370 INDIAIS MASSACRE. 



skulking round the ice, trailing liis gun after him, at 

 full cock. He made him take his gim back, and 

 "gave him a good scolding," hut on going to the 

 guns which were placed at a distance on the bank he 

 found them all at full cock, and shortly saw more of 

 the Indians stealing round under cover of the willows 

 to endeavour to get behind the Esquimaux ; he 

 stopped these, but observed that, notwithstanding, half 

 only of the Indians were dancing to engage the 

 attention of the Esquimaux, while the rest were 

 seeking to fall upon them in the rear. He called on 

 Manuel to aid him in preventing the accomplishment 

 of this treacherous design, but Manuel replied that if 

 they wanted to kill them he should not stop them, 

 but would rather push them on; that it w^as no business 

 of theirs, &c. Failing to interest his own comrade in 

 averting the catastrophe, M'Kay addressed himself to 

 one of the chiefs of the Indians and threatened him 

 with the anger of the Company's officer at the neigh- 

 bouring post if this act were perpetrated : the Indian 

 promised that they would not fire at them, and M'Kay 

 hoped he had succeeded in stopping the murderous 

 deed. The weather was at this time chilly, and as 

 M'Kay had slipped into the water on landing, he ran 

 off to a fire which the other two men of his party had 

 made at a little distance, as he was now^ quite satisfied 



