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Page 28
A shanty that had been recently occupied, afforded me comfortable
lodgings for the night, and I arrived at Fort Coulonge about noon next
day, where I passed the night, and started for the outpost. Here I
remained two days, and would have remained still longer, had it not
been discovered one morning that our opponents were off in the
direction of my outpost on the Bonne Chere. As the Indians in that
quarter were excellent hunters, and owed me much, I deemed it
advisable to follow them; my friends, too, sent an interpreter and
three men along with me, for the purpose of trading what they could on
account of their own post--_chacun pour soi_ being the order of the
day.
We soon overtook our opponents, and I resolved, if possible, to give
them the slip by the way. Accordingly, when within a day's journey of
the establishment, I pretended to have sprained my foot so badly, that
I walked with the greatest seeming difficulty. My men, who were aware
of the ruse, requested me to place my bundle on their sledges, to
enable me to keep up with them. This farce commenced in the evening.
Next morning my leg was worse than ever, until we came on the river at
about ten miles' distance from the post. I was delighted to find but
little snow upon the ice, so that I had a fair opportunity of putting
the metal of my legs to the test, and the opposition party having
sledges heavily laden, I walked hard, my foot on a sudden becoming
perfectly sound, in order to tire them as much as possible before I
bolted. Having apparently effected my purpose, I set off at the top of
my speed, and never looked behind me until I had cleared the first
long reach, when turning round, I saw a man in pursuit about half-way
across; I started again, and saw no more of my pursuer.
On arriving at the post I was gratified to learn that the Indians,
whom I was so anxious about, had been in a few days previously, while
our opponents were off in another direction; so that they had been
seen by none save our own people. Finding two men at home, I proceeded
with them to the Indian camp, and arrived at dawn of day. I met with a
very friendly reception, and had the good fortune to prevail upon the
Indians to deliver me their furs upon the spot, which formed a very
heavy load for both myself and men. We met our opponents in returning;
but though they had ocular proof of my success, they nevertheless went
on to the camp.
Having arrived at the post, I found some Indians there all
intoxicated; I was also mortified to find the person in charge in the
same state. I immediately displaced him, and made over the charge,
_pro tempore_, to one of the men. The conduct of my worthless deputy
hurt me so much that I could not remain another night under the same
roof with him. I therefore set off on my return to the Chats, although
already late in the afternoon, expecting to reach the first shanty in
the early part of the night.
The Bonne Chere river is very rapid in the upper part, and does not
"set fast"[1] until late in the season, unless the cold be very intense.
I arrived at this part soon after night-fall, and perceiving by the
clear light of the moon the dangers in my way, I deemed it imprudent
to proceed farther; and having nothing to strike fire with, I cut a
few branches of balsam and strewed them under the spreading boughs of
a large cedar, and wrapping myself up in my blanket, lay down. The
weather being mild, I thought I could sleep comfortably without fire;
but was mistaken. When I awoke from my first sleep, which must have
been sound, I found my limbs stiff with cold, while my teeth chattered
violently in my head. To remain in this condition till daylight was
almost certain death; I resolved, therefore, at all hazards to find my
way to the shanty, which might be about ten miles distant. The light
of the moon being very bright, enabled me to avoid the openings in the
ice, and by moving on cautiously, about three o'clock in the morning I
reached the shanty; which belonged to a warm-hearted son of Erin, who
received me with the characteristic hospitality of his countrymen,
placing before me the best his cabin afforded, and with his own
blankets and those of his men making up a comfortable bed, on which I
slept till late in the day, and next night in my own bed.
[1] Freeze.
As the greater part of my customers wintered in the vicinity of the
outpost, and I had no longer any confidence in the person in charge
there, I resolved on passing the remainder of the winter at it myself;
I therefore requested that a person should be sent up from the Lake of
Two Mountains to take care of the establishment during my absence. On
the arrival of this person, I proceeded to the outpost, but shall pass
over the transactions that occurred there, being similar in all
respects to those already narrated. One circumstance, however,
occurred, which, though not in my vocation, I think worthy of notice.
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