KIDNAPPING. 229 



In the spring of this year, (1816) Mr. M'Millan har 1 

 despatched ten Canadians in a canoe, down the Flat- 

 head river, on a trading excursion. The third evening 

 after quitting the fort, while they were quietly sitting 

 round a blazing fire, eating a hearty dinner of deer, a 

 large half-famished bear cautiously approached the group, 

 fioni behind an adjacent tree; and before they were 

 aware of his presence, he sprang across the fire, seized 

 one of the men (who had a well-furnished bone in his 

 hand) round his waist, with the two fore paws, and ran 

 about fifty yards with him on his hind legs, before he 

 stopped. His comrades were so thunderstruck, at the 

 unexpected appearance of such a visitor, and his sudden 

 retreat with pauvre Louisson^ that they for some time 

 lost all presence of mind ; and, in a state of fear and 

 confusion, were running to and fro, each expecting in 

 his turn to be kidnapped in a similar manner ; when at 

 length, Baptiste Le Blanc, a half-breed hunter, seized 

 his gun, and was in the act of firing at the bear, but 

 was stopped by some of the others, who told him he 

 would inevitably kill their friend, in the position in 

 which he was then placed. During this parley bruin re- 

 laxed his grip of the captive, whom he kept securely 

 under him, and very leisurely began picking the bone 

 which the latter had dropped. Once or twice Louisson 

 attempted to escape, which only caused the bear to watch 

 him more closely ; but on his making another attempt, he 

 again seized Louisson round the waist, and commenced 

 giving him one of those infernal embraces which gene- 

 rally end in death. The poor fellow was now in great 

 agony, and vented the most frightful screams ; and ob- 



