d
Laguimoniere, who had travelled two thousand miles on foot with the
information. On receipt of this news Selkirk became even more urgent
in his appeals for armed assistance. 'If, however, your Excellency,'
he wrote to Drummond on April 23, 'persevere in your intention to do
nothing till you receive further instructions, there is a probability
almost amounting to a certainty that another season must be lost before
the requisite force can be sent up--during another year the settlers
must remain exposed to {94} attack, and there is every reason to expect
that in consequence of this delay many lives may be lost.'

Lord Selkirk wished to send a message of encouragement to his people in
the colony. Laguimoniere, the wonderful Canadian wood-runner, would
carry it. He wrote a number of letters, telling of his arrival in
Canada, giving assurance of his deep concern for the settlement's
welfare, and promising to come to the aid of the colonists as soon as
the rivers were free of ice, with whatever force he could muster.
Bearing these letters, the messenger set out on his journey over the
wild spaces between Montreal and the Red River. In some way his
mission became known to the Nor'westers at Fort William, for on June 3
Archibald Norman M'Leod, a partner of the North-West Company, issued an
order that Selkirk's courier should be intercepted. Near Fond du Lac,
at the western end of Lake Superior, Laguimoniere was waylaid and
robbed. The letters which he carried were taken to Fort William, where
several of them were found later.

As we have seen in the last chapter, it was in this same month that
Alexander Macdonell, at Portage la Prairie, was organizing his {95}
half-breeds for a raid on Fort Douglas. His brigade, as finally made
up, consisted of about seventy Bois Brules, Canadians, and Indians, all
well armed and mounted. As soon as these troopers were ready to
advance, Macdonell surrendered the leadership to Cuthbert Grant,
deeming it wise not to take part in the raid himself. The marauders
then marched out in the direction of the settlement.

The settlers in the meantime were not wholly oblivious of the danger
threatening them. There was a general feeling of insecurity in the
colony, and a regular watch had been instituted at Fort Douglas to
guard against a surprise attack. Governor Semple, however, did not
seem to take a very serious view of the situation. He was about to
depart to York Factory on business.