360 IlalVs Account of the Mutiny. [jniy, ises. 



lie should think it was to where he and Pat got the deer they brought iu ? An- 

 swer, ten or twelve miles. When Peter came in, I asked him how for it was to 

 the deer-deposit Antoine and Pat brought in, and he said about the same as the 

 musk-ox deposit, six and a half miles, to where we went directly on the 23d. I 

 asked him if he did not think that Pat and Antoine could have performed the 

 service I sent them on in a little more than half the time of ten hours ? Answer, 

 that he thought they could. I proceeded to the men's tent, and asked Antoine 

 and Pat if they could not have made better time in the work they performed 

 today ? They, with much temper, replied they could not. I told them what 

 Peter had told me, and said that it became them to be as expeditious as possible 

 whenever I had work for them to do, reminding them of their spending a whole 

 day a short time since in going out only some two miles after a couple of deer, 

 when they might have done the same in one-fourth of the time. This was fol- 

 lowed by a burst of real mutinous conduct on the part of Pat and Antoine, to 

 which demonstration Sam and Peter seemed to be a x>arty. Pat icas the leader, 

 and I felt for my own safety that something must be done to meet so terrible a 

 blow as seemed ready to fall. I appealed to Pat especiallj^ to stop his mutinous 

 talk and conduct. I was alone, though a small distance off were all the Innuits 

 of the tent-village looking upon the scene. Pat was standing in the door of the 

 tent (he and Antoine, when I first went into the tent, were seated in it, but as 

 their rage increased they worked themselves out to be in a circle of the other two), 

 where he was delivering himself of the most rebellious language possible. I made 

 an approach to him, putting my hand up before him, motioning for him to stop. 

 Ik' at once squared himself, doubling up his fists and drawing back in position, 

 as it were, to jump upon and fight me. Failhig to make liim desist without forci- 

 ble means, I thought at first to give him a good drubbing, but knowing Pat to 

 be of a powerful frame and muscle, and that if I did make an attempt I should at 

 once have a party of four upon nje, I demanded of Peter my rifle, which he gave 

 me. I hastened to my tent, laid down the rifle, and seized my Baylie revolver, 

 and went back and faced the leader of the mutinous crowd, and demanded of Pat 

 to know if he would desist in his mutinous conduct ? His reply being still more 

 threatening, I pulled trigger, and in a few minutes he staggered and fell. I 

 walked dbectly, but more as a man then suddenly dreaming, to the front of Papa's 

 tent, where was a crowd of frightened natives, passed the pistol to the hand of 

 Ar-mou, which still had four undischarged loads in it, and then ran back and as- 

 Histed in getting Pat to my tent. I supposed he could not live five minutes, but 

 a Mightier liainl tliaii mine liad stayed the ball from a vital part. 



