By canoe and dog-train among the Cree and Salteaux Indians / by Egerton Ryerson Young.

  • Egerton Ryerson Young
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: By canoe and dog-train among the Cree and Salteaux Indians / by Egerton Ryerson Young. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    detained in the settlement. Two of our party were detailed each night to act as a guard. One evening, as Dr. Young's son George and I, who had been selected for this duty, were about start- ing from the camp for our post, I overheard our old veteran guide, the Eev. George McDougall, say, in a bantering sort of way, Pretty guards they are ! Why, some of my Indian boys could go and steal every horse from them without the slightest trouble. Stung to the quick by the remark, I replied, Mr. McDougall, I think I have the best horse in the company; but if you or any of your Indians can steal him out of that barn between simdown and sunrise, you may keep him ! We tethered the horses in a hne, and fastened securely aU the doors but the large front one. We arranged our seats where we were partially concealed, but where we could see our horses, and could command every door with our rifles. In quiet tones we chatted about various things, until about one o'clock, when all became hushed and still. The novelty of the situation impressed me, and, sitting there in the darkness, I could not help contrast- ing my present position with the one I had occupied a few weeks before. Then the pastor of a city Church, in the midst of a blessed revival, surrounded by all the comforts of civiUsation; now out here in Minnesota, in this barn, sitting on a bundle of praii-ie grass through the long hours of night with a breech- loading rifle in hand, guarding a number of horses from a band of horse-thieves. Hush! what is that? A hand is surely on the door feeling for the wooden latch. We mentally say, You have made too much noise, Mr. Thief, for your purpose, and you are discovered. Soon the door opened a little. As it was a beautiful starhght night, the form of a tall man was plainly visible in the opening. Covering him with my rifle, and about to fire, quick as a flash came the thought, Better be sure that that man is a horse-thief, or one intent on evil, ere you fire; for it is at any time a serious thing to send a soul so suddenly into eternity. So keeping my rifle to my shoulder, I shouted out, Who's there ]