Volume 1

438 WHOM AND WHAT THE SIOUX MISSED.
Perce, but never suspected it to be an enemy's track ; supposing
it had been made by a war-party of Saulteurs, he
went down to the river to water his horse. There he found
the Sioux camp, which they had not left more than three
hours before. Still suspecting no enemy, he came on to
Two Rivers about dusk, and perceived the freemen's carts
and horses upon the bank ; he supposed the men had gone
down to the river to drink, and thought it a favorable opportunity
to pass them ;
so he slipped by quietly, and remained
ignorant of the danger he had escaped until we informed him.
It is really astonishing what a narrow escape these freemen
had from this war-party. Furthermore, their track in coming
and going along Red river passed within nine miles of a
camp of freemen on Park river, where there were but three
men, with upward of 20 women and children, and 100 excellent
horses belonging to themselves and to those of my
people who had gone to Fort William. This would have
been a noble prize for them» well worth the trouble of coming
for.
July 26th. There was due the Indians a keg of liquor,
payable in the fall by a freeman ; but the fellow imprudently
gave it to them this afternoon, which made them
more troublesome than I ever before knew them to be.
The freemen went for their carts to Two Rivers. I sent
T. Vaudrie and another man to Bas de la Riviere, with
letters. 28th. My hen hatched only 7 chickens out of
12 eggs. I now have a flock of 18, large and small. 2gth.
The freemen and Indians decamped for the mountain, to
hunt red deer and moose in the strong wood. This afternoon
13 men arrived, five days from Red lake, with skins
and furs to trade for tobacco and ammunition. 31st.
Indians arrived from below, with skins for liquor.
Monday, Aug. ist. Indians left and others arrived.
Made up 30 bags of pemmican. Men hunting toward Park
river. 2d. Men all off with the Indians for their skins.
Our H. B. Co. neighbors dare not stir from their fort, they
are so much in dread of the Sioux. 3d, Once more clear