Volume 1

i68
maymiutch's lament—waquetoe's revenge.
Goodwin, who is
a doctor, threw bad medicine on him and
his family. He says further that the Indians at Bois Perce
advised him to be revenged on us for the death of his
brother ;
but that he had rejected their proposal, telling
them it was not we who had occasioned Charlo's death, and
that he always knew his brother was a bad Indian, who
lived in all kinds of wickedness, stealing horses, cheating the
traders, and never paying his debts ; so that, even had we
caused his brother's death, he never would harbor any
thoughts of revenge ; his heart was too weak to permit him
to injure people who had always been charitable to him,
and provided him with necessaries to bring up his children
and supply their daily wants. The end of this was, I must
give him some liquor to wash the grief from his heart, as it
was very much oppressed.
Jan. igth. Most of the Indians camped at the fort, having
left off hunting.
A bull followed the plains road within
about 40 yards of the fort, when he was perceived by the
Indians and fired at. The ball went into one eye and came
out of the other. The poor blinded animal ran at random
against the trees and stumps, and was dispatched with an
ax. This was excellent sport for the Indians. Shortly
after another came by the same route, and was shot dead
within 50 paces of the stockades. This evening, in a drinking
match, Wayquetoe shot an arrow at his wife, which
entered her right side below the ribs, and was pulled out
on the left ; at the same time he fired another at her supposed
beloved, and shot him through the arm.
The woman
lies dangerously ill.
My winter stock of provision is complete—all good, fat
buffalo meat, and my men have little to do. They, therefore,
amuse themselves by sliding down the bank on sleighs
from the S. gate. Their descent is so great as to cause
their trains to run across Red river. The Indian women
join them, and they have excellent sport. They have given
over trapping since Christmas, as they took nothing worth
their while.
Indians go hunting on the E. side of the river,