Sport and adventures among the North-American Indians

Front matter

Glass Book

£3

SPORT AND ADVENTURES

Chapter I. Page

Leave England. — Voyage and arrival at Quebec. — Proceed to Toronto and then to St. Paul's. — Threatened rising of the Sioux. Its causes. The storm bursts. — We start for Fort Carlton. — Description of journey. — Arrival at Fort Abercronibie. — Hostile Indians. — Reach Georgetown. — Attack on Fort Abercronibie. — Barbarity of the Indians. — Retreat in canoes. — Awful storm. — Arrival at Pembina. — Arrival at Fort Garry. — Our Guide and preparations to start. — " The early bird catches the worm." — A Red-River cart. — Leave Fort Garry. — Crossing the Saskatchawan. — Arrival at Fort Carlton. — Fight between bloodhound and wolf. — I astonish the Indians. — A boxing-match. Its consequences. — Murder at council of Indians. Its results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter II

Leave Fort Carlton. — Swimming horses. — Our first buffalo. — Laronde's method of killing buffalo. — Our first meeting with wild Indians. — Attempt to stalk antelope. — Immense herds of buffalo. — A run with buffaloes. — I run down a wolf.— Sudden appearance of three Indians. — An unpleasant adventure.— A night in an Indian lodge. — Rejoin my companions. — The advantages of steel hobbles. — Studying a buffalo at close quarters. — Prairie-dogs.— Return to Fort Carlton. — Our Party breaks up. — I leave for Thickwood Hills. — Sleigh-dogs . . . . . . . . . . lb'

Vlll CONTENTS.

Chapter III

Scenery in the Thick wood Hills.— Building huts.— Tom Boot. His size and strength.— Our nearest neighbour.— Visit the South Saskatchawan. — Large Camp of Crees. — A Sioux Indian prisoner. His trial and fate. — Attempts to save him. — We leave the Camp. — Return journey. — Dreadful spectacle. — Setting in of winter. Severe cold. — Description of trapping in winter. — Unpleasant adventure with Indians. Tom Boot to the rescue. His prowess. — A-ta-ka-koup makes friends. — Snow-shoe travelling. — A visit from Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 29

Chapter IV

A moose-hunt. — Description of my tent. — A-ta-ka-koup in camp. — Hunting moose on snow-shoes. Deaths of a bull and a cow. —

Lynx-hunting. — Tom Boot a nuisance. — F *s history. His

miserable condition. I take him with me. — Beautifying the

hut. — F and I visit my late companions. Our journey.— The

wolverine. — Getting- F home. — Badger neglects the traps. —

Narrow escape of being murdered. My precautions for the future. — An invitation to a stealing-party . . . . . . . . 45

CHAPTER V. How to make a plum-pudding. — Our Christmas party. — Nocturnal

visits of F and myself to the plum-pudding. — Our daily

routine. — F does not enjoy winter. — I am summoned to a

Cree council. — A night apparition. — The Cree camp. Accusations against me. Enmity of some of the Indians. — Rescued from a dangerous position by " White Hawk." — A new religion. — Impunity of lunatics. — Leave Cree camp. — Mis-ta-wa-sis corrects his wife with an axe. — Attempt to marry me. — A-ta-ka-koup propitiates the hunting god. — Camping in the snow. — A dog-sleigh described. — Behaviour of dogs . . . . . . . • 57

CONTENTS. IX

Chapter VI. Page

bear-hunt. — Curious story of a bear. — A wolf-hunt. — Indian dogs. — Visit Fort Carlton. — Recipe for Rubbiboo. — A ball at Fort Carlton. — Ponies wintering in the snow. — Intelligence of sleigh-dogs. — Ingratitude of Ki-chi-mo-ko-man. — Tom Boot a thief. Determine to punish him. A-ta-ka-koup joins me in the enterprise. Surprise Tom Boot. Tremendous struggle. Tom Boot receives a thrashing. — Leave our hut for Fort Carlton. — Serious difficulty at the river. Nearly starved. Rescued by boat. My feet frozen. — The manufacture of pemmican. —

Frozen fish. — A professional bear-hunter. — F and I part. —

Effect of eloquence on Indians - . . . . . . . . . . 70

Chapter VII

An Indian swims the Saskatchawan. — Start from Fort Carlton. — Prairie fire and narrow escape. — Unpleasant surprise. — A Sioux camp. Interview with the chief. Suspicious circumstances. A parley with the chief. — A fight and race for life. — Our mode of travelling. — Arrival at Fort Garry. Our miserable appearance. — The composition of galette.— The Sioux outbreak and cause. — Threat to sack Fort Garry. — Enmity between English and French half-breeds. — My new guide, and his character. — Kindness of the citizens. — Start for Fort Garry and mode of travelling. — Desolation of the country. — My first night in a bed, and consequences. — Taken for a half-breed scout. — Expedition against the Indians. Its utter failure. — Death of u Little Crow '\ — Execution of Indians. — Start for England . . . . . . 85

Chapter VIII

Return to America. — Start for Kansas. — Warning against obliging strangers. — The town of Troy. — Horse-racing. A soft thing. — A breakdown. — A wrestling-match. — My new man Fox. His

CONTENTS.

PAGE objection to sheriffs. — The settlement of White Rock. Its history. — A happy hunting-ground. — A Tenderfoot's first run with buffalo. He prefers walking. — A wonderful inare. I buy her. — Trying Brown's courage.— Appearance of Indians near camp . . . . 105

Chapter IX

Find a Sioux camp-ground. — The omnivorous horse. — A Rocky-Mountain moose. — A large turkey-roost. — A deserted settlement. — Fox thinks he is going to die. — Crossing the river under difficulties. — A fast buffalo-calf.- — Adventure with a buffalo. — Camp deserted. Another made. Row with the men. Brown discharged. Remove to old camp. — More buffalo-hunting. — Surprised by Indians. Cut off from camp. Plan of getting through. Its success and safety. — Neighbourhood getting too warm. — Fox declines goingnear a sheriff. — Return eastwards . . . . . . . . . . Ho

Chapter X

Another expedition to White Rock. — A fighting butcher. — The fate of Fox. — Excitement about Indians. — Advised to turn back. — Settlement No. 10 at White Rock. — Bold settlers. — Examine buffaloes at close quarters. — The bold settlers demoralized. — A large herd of elk. — Desperate struggle with a horse. Laid up from a kick. — The fate of our buffalo-tongues. — Settlers about to avenge themselves. Their indifferent armament. A serious consultation. The expedition given up. — I intend going alone to Fort Kearney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1^8

Chapter XI

Start on my journey. — Miserable weather. — Appearance of three Indians. I compel them to breakfast with me. An uncomfortable breakfast-party. I bid them adieu. — Reach the ranche.—

CONTENTS. XI

PAGE

Report of our having been murdered. — Mr. Martin. His history. — Visit to Fort Kearney. — Interview with Major North. His recent fight with Sioux. — Start on my return journey. — Uncanny sight. — Dense fog. — Camp on Little Blue River. — Horse missing. Vain efforts to track him. — Weary journey back to ranche. Quite done up. Kindness of the Martins.— Return journey to camp. — A pleasant surprise. — Narrow escape from Indians. — A horrible sight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

CHAPTER XH.

Awful thunder-storms. — Bad water-supply. — life in camp. — I leave for St. Joe. — Come across two Indians. — Arrive at Lake Sibley. — Swarm of grasshoppers. — Apprehensions of the settlers. — A man wishes me to engage him. I decline. — I make the acquaintance of a detective. — A plan to rob me. I manage to frustrate it. —

Meet F at Martin's. — Sioux steal Pawnees' horses. Pawnees

and Whites try to recover them. A fight and repulse of Pawnees. — Mrs. Martin's reminiscences of her husband. — Poor sport. — Return to St. Joe. — Intend to winter in Texas. — Billy Breeze. His history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Chapter XIII

Voyage down the Missouri. — Wild-fowl shooting. — Objectionable freed slaves. — New Orleans. — My companion dies of cholera. I also am attacked. I recover. — Meet some Confederate generals. — Gambling-saloons. — Galveston. — Several shooting-trips. — An expensive night's lodging. — A young Englishman joins us. — A New Yorker and his supper-party. — The lone tree. — Difficulties with the waggon. — The town of Richmond. — We are fined. But do

not pay. — F has an accident. — A useful doctor. — General

Sheridan's horse. — Buy a wild horse. — A stream in flood. — Racing in Texas. — A racing mule . . , . . . . . . . 164

Xll CONTENTS.

Chapter XIV. Page

Move to Clear Lake. — A bankrupt railway. — Abundance of game. — Stalking wild geese. — Invitation to a bear-bunt. — A norther. Story of a norther. — Lynch law. — Bear-hunting poor sport. — Great abundance of snipe. — Good shooting. — Extortionate landlord. — Semi-wild hogs. — Wild bulls. Narrow escapes from them. — Our dog Booze. His fighting capabilities. — Invitation to a plantation. Melancholy appearance of it. — A good afternoon at the ducks. — A Masonic tip.— A Texan ball.— Buying mules.— Fishing in Texas. 1 80

Chapter XV

San Antonio and Texas in 1868. — Horse-stealing. Its punishment. — Shoeing and breaking wild ponies. Negroes the best breakers. — Mexicans and their mode of life. — Part with Billy Breeze. — Move to Fredericksburg. — Too hot for dogs. Death of one. — Trying the men's courage. — Halliday, his history. — A real frontiersman. He

decliues to go with us. — H has an adventure while on guard.

— Fort Mason. — Indians catch and torture a man. — Big-foot Wallace. Refuses to go with us. — Leave Fort Mason. — Fight between horses. — A refractory mule. His cure. — An over-confident Major. ■ — Start for Fort Belknap. — A plundered waggon. — I meet with Indians. I am pursued. Shoot an Indian's horse and escape. — Difficult country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Chapter XVI

Fort Belknap. — Buffalo-dance by Tonkaways. — A-sa-ha-be. We agree to his coming with us. His suspicious conduct. He leaves us by night. — We turn back. — Appearance of Indians. — A-sa-ha-be comes to propose terms. They are rejected. — The Comanches attack us. — We still move on. — We kill and scalp an Indian. — A reinforcement of Indians. — Downfall of A-sa-ha-be. — Arrival of three Caddo Indian scouts. We send one of them for help. He is pursued, but escapes. — Our casualties. — Halliday's courage. — Arrival of troops. — We reach Fort Arbuckle . . . . . . 211

CONTENTS. Xlll

Chapter XVII

The Caddo Indians. — Story of their chief and the Comanches. — An insolent blacksmith. His punishment. — Our camp fired into. — Discovery of the culprits. Their punishment. — Leave Fort Arbuckle. — Chase of a wolf "by a pointer. — Difficulty of crossing the Red River. — I return for provisions. — Difficulty of carrying eggs on horseback. — An Indian reservation. — Incivility of an Indian. We become better friends. — Thirsty oxen.— Our party breaks up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

Chapter XVIII

Account of Julesburg. A specimen of the manners of Julesburg. Our lodgings. Seeing the town. Its inhabitants. — Gambling-saloons. — We start for Sheyenne. — Description of hotel accommodation. — A citizen shot by an officer. — Start for Elk Mountain. — Reach Willow Springs. — All Houston. — Camp at W T illow Springs. — Woodchoppers, bad characters. — Story about Houston. — Obliged to hunt singly. — We go together to hunt. — A deserted hut and grave of occupant. — A visitor. — Polly's behaviour. —

F starts for Sheyenne. — Snowed in. — Villainous-looking

visitors. They are induced to go. — Precautions. — F 's return.

— I return to Sheyenne. — F goes to Virginia Dale . . . . 238

Chapter XIX

Move to Virginia Dale. — Meet my old driver. — Stage drivers. — Abundance of antelope. — Reach Sheyenne. — Vigilance committee. — Election for Mayor. — An unpleasant neighbour. Play a practical joke on him. — Life in Sheyenne. — Action of the Vigilance committee. — Stories of various desperadoes. — Joe Riley, the prize-fighter. — Racing at Sheyenne. — A railway quickly made. — Leave for England and sell " Polly." 254

XIV CONTENTS.

Chapter XX. Page

Intend to go up the Wichita and Red Rivers. — Grouse-shooting. — Creasing a horse. — Poor settlers. — A money-lending parson. — Danger of Mexican cooks. — Henrietta in 1874. — A norther. — Rough cowboys. — Lose rny horse. — Return towards Henrietta. — Indians about. — A suspicious horseman.— Reach Henrietta. — The settlement raided by Black Kettle. — The settlers cowed. — A preacher. The preacher and I put up in the same room. The first night he scores ; the second I do. — Life of a cowboy. — A new class of cowboy. — A gentleman cowboy. — A good shooting-ground. — I shoot a puma. — A lucky sportsman . . . . . . 266

Chapter XXI

Camp on Buffalo Creek. — Awful thunder-storms. — Two cowboys visit our camp. We return the visit. — Description of a shack. — Stories of attacks by Indians. — A buck-jumper. — A curious shot. — A refractory mare. — Loss of a horse. — A herd of wild horses. Old Bridger's opinion of them. — Camp nearly destroyed by fire. — Poisoning wild animals. — A ghost story . . . . . . . . 278

Chapter XXII

Resolve to go to the Judith Basin. — Colonel P agrees to accompany

me. — Start for Carroll. — Delay at Bismarck. — Have some shooting. — Journey by steamer up Missouri. — Land to hunt every day. — Come upon an old hunter. His history and end. — The remaining Indians concerned in the Minnesota massacre. — Arrival at Buford. — Freak of a lieutenant. — Symonds joins me. — Start with Major Reed for Judith Basin.— The ways of Indian agents described.

— Join Colonel P in camp. — Good news of game. — Adventure

with a bear. — Description of the Judith Basin. — Hunting mountain-sheep. — Reed and Bowles at home.— Visit the Crows' camp. Go with them to meet the Bannocks. — Buy a horse from the Bannocks . „ , . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

CONTENTS. XV chapter xxnr.

A nice-tempered horse. — A large band of elk. — Putting out baits for bears. The first a failure. The second a success. — Buy a new pony. — A good bargain. — Fishel goes for letters. — Antelope-stalking. — A useless dog. — Fishel has his ponies stolen. He and I pay a visit to the Crow Indians. — A buffalo-run with the Crows. — The Indian game of " Hand. ' — A visit to the ranche. — Tendoi, the chief of the Bannocks. Stories of him. — Unpleasant quarters. — How Bowles got his wife .. .. .. .. .. .. 808

Chapter XXIV

Reed shoots a grizzly bear. — A splendid hunting-ground. — Wholesale massacre of deer. — The Colonel shoots a grizzly. I get one the next night. — Another bear. — Tendoi pays us a visit. His appreciation of curry. — Suspicious tracks. — Horse-thieves. — Expedition to destroy them. — Horses stampeded. The cause. — Fishel and I go and see the Crow war-dance. — Crow sham fight.— Foolish freak of an Englishman. — The war-dance. Unpleasant reflections thereat 322

Chapter XXV

Symonds leaves us. — I explore the Little Snowies. — Follow the trail of a grizzly. — Try to get back to camp. — A difficult road. — A fine view. — Plenty of game. — I enjoy a siesta. — An alarming awakening. — Peculiar rocks. — Mountain-sheep. — I bag a grizzly. — Good sport. — Meet a party of white men. — The Greenhorn. — Attempt to lasso the grey. — Indian attack defeated by Greenhorn. — Stories of grizzlies. — Sheep-ranches . . . . . . 33'

Chapter XXVI

Visit Crazy Woman Mountains. — Difficult ravine. — Park-like country. — Narrow escape from a grizzly. — We make for the trade-road. — The end of my grey horse. — Some bragging hunters. — I part

XVI CONTENTS.

PAGE company from Colonel P and the men. — The stage waggon.

— Dangers of stage-drivers. — A companion joins us. Queer story about him. I ride part of the way with him. — Arrival at Miles City. — I am offered quarters. Which I decline. — Call on General Miles. — Stories of General Miles. — I leave Fort Keogh with the General. — Rough Journey. — Yellowstone Kelly. — Arrival at Fort Abraham Lincoln. — Kindness of American officers. — Road agents. — -More anecdotes of General Miles. — Arrival at Chicago. — The present state of my old hunting-grounds. — Conclusion . . . . 348

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

^ He stopped about six feet from me and shook his fist . . . . Frontispiece

Our hut in the Thickwood Hills 33

v I drew my revolver and fired at him . . . . . . . . . . 91

He removed his blanket, in spite of the rain, and wrapping the

musket in it laid it down . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

I was surprised to see a waggon on the bank . . . . . . . . 149

l I fired at his chest 207

v The Comanches made a rush at us . . . . . . . . . . 223

My pony spun round so quickly . . . . . . . . . , . . 299

I saw a row of shining copper-coloured faces . . . . . . . . 337

SPOET AND ADVENTURES

AMONG THE

NORTH-AMERICAN INDIANS.

Chapter I

Leave England. — Voyage and arrival at Quebec. — Proceed to Toronto and then to St. Paul's. — Threatened rising of the Sioux. Its causes. The storm hursts. — We start for Fort Carlton. — Description of journey. — Arrival at Fort Abercrombie. — Hostile Indians. — Reach Georgetown. — Attack on Fort Abercrombie. — Barbarity of the Indians. — Retreat in canoes. — Awful storm. — Arrival at Pembina. — Arrival at Fort Garry. — Our Guide and preparations to start. — "The early bird catches the worm." — A Red-River cart. — Leave Fort Garry. — Crossing the Saskatchawan. — Arrival at Fort Carlton. — Fight between bloodhound and wolf.— I astonish the Indians. — A boxing-match. Its consequences. — Murder at council of Indians. Its results.

I left Liverpool in June 1862, by the Allan line of steamers, for Quebec, choosing this route as it was the only one which would carry dogs, as I had a young bloodhound, a son of Grantley Berkeley's celebrated dog (C Druid," which I wished to try against wolves on the prairies.

While in Liverpool I met two English gentlemen, also on their way to the West, and intending, like myself, to fit out at st. paul's,

Fort Garry, on Lake Winnepeg, so we agreed to join company

for so long as it suited us, and I will call them M and

C in the following pages.

The incidents of one passage are very much like another, so I will say very little of this one. We had the usnal heterogeneous collection of passengers, and the usual sweepstakes each day as to the run of the ship, and also a rather unusual one, and that was, as to which foot the pilot would place on the deck first when he came on board, there being intense excitement when he stopped on the ladder to speak to the captain. The usual whales and icebergs were seen ; but nothing of any interest occurred till we reached Quebec, where we landed, having done the run in eleven days.

We went to Russell's hotel and remained there two days, visiting the citadel, the heights of Abraham, &c, and left on the third day for Toronto, where we had some friends.

From Toronto we did not stop again till we reached St. Paul's, now a city of more than four hundred thousand inhabitants; but then it was only a straggling town of four or five thousand, most of the houses being built of wood, and many of logs only. Here the railway then ended, and we had to travel by Burbank's coach to Georgetown, on the Red River, a distance of four hundred and twenty miles, where we should find a small steamer bound for Fort Garry.

The scenery round St. Paul's is very fine, the city standing on the banks of the Mississippi River, which are here about two hundred feet high, and the country round being hilly and beautifully wooded, and containing some of the loveliest lakes in the world, surrounded by woods, and so clear that you can see the pebbles distinctly at a depth of twenty-five or thirty feet.

RISING OF THE SIOUX. 6

We found a good deal of excitement in the town, as it was threatened by the Sioux Indians, nnder " Little Crow," who thought themselves wronged by their agent, and had begun what ended in the Minnesota massacre. It seems that the Sioux had come in to get their yearly supplies of blankets, ammunition, &c, from the Government, and found that only a portion of these having come, the agent refused to serve out anything till the arrival of the remainder. The Indians had only brought food for so many days and were soon on the verge of starvation, when one day there drove up to the agent's house a waggon drawn by four span of very fine fat oxen. A number of half-starved Indians were standing round, and one of them felt the oxen with his finger, remarking to his companions what a grand feast they would make. On this the driver hit him with his whip, and was at once shot dead by the Indian, and within five minutes the agent and his family were all murdered. This was the last straw only, as the Indians had had a good deal to complain of before this happened. They all immediately disappeared to mature their plans, and there was a lull which preceded the awful storm which broke soon afterwards. This had happened before our arrival, and all who could do so had left St. Paul's, expecting it to be attacked at any moment.

It turned out afterwards that what had delayed the outbreak was the fact that " Hole-in-the-day/' the great Chippewa chief, had not been able to join the Sioux, and his tribe refused to rise without him. He had come into the town to buy ammunition, and had been seized and put in jail, where he remained till the whole thing was over, and his tribe, living all round St. Paul's, had prevented the town being attacked.

b2

4 STAllT FOR FORT CARLTON.

We found here about thirty Englishmen, who, having been tempted by a bubble company to subscribe forty pounds apiece on the understanding that they should be transported to the gold mines of British Columbia, had been cast adrift here, most of them without money, and we found them sweeping the streets, chopping wood, and doing any work they could find, some of them being broken-down gentlemen, and none of them ever having done any manual labour before.

In spite of much good advice as to the danger of proceeding any further, we took our places in the express waggon — a fourhorse coach — which made the journey between St. Paul's and Georgetown once a week, stopping for the night at small log stage stations, where the accommodation and food were both very rough, the latter being almost invariably pork and corn bread, with very bad coffee. The first portion of the drive was through a very pretty country, and, as the driver let us get out now and then to shoot grouse and ducks, the time passed very quickly. There was, however, the chance that the Indians might attack us at any moment; so that the front seat of the waggon was a complete armoury, the driver having a revolver and a rifle beside him, and the conductor, who sat behind, being armed in the same way. The conveyance itself was like a long waggon, with three cushioned seats across it, hung on leather straps, which were very long, and caused it to sway a good deal from side to side, the whole having a cover on " bows," which could be rolled up ; the luggage being placed behind, where there was also a small seat for the conductor. The teams were very good indeed, but often quite new to the work, and unused to being driven four-inhand, so that sometimes they would run away, and we flew

ATTACK ON FORT ABERCROMBIE. D

along over the prairie, the driver whipping instead of trying to stop them ; the ground being so level that they were invariably tired before we came to a bad bit of ground. After leaving the woods and getting on the prairies the journey became very monotonous, the only houses we came across being the one where we dined, and our night's haltingplace.

At about one hundred and twenty miles from Georgetown we stopped for the night at Fort Abercrombie — a two-company post, where the soldiers were almost all of them Germans. Of course, the whole conversation here was about Indians, and they were expecting an attack, Indian scouts having been seen on the surrounding hills for some days. The officer in command was somewhat doubtful of the courage of his men, most of them being recruits ; but he had strengthened the defences, and had placed two small guns in position.

On the second day from the Fort we reached Georgetown, a very small place, of some ten or twelve log houses and a large stage station, which we found almost deserted by all but the stage agent and his men, all the settlers having gone down the Red River in flat boats, as some Indians had been seen in the neighbourhood. The stage agent— a very plucky fellow — declared that he would remain alone, if necessary, and defend the company's property, and we offered to remain and help him, but circumstances rendered this unnecessary.

The day after our arrival came the news of the attack on Fort Abercrombie and of the massacre of a number of settlers throughout Minnesota. It seems that the commanding officer's fears about the courage of his men were justified ; for when the Indians made a rush at the place, they retreated

6 RETREAT IN CANOES.

into a block-house, which stood in the middle of the fort, and was meant to be used only in the last extremity, and out of this they refused to come, till the officers and a few American soldiers drove them out with their revolvers; the place being saved by the two guns, which frightened the Indians by the noise they made. Some of the settlers had been murdered under circumstances of awful barbarity, and one poor woman crawled seven miles into Fort Abercrombie with her nose, ears, and both breasts cut off. ♦

On the morning of the second day from our arrival at the station, orders came from the company at St. Paul's for the agent to close the station, and make his way to the nearest town with the horses, and we heard, just before leaving, that the coach immediately following the one by which we had come had been attacked by Indians, and the conductor killed, the mails being thrown into the Red River. This made our staying at the station any longer an impossibility ; so finding that the steamboat which usually ran between this place and Fort Garry had ceased to do so, owing to the unsafe state of the country, we bought two bark canoes, and, laying in some provisions, we started for a four hundred mile paddle down one of the most crooked and, I should say, muddiest streams in the world ; there being hardly a place on its banks where you could land without sinking to your knees in black mud.

Canoe travelling was a new experience to all of us, and we were very nearly upsetting a great many times, as the canoes were round-bottomed and very light. At the time I am speaking of, the banks of the Red River were entirely uninhabited, and the course of it is mostly through vast prairies, making it very monotonous, especially as we often paddled for an hour

AWFUL STORM. 7

and more, only to find ourselves within a few hundred yards of where we started from, the river having wound in almost a complete circle. For some days nothing of any consequence happened. We saw a few antelope and might have stalked them, but we were afraid to fire; so we lived on pork and coffee : the weather was fine ; but about the fifth day we had an awful thunder-storm, such as none of us had ever seen. It came on at night, just as we were going to camp, and the rain came down in such sheets that, having no tent, we sat where we were and baled out the water, or we should have sunk. The thunder seemed just overhead, and the lightning was all but incessant and lasted till nearly morning, when we landed and waded through the mud to higher ground, where we wrung the water from our blankets and went to sleep. In the morning the sun came out and nearly dried our clothes, when a second storm came on and soaked everything again, and we had another miserable night on the same spot. The second day was fine, so we started again, feeling very miserable. All our baggage was damp, and our guns one mass of rust ; our hands, too, being unused to paddling, were very much blistered. We struggled on, however, and about the nmtn day reached Pembina, a small settlement with a custom-house, it being on the frontier between Canada and the United States.