. 368 pages, cloth gilt. 
 
 Chlldrens Sunday Album, 
 
 The. By the Author of "A 
 Trap to Catch a Sunbeam." 
 With upwards of 150 Engravings. 
 
 Plasrlnc Trades. By Hkkac- 
 
 litusGrey. With Sixteen Illus- 
 trations printed in Colours. 
 
 The Story of Robin Hood. 
 
 With Eight Coloured Plates. 
 
 The True Robinson Cru- 
 
 SOes. A Series of Stirring Ad- 
 ventures. With Twenty full-page 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Off to Sea. A Story for Boys. 
 By the late W. H. G. Kingston. 
 With Eight Illustrations printed 
 in Colours. 
 
 The Old Nursery Rhsrmes; 
 or. The Merrle Heart. 
 
 With Eight lull page Coloured 
 Plates from Designs by Walter 
 Crane, and 100 Illustrations. 
 
 THE COSY CORNER SERIES. 
 
 A Series of Story Books for Children. Each Book containing nearly 
 One Hundred Pictures. Fcap. 8vo, cloth gilt, gilt edges, 
 price 2s. each. 
 See Saw Stories. 
 Little Chimes for AU Times. 
 Wee WllUe Winkle. ByCL. 
 
 Mat^aux. 
 Bright Sundays. 
 Pet's Posy of Pictures and 
 
 Stories. 
 Dot's Story Book. 
 
 Story Flowers for Rainy 
 Hours 
 
 LlcUe Talks with LltUe 
 People. 
 
 Bright Ra]rs for Dull Days. 
 
 Ciiats for Small Chatterers. 
 
 Pictures for Happy Hours. 
 
 Ups and Downs 01 a Don- 
 key's LUe. 
 
 BOOKS FOR GIRLS. 
 
 Mission Life In Greece and 
 Palesilne. By Mrs. Emma 
 Raymond Pitman. Illustrated. 
 5s. 
 
 Heroines of the Mission 
 Field. By Mrs. Emma Ray- 
 mond Pitman. Illustrated. 5s. 
 
 Better than Good. A Story 
 
 for Girls. With Four full-page 
 Illustrations. By Annie t,, 
 Ridley. 5s. 
 
 Jane Austen and herWorb s. 
 
 By Sarah Tytler. With Meel 
 Portrait and Steel Title. 5s. 
 
 Casseili Petter^ Galpin &* Co. : London^ Paris &• New York. 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 7 
 1 
 
 I 
 Ji 
 Si 
 
 SeUctwns from Casseli^ Fetter ^ Galpin &» Co.'s Books 
 for Children and Young People (continued), 
 
 A Cruise in Chinese Waters. W\\\% thu U)g of " The 
 
 Fortuna." By Captain AtxiUsTi/s V. I,inI)|.kv. With 50 full-page 
 Plate* aad KnKravingH. Fourth Jutition, price 5H. 
 
 Old Proverbs with New Pictures. With 64 Fac-ximile 
 
 Coloured IMates from Original Designs by Liz/IK I.awson. The Text 
 by C. L. MatAaux. Crown 4to, handsomely )x>und, 6». 
 
 Three Wise Old Cotiples. A I^iughnble I^K>k of Ludicrous 
 khynie*. With 16 OKKiiNAl. CouttHKU Pi.a 1 ks and numerous 
 Wood Kngraviiigs. js. 
 
 A Moonbeam Tanfffle. OriglniU Fairv Tiiles. By Sydnky 
 SiiADiioLT. With numcrouH illustrations. Cloth, gilt edges, 6s. 
 
 Happy Little People. Ry Omve Patch. Crown 410, cloth, 
 
 gilt edges, with numerous Illustrations, price 5s. 
 
 CaSHOirs Robinson Crusoe. Neiv and Cheaper Edition. 
 Illustrated. Cloth gilt, 3s. 6d. 
 
 "My DlBry." With 12 Coloured Plates and 366 Small Wo(Klcuts 
 by a new Artist, specially executed for the Work ; together with Blank 
 Space for Kvery Day in the Year for Small Memt. by SmaP Writers. 
 In elegant bindmg, 2S. 6d. 
 
 The Wonderland of Work. Being the "How and Why" 
 of many interesting things to be found therein. By C. L. MatAai'X. 
 Illustrated. 7s. 6d. 
 
 Oberon's Horn. Fairy Tales by Prof. Hknky Morlky. 
 Illustrated. Being a Nnv and Cheaper Edition, Enlarged, of the 
 "Chicken Market."' 3s. 6d. 
 
 The ** Little Folks " Album of Music. 
 
 charming collection of Music with Words, 
 cloth, gilt edges, 3s. 6d. 
 
 Peter Parley's Annual. Containinsj a series of Original 
 
 Stories. Illustrated with Nine. Coloured Plates, printed in Oil, and la 
 Full-page Lithographs. Cloth, gilt edges, 5s. 
 
 Tim Trumbie's ** Little Mother." By C. L. Mat^aux. 
 
 With 18 Illustrations by C omblli. 4to, cloth, gilt edges, 5s. 
 
 Little Folks. The Half-Yearly Volumes. Each containing 
 CoLouRBD Fkontispibce and nearly 600 Pictures. Extra crown 
 4to, coloured boards, 3s. 6d. ; cloth gilt, 5s. each. Little Folks is 
 also published in Monthly Parts at 6d, 
 
 "Little Folks" Painting Book. A Series of Outline 
 
 Illustratipns by Katb Grbbnaway, adapted for Water-Colour 
 Painting, with Descriptive Stories and Verses by G. Weatherlv. 
 Price IS. ; cloth gilt, as. 
 
 C'ontaining a 
 Illustrated. Crown 4to, 
 
 Cassell, Petter, Oalplri & Co.'s Complete Cataloi^ue, 
 
 containing a List of SEVERAL HUNDRED VOLUMES, in- 
 cluding Bibles and Religious Works, Fine-Art Volumes, 
 Children's Books, Dictionaries, Educational Works, 
 History, Natural History, Household and Domestic 
 Treatises, Handbooks and Guides, Science, Travels, 
 *!:c., together with a Synopsis of their numerous Illustrated 
 Serial Publications, sent post free on application to 
 CASSELL, PETTER, GALPIN &> CO., Ludgate Hill, London. 
 
 9237 
 
Ipin ^ Co.'s Books 
 >p/e (continued), 
 
 k'injf the lA^g of " The 
 sDi.KV. With 50 full-page 
 rice SH. 
 
 B. With 64 Facsimile 
 L1//IK I.AWsoN. The Text 
 ly )x>un(l, 6s. 
 
 liable I)<K>k of Ludicrous 
 M Pla I Ks and numerous 
 
 irv Tales. By Syunky 
 Cloth, gilt edKcs, 6«, 
 
 Ten. Crown 4to, cloth, 
 
 !S». 
 
 > and Cheaper F.dition, 
 
 ind 366 Small Woodcuts 
 Vork : together with Blank 
 II Mentis, by Sn»a|l Writers. 
 
 th«- "How and Why" 
 rein. By C. L. MatAaux. 
 
 rof. Hknky Morlky. 
 luiition. Enlarged, of the 
 
 IVEuBic. Containing a 
 Illustrated. Crown 410, 
 
 i£j a series of Original 
 ates, printed in Oil, and 13 
 
 By C. L. Mat<Saux. 
 
 cloth, gilt edges, 5s. 
 
 imes. Each containing 
 
 Pictures. Extra crown 
 
 i. each. Little Folks is 
 
 A Series of Outline 
 adapted for Water-Colour 
 erses by G. Wkatherly. 
 
 Dinplete Catalci^ue, 
 
 DRED VOLUMES, in- 
 :s, Fine-Art Volumes, 
 Educational Works, 
 SEHOLD and Domestic 
 ss, Science, Travels, 
 lumerous Illustrated 
 free on application to 
 ,, Ludgate Hill, London.