46 THE STORY OF THE TRAPPER 



In the ruins of their post was enacted a fitting finale 

 to the turbulent conflicts of the American traders. The 

 Deschamps family, who had perpetrated the worst 

 butcheries on the field of Seven Oaks, in the fight be 

 tween Hudson s Bay and Nor Westers, had acted as in 

 terpreters for the Rocky Mountain trappers. Boast 

 ful of their murderous record in Canada, the father, 

 mother, and eight grown children were usually so vio 

 lent in their carousals that Hamilton, the English 

 gentleman, used to quiet their outrage and prevent 

 trouble by dropping laudanum in their cups. Once they 

 slept so heavily that the whole fort was in a panic lest 

 their sleep lasted to eternity; but the revellers came 

 to life defiant as ever. At Union was a very handsome 

 young half-breed fellow by the name of Gardepie, whose 

 life the Deschamps harpies attempted to take from 

 sheer jealousy and love of crime. Joined by two free 

 trappers, Gardepie killed the elder Deschamps one 

 morning at breakfast with all the gruesome mutilation 

 of Indian custom. He at the same time wounded a 

 younger son. Spurred by the hag-like mother and 

 nerved to the deed with alcohol, the Deschamps under 

 took to avenge their father s death by killing all the 

 whites of the fur post. One man had fallen when the 

 alarm was carried to Fort Union. 



Twice had the Deschamps robbed Fort Union. 

 Many trappers had been assassinated by a Deschamps. 

 Indians had been flogged by them for no other purpose 

 than to inflict torture. Beating on the doors of Fort 

 Union, the wife of their last victim called out that the 

 Deschamps were on the war-path. 



The traders of Fort Union solemnly raised hands 

 and took an oath to exterminate the murderous clan. 



