Volume 1

SOME FRESH ALERTS.
IO3
canoe. One of my men got an ugly cut in the leg with an
ax. I shot a large fat heron [Ardea herodias] which my
men prefer to bear meat. Wind, N. E., wild fowl passing
in abundance ; the leaves are falhng, having turned yellow
a few days ago. My hunter returned, having killed a bear
and some wild fowl. I took a ride northward, but saw only
two bulls and three bears, on the E. side of Red river. No
buffalo to be seen on the W. side ; they appear to have
gone toward the Hair hills.
Sept. 26th. I went on foot to shoot wild fowl along the
river below. I saw a large she bear with two cubs on
the E. side, but it would have been of no use to fire at
them
;
a shot might have hit one, but I had no way to
cross. I saw also a fisher [Miistela pe7inanti\ on the same
side, but returned with only a few ducks and pheasants
{Bonasa umbellus\ My hunter had killed a red deer;
Crooked Legs, a bear; and Desmarais, four geese.
Sept. 2yth. An Indian came in early from the Salt River
camp, and informed me they had been alarmed and were all
gone on discoveries. One of them positively said he saw a
man, who hid in the grass and willows. Another said he
found the spot on the beach where a person had laid grass
and sticks on the mud on purpose to drink, the prints of the
hands being very plain. It appeared to them this must have
been done by a stranger. We awaited with anxiety the result
of this affair. Toward evening we saw Crow's family
coming round the point ; they camped with us. They said
they heard firing to the S., and Aceguemanche insisted that
he had seen a man in the grass with a gun, who ran away
and disappeared in the woods. They plagued me a long
time for liquor, but I would give them none. This alert
will injure my returns, as the Indians had found some
beavers' cabins and were preparing to hunt when they got
alarmed. We had a hard frost last night; the water in
our kettles this morning had a covering of ice about a
quarter of an inch thick.
Sunday, Sept. 28th. The Indians paid their debts this