CHAPTER XXII
A DAY OF RECKONING
As well play pussy-wants-a-corner with a tiger as make-believe war withan Indian. In both cases the fun may become ghastly earnest with no timefor cry-quits. So it was with the great fur-trading companies at thebeginning of this century. Each held the Indian in subjection andthought to use him with daring impunity against its rival. And each wascaught in the meshes of its own merry game.
I, as a Nor'-Wester, of course, consider that the lawless acts of theHudson's Bay had been for three years educating the natives up to thetragedy of June 19, 1816. But this is wholly a partisan, opinion.Certainly both companies have lied outrageously about the results oftheir quarrels. The truth is Hudson's Bay and Nor'-Westers were playingwar with the Indian. Consequences having exceeded all calculation, bothcompanies would fain free themselves of blame.
For instance, it has been said the Hudson's Bay people had no intentionof intercepting the North-West brigade bound up the Red and Assiniboinefor the interior--this assertion despite the fact our rivals hadpillaged every North-West fort that could be attacked. Now Iacknowledge the Nor'-Westers disclaim hostile purpose in the rally ofthree hundred _Bois-Brules_ to the Portage; but this sits not well withthe warlike appearance of these armed plain rangers, who sallied forthto protect the Fort William express. Nor does it agree with theexpectations of the Indian rabble, who flocked on our rear like carrionbirds keen for the spoils of battle. Both companies had--as itwere--leveled and cocked their weapon. To send it off needed but aspark, and a slight misunderstanding ignited that spark.
My arrival at the Portage had the instantaneous effect of sending twostrong battalions of _Bois-Brules_ hot-foot across country to meet theFort William express before it could reach Fort Douglas. They were toconvoy it overland to a point on the Assiniboine where it could bereshipped. To the second of these parties, I attached myself. I wasanxious to attempt a visit to Hamilton. There was some one else whom Ihoped to find at Fort Douglas; so I refused to rest at the Portage,though I had been in my saddle almost constantly for twenty days.
When we set out, I confess I did not like the look of things. ThoseIndians smeared with paint and decked out with the feathered war-capkept increasing to our rear. There were the eagles! Where was thecarcass? The presence of these sinister fellows, hot with the lust ofblood, had ominous significance. Among the half-breeds there wasunconcealed excitement.
Shortly before we struck off the Assiniboine trail northward for theRed, in order to meet the expected brigade beyond Fort Douglas, some ofour people slipped back to the Indian rabble. When they reappeared, theywere togged out in native war-gear with too many tomahawks and pistolsfor the good of those who might interfere with our mission. There was nomisunderstanding the ugly temper of the men. Here, I wish to testifythat explicit orders were given for the forces to avoid passing nearFort Douglas, or in any way provoking conflict. There was placed incharge of our division the most powerful plain-ranger in the service ofthe company, the one person of all others, who might control the nativesin case of an outbreak--and that man was Cuthbert Grant. Pierre, theminstrel, and six clerks were also in the party; but what could ahandful of moderate men do with a horde of Indians and Metis wrought upto a fury of revenge?
"Now, deuce take those rascals! What are they doing?" exclaimed Grantangrily, as we left the river trail and skirted round a slough of FrogPlains on the side remote from Fort Douglas. Our forces were followingin straggling disorder. The first battalions of the _Bois-Brules_, whichhad already rounded the marsh, were now in the settlement on Red Riverbank. It was to them that Grant referred. Commanding a halt and raisinghis spy-glass, he took an anxious survey of the foreground.
"There's something seriously wrong," he said. "Strikes me we're near apowder mine! Here, Gillespie, you look!" He handed the field-glass tome.
A great commotion was visible among the settlers. Ox-carts packed withpeople were jolting in hurried confusion towards Fort Douglas. Behind,tore a motley throng of men, women and children, running like afrightened flock of sheep. Whatever the cause of alarm, our men were notmolesting them; for I watched the horsemen proceeding leisurely to theappointed rendezvous, till the last rider disappeared among the woods ofthe river path.
"Scared! Badly scared! That's all, Grant," said I. "You've no idea whatwild stories are going the rounds of the settlement about the_Bois-Brules_!"
"And you've no idea, young man, what wild stories are going the roundsof the _Bois-Brules_ about the settlement," was Grant's moody reply.
My chance acquaintance with the Assiniboine encampment had given me someidea, but I did not tell Grant so.
"Perhaps they've taken a few old fellows prisoners to ensure the fort'sgood behavior, while we save our bacon," I suggested.
"If they have, those Highlanders will go to Fort Douglas shining bald asa red ball," answered the plain-ranger.
In this, Grant did his people injustice; for of those prisoners taken bythe advance guard, not a hair of their heads was injured. The wardenwas nervously apprehensive. This was unusual with him; and I have sincewondered if his dark forebodings arose from better knowledge of the_Bois-Brules_ than I possessed, or from some premonition.
"There'd be some reason for uneasiness, if you weren't here to controlthem, Grant," said I, nodding towards the Indians and Metis.
"One man against a host! What can I do?" he asked gloomily.
"Good gracious, man! Do! Why, do what you came to do! Whatever's thematter with you?"
The swarthy face had turned a ghastly, yellowish tint and he did notanswer.
"'Pon my honor," I exclaimed. "Are you ill, man?"
"'Tisn't that! When I went to sleep, last night, there were--corpses allround me. I thought I was in a charnel house and----"
"Good gracious, Grant!" I shuddered out. "Don't you go off your headnext! Leave that for us green chaps! Besides, the Indians were raisingstench enough with a dog-stew to fill any brain with fumes. Forgoodness' sake, let's go on, meet those fellows with the brigade, securethat express and get off this 'powder mine'--as you call it."
"By all means!" Grant responded, giving the order, and we moved forwardbut only at snail pace; for I think he wanted to give the settlersplenty of time to reach the fort.
By five o'clock in the afternoon we had almost rounded the slough andwere gradually closing towards the wooded ground of the river bank. Wewere within ear-shot of the settlers. They were flying past withterrified cries of "The half-breeds! The half-breeds!" when I heardGrant groan from sheer alarm and mutter--
"Look! Look! The lambs coming to meet the wolves!"
To this day I cannot account for the madness of the thing. There, sometwenty, or thirty Hudson's Bay men--mere youths most of them--werecoming with all speed to head us off from the river path, at a woodedpoint called Seven Oaks. What this pigmy band thought it could doagainst our armed men, I do not know. The blunder on their part was sounexpected and inexcusable, it never dawned on us the panic-strickensettlers had spread a report of raid, and these poor valiant defendershad come out to protect the colony. If that be the true explanation oftheir rash conduct in tempting conflict, what were they thinking aboutto leave the walls of their fort during danger? My own opinion is thatwith Lord Selkirk's presumptuous claims to exclusive possession in RedRiver and the recent high-handed success of the Hudson's Bay, the men ofFort Douglas were so flushed with pride they did not realize the risk ofa brush with the _Bois-Brules_. Much, too, may be attributed to GovernorSemple's inexperience; but it was very evident the purpose of the forcedeliberately blocking our path was not peaceable. If the Hudson's Bayblundered in coming out to challenge us, so did we, I frankly admit; forwe regarded the advance as an audacious trick to hold us back till theFort William express could be captured.
Now that the thing he feared had come, all hesitancy vanished fromGrant's manner. Steeled and cool like the leader he was, he sternlycommanded the surging Metis to keep back. Straggling Indians andhalf-breeds dashed to our fo
re-ranks with the rush of a tempest andchafed hotly against the warden. At a word from Grant, the men swungacross the enemy's course sickle-shape; but they were furious at thisdisciplined restraint. From horn to horn of the crescent, rode theplain-ranger, lashing horses back to the circle and shaking his fist inthe quailing face of many a bold rebel.
Both sides advanced within a short distance of each other. We could seethat Governor Semple, himself, was leading the Hudson's Bay men.Immediately, Boucher, a North-West clerk, was sent forward to parley.Now, I hold the Nor'-Westers would not have done that if their purposehad been hostile; but Boucher rode out waving his hand and calling--
"What do you want? What do you want?"
"What do you want, yourself?" came Governor Semple's reply with someheat and not a little insolence.
"We want our fort," demanded Boucher, slightly taken aback, butthoroughly angered. His horse was prancing restively within pistol rangeof the governor.
"Go to your fort, then! Go to your fort!" returned Semple with stingingcontempt in manner and voice.
He might as well have told us to go to Gehenna; for the fort wasscattered to the four winds.
"The fool!" muttered Grant. "The fool! Let him answer for theconsequences. Their blood be on their own heads."
Whether the _Bois-Brules_, who had lashed their horses into a lather offoam and were cursing out threats in the ominous undertone that precedesa storm-burst, now encroached upon the neutral ground in spite of Grant,or were led gradually forward by the warden as the Hudson's Baygovernor's hostility increased, I did not in the excitement of themoment observe. One thing is certain, while the quarrel between theHudson's Bay governor and the North-West clerk was becoming morefurious, our surging cohorts were closing in on the little band like anirresistible tidal wave. I could make out several Hudson's Bay faces,that seemed to remind me of my Fort Douglas visit; but of the rabble ofNor'-Westers and _Bois-Brules_ disguised in hideous war-gear, I dareavow not twenty of us were recognizable.
"Miserable rogue!" Boucher was shouting, utterly beside himself withrage and flourishing his gun directly over the governor's head,"Miserable rogue! Why have you destroyed our fort?"
"Call him off, Grant! Call him off, or it's all up!" I begged, seeingthe parley go from bad to worse; but Grant was busy with the_Bois-Brules_ and did not hear.
"Wretch!" Governor Semple exclaimed in a loud voice. "Dare you to speakso to me!" and he caught Boucher's bridle, throwing the horse back onits haunches.
Boucher, agile as a cat, slipped to the ground.
"Arrest him, men!" commanded the governor. "Arrest him at once!"
But the clerk was around the other side of the horse, with his gunleveled across its back.
Whether, when Boucher jumped down, our bloodthirsty knaves thought himshot and broke from Grant's control to be avenged, or whether LieutenantHolt of the Hudson's Bay at that unfortunate juncture discharged hisweapon by accident, will never be known.
Instantaneously, as if by signal, our men with a yell burst from theranks, leaped from their saddles and using horses as breast-work, firedvolley after volley into the governor's party. The neighing and plungingof the frenzied horses added to the tumult. The Hudson's Bay men wereshouting out incoherent protest; but what they said was drowned in theshrill war-cry of the Indians. Just for an instant, I thought Irecognized one particular voice in that shrieking babel, which flashedback memory of loud, derisive laughter over a camp fire and at thebuffalo hunt; but all else was forgotten in the terrible consciousnessthat our men's murderous onslaught was deluging the prairie withinnocent blood.
Throwing himself between the _Bois-Brules_ and the retreating band, thewarden implored his followers to grant truce. As well plead with wildbeasts. The half-breeds were deaf to commands, and in vain their leaderargued with blows. The shooting had been of a blind sort, and few shotsdid more than wound; but the natives were venting the pent-up hate ofthree years and would give no quarter. From musketry volleys the fighthad become hand-to-hand butchery.
I had dismounted and was beating the scoundrels back with the butt endof my gun, begging, commanding, abjuring them to desist, when a Hudson'sBay youth swayed forward and fell wounded at my feet. There was thebaffled, anguished scream of some poor wounded fellow driven to bay, andI saw Laplante across the field, covered with blood, reeling andstaggering back from a dozen red-skin furies, who pressed upon theirfagged victim, snatching at his throat like hounds at the neck of abeaten stag. With a bound across the prostrate form of the youth, I ranto the Frenchman's aid. Louis saw me coming and struck out so valiantly,the wretched cowards darted back just as I have seen a miserable pack ofopen-mouthed curs dodge the last desperate sweep of antlered head. Thatgave me my chance, and I fell on their rear with all the might I couldput in my muscle, bringing the flat of my gun down with a crash oncrested head-toggery, and striking right and left at Louis' assailants.
"Ah--_mon Dieu_--comrade," sobbed Louis, falling in my arms from sheerexhaustion, while the tears trickled down in a white furrow over hisblood-splashed cheeks, "_mon Dieu_--comrade, but you pay me backgenerous!"
"Tutts, man, this is no time for settling old scores and playing thegrand! Run for your life. Run to the woods and swim the river!" Withthat, I flung him from me; for I heard the main body of our forceapproaching. "Run," I urged, giving the Frenchman a push.
"The run--ha--ha--my old spark," laughed Louis with a tearful, lack-lifesort of mirth, "the run--it has all run out," and with a pitiful reeldown he fell in a heap.
I caught him under the armpits, hoisted him to my shoulders, and madewith all speed for the wooded river bank. My pace was a tumble more thana run down the river cliff, but I left the man at the very water's edge,where he could presently strike out for the far side and regain FortDouglas by swimming across again. Then I hurried to the battle-field insearch of the wounded youth whom I had left. As I bent above him, thepoor lad rolled over, gazing up piteously with the death-look on hisface; and I recognized the young Nor'-Wester who had picked flowers withme for Frances Sutherland and afterwards deserted to the Hudson's Bay.The boy moaned and moved his lips as if speaking, but I heard no sound.Stooping on one knee, I took his head on the other and bent to listen;but he swooned away. Afraid to leave him--for the savages were wreakingindescribable barbarities on the fallen--I picked him up. His arms andhead fell back limply as if he were dead, and holding him thus, I againdashed for the fringe of woods. Rogers of the Hudson's Bay staggeredagainst me wounded, with both hands thrown up ready to surrender. He waspleading in broken French for mercy; but two half-breeds, one withcocked pistol, the other with knife, rushed upon him. I turned away thatI might not see; but the man's unavailing entreaties yet ring in myears. Farther on, Governor Semple lay, with lacerated arm and brokenthigh. He was calling to Grant, "I'm not mortally wounded! If you couldget me conveyed to the fort I think I would live!"
Then I got away from the field and laid my charge in the woods. Poorlad! The pallor of death was on every feature. Tearing open his coat andtaking letters from an inner pocket to send to relatives, I saw aknife-stab in his chest, which no mortal could survive. Battle ispitiless. I hurriedly left the dying boy and went back to the living,ordering a French half-breed to guard him.
"See that no one mutilates this body," said I, "and I'll reward you."
My shout seemed to recall the lad's consciousness. Whether he fullyunderstood the terrible significance of my words, I could not tell; buthe opened his eyes with a reproachful glazed stare; and that was thelast I saw of him.
Knowing Grant would have difficulty in obtaining carriers for GovernorSemple, and only too anxious to gain access to Fort Douglas, I ran withhaste towards the recumbent form of the fallen leader. Grant was at somedistance scouring the field for reliable men, and while I was yet twentyor thirty yards away an Indian glided up.
"Dog!" he hissed in the prostrate man's face. "You have caused all this!You shall not live! Dog that you are!"
Then something caught my feet
. I stumbled and fell. There was the flareof a pistol shot in Governor Semple's face and a slight cry. The nextmoment I was by his side. The shot had taken effect in the breast. Thebody was yet hot with life; but there was neither breath, nor heartbeat.
A few of the Hudson's Bay band gained hiding in the shrubbery andescaped by swimming across to the east bank of the Red, but the remnanttried to reach the fort across the plain. Calling me, Grant, now utterlydistracted, directed his efforts to this quarter. I with difficultycaptured my horse and galloped off to join the warden. Our riders werecircling round something not far from the fort walls and Grant wastearing over the prairie, commanding them to retire. It seems, whenGovernor Semple discovered the strength of our forces, he sent some ofhis men back to Fort Douglas for a field-piece. Poor Semple with hisEuropean ideas of Indian warfare! The _Bois-Brules_ did not wait forthat field-piece. The messengers had trundled it out only a shortdistance from the gateway, when they met the fugitives flying back withnews of the massacre. Under protection of the cannon, the men made aplucky retreat to the fort, though the _Bois-Brules_ harassed them tothe very walls. This disappearance--or rather extermination--of theenemy, as well as the presence of the field-gun, which was a new terrorto the Indians, gave Grant his opportunity. He at once rounded the menup and led them off to Frog Plains, on the other side of the swamp. Herewe encamped for the night, and were subsequently joined by the firstdivision of _Bois-Brules_.