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Page 23
A place of temporary accommodation being prepared by his family, he
was borne thither on a blanket, and I retired to my quarters in a
state of mind not easy to be described. Soon after, the interpreter
came in with a message from the Indians, entreating me to come and
advise with them touching the manner in which they should dispose of
their father's body. I went, and just as I stepped within the camp, to
the astonishment of all present, the dead man sprang upon his feet.
Seeing me at his side, he exclaimed, "You shall have cause to repent
this!" The words were scarcely out of his mouth, when he sank down
again, and for a period of six weeks after he remained as helpless as
an infant. He was subsequently carried down to the Lake of Two
Mountains, where he recovered from the effects of this castigation, to
die, two years after, in a fit of drunkenness.
CHAPTER X.
P�RE DUCHAMP--MR. S.'s INSTRUCTIONS--UNSUCCESSFUL--TRADING
EXCURSION--DIFFICULTIES OF THE JOURNEY--LOSE OUR WAY--PROVISIONS
FAIL--REACH THE POST--VISIT TO AN ALGONQUIN CHIEF--HIS ABUSIVE
TREATMENT--SUCCESS.
Mr. Siviright arrived about the latter end of August, accompanied by
another junior clerk, and a few days afterwards the opposition were
seen passing. I embarked with my fellow-scribe, and arrived next day
at the lower outpost, when I was much disappointed to find my old
interpreter, whom I had with me at the Chats, in the service of our
opponents. He was my Indian tutor, and took every pains, not only to
teach me the language, but to initiate me in the mysteries of the
trade, in which he was justly considered an adept. Our opponents
offered him a high salary, which he would not accept until he had
previously made a tender of his valuable services to the Company, whom
he had faithfully served for a period of thirty years and upwards. He
requested a small addition to his salary, which was refused.
My regard for the worthy old man, however, was not in the least
diminished by the circumstance of his being in opposition. P�re
Duchamp and I had still our friendly _t�te-�-t�te_ whenever we had an
opportunity. The autumn passed without any incident having occurred
worthy of note, I and my opponent being occupied in the usual
way,--watching each other night and day, chasing each other, and
circumventing each other when we could.
Late in the month of October, I was surprised to observe a couple of
middle-sized canoes, deeply laden, put ashore at our opponent's, where
the crews, five in number, passed the night. Next morning, as soon as
they were gone, I called on my old friend, who happened to be alone at
the time, to inquire about his visitors.
He demurred for a little, and at length said: "For your sake, and to
you only, would I disclose the secret of these people's object and
destination. They called at Fort Coulonge yesterday, and gave
themselves out for a party of hunters, bound for the Temiscamingue
quarter;--they are a party of Iroquois, supplied with a valuable
assortment of goods for trade, and their destination is Lac de la
Vieille, in the very centre of the Algonquin hunting-grounds."
This was a most important piece of intelligence: some of these Indians
had been supplied at Fort Coulonge, some at my post, and all of them
were deeply indebted at the Lake of Two Mountains. I passed the day in
the anxious expectation of seeing Mr. S., or at least receiving
instructions from him with reference to these people. No one coming, I
resolved to proceed to Fort Coulonge, and communicate _viva voce_ the
information I had received.
Late in the evening, I embarked in a small canoe, with two men, and
reached the Fort at early dawn; and rousing Mr. S. from his slumbers,
I at once announced the object of my visit.
"Well," said he, "this requires consideration: retire to rest, and I
shall think about it."
I retired accordingly, and slept till breakfast-time, when the subject
was discussed; and his decision was, that I should send one of the two
young men who were at my post in pursuit of the Iroquois, with
instructions to follow them up, until the season should be so far
advanced as merely to admit of his return by open water, unless the
Iroquois pitched their tent before then.
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