| |
Pathfinding on Plain
and Prairie
Stirring Scenes of Life in the Canadian North-West, By John McDougall |
Contents
-
Chapter I.
"Thin leather homes"—Drudgery of the Indian women —Occupations of the
men—Hunting parties and scalping forays—Triumphs of endurance
-
Chapter II.
Camping in the snow—Our costume—Brilliant sunrise effects—Maple and her
pups found at last—Striking example of "dog sense"—The Fort Garry packet
-
Chapter Ill.
We visit Edmonton—Nature's grand cathedral—Adventure with a buffalo
bull—A trip to Pigeon Lake— Racing with flog-teams—An infidel
blacksmith— Old Joseph proves an unerring guide—Caching our provisions
-
Chapter IV.
Epidemic breaks out among the Indians—Snow-blindness—I take to me a
wife—Our modest dowry—My father officiates as a Stationing
Committee—Fearful mortality among the Indians—Our journey to Pigeon
Lake—The epidemic attacks our camp—A rude hospital—An exciting buffalo
hunt—Chased by a maddened bull—Narrow escape
-
Chapter V.
Our caravan moves on—Difficulties of packing—Oliver's adventures with a
buffalo—Novel method of "blaztag" a path—Arrival at Pigeon
Lake—House-building—Abundance of fish—Indians camp about the Mission—I
form many enduring friendships— Indians taught fishing with nets
-
Chapter VI.
We are visited by a band of Crees—Our guests steal away with a bunch of
horses—Stonies set out in hot pursuit—Little William's strategy—horses
recaptured —We begin farming operations—Arrival of Mr. Steinhaner—Home
to Victoria again—A memorable Sabbath—My gun bursts—Narrow escape—My
mother's cares and anxieties—Home-made furniture
-
Chapter VII.
I travel with Maskepetoon's camp—Effects of environment on the
Indians—Nature's grandeur and beauty —Degradation through paganism—The
noble Chief Maskepetoon—Indian councils—On the fringe of the buffalo
herds—Indian hey lost—A false conjurer —The lad recovered
-
Chapter VIII.
The "Thirst Dance"—" Tobacco messages "—The head conjurer-.-" Dancing
lodges"—The rendezvous— The "idol tree "Meeting of the head conjurer
and the chief of the warriors—An anxious moment— Building the "temple
"—Self-torture, dancing and sacrifices— The festival concluded—Romantic
situation for our camp
-
Chapter IX
Our great camp a study of native types—I attend a "wolf feast "—A
disgusting orgie_Paul and I start for home—Our horses stampede—Difficult
tracking —Enormous herd of buffalo—Home again and all well—Party of
half-breeds from the Red River settlement visit our Mission—Father
returns, bringing a brother and sister from Ontario
-
Chapter X.
We return to Pigeon Lake—"Scarred Thigh" exchanged for "Blackfoot
"—Planting Gospel seed— We organize a buffalo hunt— A moose chase—The
buffalo as a "path-finder "—We encounter a hostile camp—All night on
guard—My friend Mark's daring exploit—Wood Stonies visit the Mission—
Gambling, polygamy and superstition among the Indians
-
Chapter XI.
We return to Victoria—War parties abroad—Father's influence over the
Indians—We organize a big fresh meat hunt—David's first buffalo
hunt—Marks adventure with a war party—Surrounded by wolves —Incidents of
our journey—Preparing for the winter
-
Chapter XII.
Visit to Whitefish Lake—A devoted Indian missionary —Mark and I go out
after buffalo—Mark proves himself a brilliant hunter—Our camp visited by
wolves - Muddy Bull's generosity—We reach home with full loads of meat
-
Chapter XIII.
run to Edmonton—Mr. Hardisty and other Hudson's Bay Company officers
spend New Year's with us —Sports and amusements—Our party sets out for
Mountain House--I experience a "scare "—Intense cold—A cunning
dog—Mishaps to a cariole— In the foot-hills—My first view of the
Rockies—Hearty reception at Mountain House—Back to Victoria
-
Chapter XIV.
Home occupations—A courae of lectures—Mark and Jimmie as s-aeonteu-ra—Mark's
success as a deerkiller—A buffalo chase on a dog-sled—Our first child is
born—Chickens at eight shillings apiece
-
Chapter XV.
David and I visit Lac la Biche—High-priced seed wheat —Our party sets
out for Pigeon Lake—Old Joseph —Paul Chian —Samson—Ourlarder depleted—We
organize a hunt—Precarious living—Old Paul proves himself a skilful
guide—Samson tells of a tragic murder by Blackfeet—We move
cautiously—Broiled owlets as a delicacy—I shoot an elk—Little Paul's
flint-lock hangs fire—Samson's brilliant hunting feats—Feasting on
antlers
-
Chapter XVI.
Samson and I go on a moose hunt—Samson's clever tracking—He comes up
with the moose and tries a shot—No bullet in the gun—Two dejected
hunters return to the camp—We have better luck next time —Roses make a
thorny path—We disturb a band of wolves—Samson stampedes them with his
riding. whip—" Firing Stony" and I go hunting—I bring down a noble
elk—Novel method of fishing
-
Chapter XVII.
Our camp visited by a band of Mountain Stonies—My schooling in the
university of frontier life—Back to our Mission again—Limited
cuisine—Home-made agricultural implements—We visit Victoria—Off to Fort
Canton for Mission supplies—Inquisitive Chippewyans—My eldest sister
married to Mr. Hardisty, of the Hudson's Bay Company—The honeymoon trip
to Mountain House—Rival sportsmen —Charging a flock of wild geese at
full gallop— Return to Pigeon Lake—Our work extending.
-
Chapter XVIII.
Father visits our Mission—A dream that proved a portent—Drowning of Mr.
Connor—"Straight fish" diet—We are visited by a war party of Crees—I am
given a problem to solve—Francis and I set out to seek fresh
provisions—Feasting on fat bear steaks— A lonely Christmas—Mr. Hardisty
visits us—We in turn visit Mountain House—A hard winter in the
Saskatchewan country—Rations on short allowance —A run to Victoria
—David and I have a hard experience-Father and mother as "good
Samaritans"
-
Chapter XIX.
We start out to hunt for buffalo—Fish and frozen turnips —A depleted
larder—David's bag of barley meal— At the point of starvation—We strike
Maskepetoon's camp—An Indian burial—Old Joseph dying —We leave the
camp—Generous hospitality—A fortunate meeting —Frostbites -A. bitterly
cold night—Unexpected visitors—Striking instance of devotion—I suffer
from snowshoe cramp—Arrival at Victoria—Old Joseph's burial—Back to
Pigeon Lake
-
Chapter XX.
My brother a "ready-made pioneer "—Hunting rabbits —Two roasted rabbits
per man for supper—I find my friend, Firing Stony, in a flourishing
condition —Poisoning wolves—A good morning's sport—I secure a wolf, two
foxes and a mink—Firing Stony poisons his best dog-1 enjoy a meal of
bear's ribs —I meet with a severe accident—Samson treats me to a
memorable feast
-
Chapter XXI.
Alternate feasting and fasting—We start out on a buffalo hunt—Old Paul
brings down a fine moose—Providential provision—Enoch Crawler kills
another moose—Magnificent landscapes—Entering the great treeless
plains—Wonderful mirages—We come upon the tracks of buffalo—Our men
shoot a huge grizzly —Charging a bunch of cows—A lively chase—Samson's
plucky plunge over a bank after the buffalo— I chase and kill a fine
cow—The camp busy killing and making provisions—Guarding against hostile
Indians
-
Chapter XXII.
A
busy camp—Process of butchering and drying meat— How pemmican is
made—Our camp in peril—Chasing a herd of buffalo up a steep bank—Mark
scores a point on me—We encounter a war party of Blackfeet—A fortunate
rain-storm—A mirage gives us a false alarm—Unwritten laws as to rights
of hunters
-
Chapter XXIII.
Into the timber country again—Craving for vegetable food—Wild rhubarb a
treat—I shoot a big beaver— My horse objects to carrying it—A race for
the life of my child—Terrific fight between my dogs and a huge
wolverine—Reach Pigeon Lake and find father there—Anxiety felt for our
party—A meagre bill of fare—A visit to Victoria-1 narrowly escape
drowning—Father leaves for Ontario, taking with him my three
sisters—Francis leaves us to return to Victoria —My varied offices among
the Indians
-
Chapter XXIV.
Our first interment—Jacob's tragic death—Hostile Flatheads in quest of
horses, scalps and glory—Stonies attacked by a party of Blackfeet—A hot
fusiladeMark's father is killed—Destitution prevalent— Hunting lynx—My
(logs seized with distemper—All have to be shot—Another provision hunt
organized —Among the buffalo—I narrowly escape being shot —Heterogeneous
character of our camp—Mutual distrust and dislikes—United by fear of a
common foe—The effects of Christianity
-
Chapter XXV.
Through new country—"Greater Canada"—Antelopes —Startling effects of
mirage—War parties keep us on the alert—Remarkable speed of a plain
Cree—A curious superstition—A Cree's gruesome story— Returning with
carts fully loaded—Followed by hostile Indians—I sight and chase a
"sitting" bull —My shot wounds him—Paula son thrown under the brute's
feet—Firing Stony's clever shot to the rescue—We arrive at the
Mission—Road-making
-
Chapter XXVI.
Another visit to Victoria—Fall in with a war party of Kootenays and
Flatheads—Sanison and I go moose- hunting —A Sabbath afternoon
experience—A band of moose enjoy Sabbath immunity—I start out to meet
father returning from the East—The glorious Saskatchewan Valley—Call at
Fort Pitt —Equinoctial storms—Entertained by a French half-breed
family—Meet Mr. Hardisty and one of my sisters - Camp-fire chat—Meeting
with father—Rev. Peter Campbell and others with his party—Father relates
his experience in the East—Rev. Geo. Young sent to Red River Settlement
and Rev. E. R. Young to Norway House
-
Chapter XXVII.
Father pushes on for home in advance—Hard times for the "tenderfeet "—A
plunge into icy water—My brother David gallops into camp—His high
spirits prove infectious—Kindness of the Hudson's Bay Company—Oxen sent
to help us in to Victoria—A mutinous camp-follower—My threat of a sound
thrashing subdues the mutineer—Our long journey is ended—Adieu to my
readers
|
|