AN UNPLEASANT ADVENTURE. 39 



there would probably be a fight, I refused, telling them that I 

 had very little of it, and was keeping it for medicine. 



This did not satisfy them, however ; and seeing that we had 

 only one place in the room where it could be kept a box 

 which stood under the window A-ta-ka-koup opened this and 

 took out the keg. I was standing near him, and at once 

 snatched it from him and threw it into a corner, and catching 

 up an axe I stood in front of it. We had one candle burning 

 in the room, as it was nearly dark and we were on the point of 

 going to bed when the Indians came in. A-ta-ka-koup's son- 

 in-law seized this, and throwing it down put his foot on it. I 

 saw that this meant a fight, in which knives would be used, 

 and that I had better get outside as soon as possible; so I 

 went down on my hands and knees, taking the keg under one 

 arm, and keeping close to the logs, as being the safest place, 

 I made for the door, which was on the opposite side of the 

 room. 



I got on very well till I reached this, hearing the Indians 

 searching for me and now and then touching them ; but here 

 I crawled between the outspread legs of one of them, who had 

 set his back against the door, and who at once struck down 

 with his knife, cutting me badly in the back. I seized him 

 by the legs and upset him behind me, caught up a double gun 

 which was close at hand, and opening the door I went out and 

 closed it after me, drawing out the latch-string the latch 

 being on the outside. 



Immediately on getting out of the house, I beat in the head 

 of the keg with the butt of my gun and spilt the contents on 

 the snow; the Indians bursting open the door as I did so 

 made a rush at me, A-ta-ka-koup leading; but seeing that I 



