A NARROW ESCAPE. 55 



probably meant to waylay me and shoot me as I passed. I was 

 about an hour's journey from the cabin, but the snow was in 

 good order, so I turned aside from the direct road home, and 

 I do not think I ever made better time on snow-shoes in 

 my life. 



Going straight to A-ta-ka-koup's house, where I found him 

 at home, I told him what I had seen, and assured him that I 

 should always in future carry a gun, and that if I ever met his 

 son-in-law I should shoot him. A-ta-ka-koup left the house at 

 once, and on his coming to see me in the evening, he told me 

 that he had sent his son-in-law south, to his father's camp on 

 the Saskatchawan, and that I should not see him again ; but 

 to be on the safe side, in case the man had not really gone 

 away, from that day I always carried a revolver, and took 

 with me a favourite dog, so that he might not get a chance, 

 or I feel convinced he would have taken it. 



The dog I refer to was a huge white Esquimaux exactly like 

 a wolf, which I had made very fond of me, and which always 

 slept against my back, adding greatly to my comfort. 



That day two strange Crees whom no one knew arrived and 

 stopped with me, saying nothing of their errand on the first 

 day, but they asked me the next morning whether I would join 

 them in a horse-stealing expedition, which they and some of 

 their companions were going to undertake in the Blackfoot 

 country, south-east of where we then were. 



Of course I refused, much to their surprise, but A-ta-ka-koup J s 

 son joined them, and I heard from him the result of the 

 attempt. 



It seems that they reached a large Blackfoot camp, and found 

 out where the horses were herded, but were discovered by a 



