FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144  
145   146   147   148   >>  
d. The North-Westers read the proclamation, and--prosecuted their business as before. In such circumstances quarrels were unavoidable, but they were generally settled with _ink_; a collision ultimately took place that led to the shedding of blood. The North-Westers had collected a large supply of provisions at their depot, and were about to forward it to the place of embarkation, when they were informed--falsely, as it afterwards appeared,--that the Governor intended to waylay and seize the provisions. A report, equally false, was brought to the Governor, that the North-Westers had assembled a strong force of half-breeds to attack the fort. These lying rumours led to an unhappy catastrophe. The Governor sent out scouts to watch the North-West party; and ascertaining that they were on their march with an unusual force,--which they had brought in order to repel the attack which they supposed was to be made upon them,--he seized his arms, and marched with his whole party to meet them. The North-Westers seeing them approach, halted, and standing to their arms, sent forward one of their number to demand whether Mr. Semple and his party were for peace or war. During the interview a shot was fired--it is a matter in dispute to this day who fired it--the half-breeds immediately poured a volley into the ranks of their opponents, and brought down nearly all the gentlemen of the party, including the unfortunate Governor; the remainder fled to the fort, so closely pursued, that friend and foe entered together. Thus the poor settlers found themselves suddenly surrounded by all the horrors of war; their anticipated paradise converted into a field of blood; husbands and brothers killed; their little property pillaged, and their persons in the power of their enemies. An arrangement, however, was entered into by the rival Companies, that allowed the emigrants to take possession of the lands allotted to them, and in the course of a few years their labour had made a sensible impression on the forest. Cattle were sent out from England; pigs and poultry followed, and honest Donald was beginning to find himself at his ease, when, lo! all his dreams of future wealth and happiness vanished in a moment. Red River overflowed its banks, and inundated the whole settlement. This extraordinary flood caused immense loss; it overthrew houses, swept away the cattle, and utterly ruined the crops of the season. The buffaloes, however, proved a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144  
145   146   147   148   >>  



Top keywords:
Westers
 

Governor

 

brought

 
breeds
 

entered

 

forward

 

attack

 

provisions

 

property

 

pillaged


killed

 
brothers
 

husbands

 
persons
 
enemies
 

Companies

 

allowed

 

emigrants

 

cattle

 

converted


arrangement

 

utterly

 

anticipated

 

buffaloes

 

season

 
friend
 

proved

 

closely

 

pursued

 

horrors


ruined

 

houses

 
surrounded
 

suddenly

 

settlers

 

paradise

 

Donald

 

beginning

 

honest

 

poultry


inundated
 
happiness
 

vanished

 

moment

 

wealth

 
future
 

dreams

 
overflowed
 
England
 

immense