ANCIENT HUDSON S BAY COMPANY WAKENS UP 33 



who had brought the large brigade from Montreal, 

 inarched across the prairie to Fort Gibraltar, captured 

 Mr. Cameron, plundered all the Nor Westers stores, 

 and burned the fort to the ground. By way of retalia 

 tion for MacDonelPs expulsion, the North- West partner 

 was shipped down to Hudson Bay, where he might as 

 well have been on Devil s Island for all the chance of 

 escape. 



One company at fault as often as the other, similar 

 outrages were perpetrated in all parts of the north fur 

 country, the blood of rival traders being spilt with 

 out a qualm of conscience or thought of results. The 

 effect of this conflict among white men on the blood 

 thirsty red-skins one may guess. The Bois-Brules were 

 clamouring for Cuthbert Grant s permission to wipe 

 the English meaning the Hudson s Bay men off the 

 earth; and the Swampy Crees and Saulteaux undei* 

 Chief Peguis were urging Governor Semple to let 

 them defend the Hudson s Bay meaning kill the Nor 

 Westers. 



The crisis followed sharp on the destruction of 

 Fort Gibraltar. That post had sent all supplies to 

 North- West forts. If Fort Douglas of the Hudson s 

 Bay Company, past which North- West canoes must pad 

 dle to turn westward to the plains, should intercept the 

 incoming brigade of Nor Westers supplies, what 

 would become of the two thousand North- West traders 

 and voyageurs and engages inland? Whether the Hud 

 son s Bay had such intentions or not, the Nor Westers 

 were determined to prevent the possibility. 



Like the red cross that called ancient clans to arms, 

 fccouts went scouring across the plains to rally the Bois- 

 f rules from Portage la Prairie and Souris and Qu Ap- 

 4 



