Volume 1

CHARLO DYING—CHILD TORN ASUNDER.
l6l
stuck
on, and bandaged, as best the drunken people could,
in hopes it would grow again. The quarrel proceeded from
jealousy.
Sunday, Dec. 21st. Sent two men with an Indian guide
to take a stallion and a mare to Red lake, whence Michel
Cadotte will forward them to Mr. Grant at Rainy lake.
They both are in high order, without sore backs. On the
22d the plains were covered with buffalo
I went hunting on foot with one of my men ;
in every direction.
we killed
three cows. My people killed three bulls within 100
yards of the stockades, which served for our dogs. Next
day all hands went for meat with sleighs. On the 24th
my two men returned from Portage la Prairie with letters
of the 15th inst. The people are starving in that quarter,
Thursday, Dec. 25th— Christmas. Treated my people
with high wine, flour, and sugar. 26th. Crow came in with
his brother Charlo on a travaille, at the point of death.
28th. Sent two men to make salt, near the entrance of the
little river. I was informed of a cruel affair which happened
two years ago at Red lake. The woman is here to
whom the affair happened. It seems her husband was a
young Indian by whom she had one child, but who thought
proper to have two wives. Not liking this, she joined
another camp, where she took a new husband. Soon after
this second marriage, the two camps met and had a drinking
match. The first husband went to his rival, and insisted
upon taking the child, telling him he might keep the
woman, as he did not want her. They were both
scoundrels ; the child was not many months old. The
father caught hold of one leg of the child, saying he would
have him ; the husband caught hold of the other leg,
saying the father should not take him away. They began
to pull and haul ; on a sudden the father gave a jerk; and
the other resisting, the child was torn asunder. Charlo
lies here very sick ; he is troubled with an ugly cough,
and can scarcely move. His brothers have only been once
to see him ; they have no more feeling than brutes, and have