208 TJie Ho7iie of the Wolverene and Beaver. 



medicine." Determined to circumvent these pirates, 

 Mr. Stuart proposed that they should all make an 

 effort to convey the goods across during the night, 

 when the suspicious robbers would be sleeping, and 

 so well was this manoeuvre executed that when day 

 dawned only two boat-loads remained to be carried 

 over. The men were despatched with one of these, 

 and Messrs. Reed and McLellan remained to guard 

 the other until their return. But alas ! the glitter of 

 the "great medicine" suspended from the Irish- 

 man's back caught the eyes of the Indians, who, 

 yelling out the war-whoop, sprang upon theii prey. 

 After the fash"on of his countrymen this gentleman 

 had carefully covered the lock of his rifle when he 

 was most likely to want it, and whilst endeavouring 

 to remove the obstacle, a blow on the head from a 

 w^ar-club stretched him senseless, and in the 

 twinkling of an eye his active assailants had gained 

 possession of his rifle, pistol, and tin box, with 

 which they made off as fast as their legs would 

 carry them. In the mean time some of the other 

 savages made an attempt on the goods guarded by 

 McLellan, and one of their number advancing 

 towards that gentleman, endeavoured to fling his 

 buffalo robe in his eyes with one hand, and to stab 

 him with the other ; but McLellan was too quick 

 for him, he saw the meditated treachery, and 



