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Page 54
The chief hesitated; and at this critical moment the interpreter's
wife[1] stepped forward, and by her presence of mind saved him and the
establishment.
[1] This woman is the daughter of Mr. James MacDougal, a
gentleman who had a chief hand in the settlement of the
district. He served the Company for a period of thirty-five
years, enduring all the hardships that were in his time
inseparable from an Indian trader's life; and was dismissed
from their service, in old age, without a pension, to starve
on such little savings as he had effected out of his salary.
He is still alive (1841), struggling with adversity.
Observing one of the inferior chiefs, who had always professed the
greatest friendship for the whites, standing in the crowd, she
addressed herself to him, exclaiming, "What! you a friend of the
whites, and not say a word in their behalf at such a time as this!
Speak! you know the murderer deserved to die; according to your own
laws the deed was just; it is blood for blood. The white men are not
dogs; they love their kindred as well as you; why should they not
avenge their murder?"
The moment the heroine's voice was heard the tumult subsided; her
boldness struck the savages with awe; the chief she addressed, acting
on her suggestion, interfered; and being seconded by the old chief,
who had no serious intention of injuring the whites, was satisfied
with showing them that they were fairly in his power. Mr. Douglas and
his men were set at liberty; and an amicable conference having taken
place, the Indians departed much elated with the issue of their
enterprise.
A personal adventure of Waccan's is worth recording. An interpreter, a
Cree half-breed, had been murdered by the Indians of Babine post with
circumstances of great barbarity; and the perpetrators of the deed
were allowed to exult in the shedding of innocent blood with impunity,
one feeble, ineffectual attempt only having been made to chastise
them. Waccan, however, determined that the matter should not end thus,
the victim being his adopted brother. Having been sent to Babine post
with an Indian lad, he learned from him that the murderers were
encamped in a certain bay on Stuart's Lake, and resolved to seize the
long wished-for opportunity of revenge; but fearing for his
companion's safety more than his own, he landed him at a considerable
distance from the camp, directing him to make the best of his way home
if he should hear many shots.
He then paddled down as near the camp as he could without being
discovered, and landing, threw off every article of clothing save a
shred round his loins; and with his gun in the one hand, and dagger in
the other, proceeded to the spot. Having approached sufficiently near
to see all that passed in the encampment, he squatted among the
bushes, and watching his opportunity, "picked off" the ringleader;
then rushing from his covert, and giving the war whoop, he planted his
dagger in his heart almost before the Indians had time to know what
had happened. Seeing the infuriated "avenger of blood" in the midst of
them, they fled precipitately to the woods. Waccan dared them to
revenge the death of the "dead dog" who had murdered his brother.
"Come," said he, "you that were so brave at Babine Lake, and danced
round the body of him whom you did not face, but knocked down when his
back was to you, now is your time to show yourselves _men_."
No one answering the challenge, he shouldered his gun, walked along
the beach to his canoe, and paddling leisurely off from the shore,
sang the Cree song of triumph.
CHAPTER XX.
APPOINTED TO THE CHARGE OF FORT GEORGE--MURDER OF MR. YALE'S
MEN--MYSTERIOUS LOSS OF MR. LINTON AND FAMILY--ADVENTURES OF LEATHER
PARTY--FAILURE OF CROPS--INFLUENZA.
In the beginning of September, Mr. Ogden arrived from Fort Vancouver,
and I was appointed by him to the charge of Fort George, whither I
proceeded forthwith. Mr. Linton, my predecessor, was directed to wait
the arrival of the party sent to Jasper's house for a supply of
leather, ere he took his departure for Chilcotin, an outpost of Fort
Alexandria.
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