62 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



fifty-eight. "One of their number, Lance-Corporal Johnson 

 Paudash," as the Department of Indian Affairs states, "re- 

 ceived the Military Medal for his distinguished gallantry in 

 saving life under heavy fire and for giving a warning that the 

 enemy were preparing a counter-attack at Hill Seventy; the 

 counter-attack took place twenty-five minutes after Paudash 

 gave the information. It is said that a serious reverse was 

 averted as a result of his action. Like other Indian soldiers, he 

 won a splendid record as a sniper, and is officially credited with 

 having destroyed no less than eighty-eight of the enemy. An- 

 other Indian who won fame at the front was Lance-Corporal 

 Norwest; he was one of the foremost snipers in the army and 

 was officially credited with one hundred and fifteen observed 

 hits. He won the Military Medal and bar. Still another, Cor- 

 poral Francis Pegahmagabow, won the Military Medal and two 

 bars. He distinguished himself signally as a sniper and bears 

 the extraordinary record of having killed three hundred and 

 seventy-eight of the enemy. His Military Medal and two bars 

 were awarded, however, for his distinguished conduct at Mount 

 Sorrell, Amiens, and Passchendaele. At Passchendaele, Cor- 

 poral Pegahmagabow led his company through an engagement 

 with a single casualty, and subsequently captured three hun- 

 dred Germans at Mount Sorrell. 



"The fine record of the Indians in the great war appears 

 in a peculiarly favourable light when it is remembered 

 that then- services were absolutely voluntary, as they were 

 specially exempted from the operation of the Military 

 Service Act, and that they were prepared to give their lives 

 for their country without compulsion or even the fear of 

 compulsion." 



Many military medals were won by the Canadian Indians; 

 Captain A.G.E. Smith of the Grand River Band of the Iroquois 

 having been decorated seven times by the Governments of 

 England, France, and Poland, and many distinguished them- 



