SCENES OF BLOODSHED AND HORROR, 83 



were all stolen ; — while one of the Indians who defended him was brutally 

 murdered, and several others wounded. 



Not long afterwards, our trader was shot at, three or four times, while 

 engaged in this dangerous traffic, and one of his soldiers severely wounded. 



About the same time, the trader of another company received a deep 

 stab, while dealing out the vile trash, and would have been killed but for 

 the energetic efforts of his soldiers. 



Previously to the above, the Indians seized upon a trader and compelled 

 him to stand over a hot fire until he was nearly roasted alive, — meanwhile, 

 helping themselves to his stock in hand. 



Soon after, two warriors came to trade for a blanket at our post, — one 

 of whom was drunk. While being waited upon, the latter drew his knife 

 and was in the very act of stabbing the unsuspecting clerk, as I caught his 

 wrist and arrested the blow. 



At another time, as our trader was standing surrounded by us all, he was 

 shot at by a drunken Indian, who, by the merest accident, missed his object. 



Again, one night a party of drunken Indians undertook to fire the house 

 in order to consume us alive, but were providentially prevented, owing to 

 its being constructed of green pine logs. 



The most dangerous time I experienced during the winter was near the 

 close of it. An Indian employed as our soldier, became crazed upon the 

 drugged liquor of the American Fur Company, and made his appearance 

 before us in a high state of excitement. This fellow had been denominated 

 by his people the Bull Eagle, (Tahtunga-mobellu,) and was a chief, — 

 highly esteemed as a medicine-man, and regarded as the greatest brave in 

 the Sioux nation. He was a tall, well-made, noble-looking person — and, — 

 such eyes ! I never saw the Hke planted beneath the brows of any other 

 mortal. They glared like lightning, and, as they fell upon the individual 

 to whom directed, seemed to penetrate the very soul and read the embryo 

 thoughts of his heart. 



Through the misrepresentations of those in the interest of the Fur Com- 

 pany, he fancied himself misused by our trader, and came determined on re- 

 venge. Arms in hand and stripped for the contest, accompanied by his wife 

 and two or three friends, he confronted us, — his strange appearance told 

 for what. In the fury of passion his every look gave evidence of the raging 

 demon within. 



Here, lest he should be misunderstood, he premised by a full statement of 

 his grievances. They were many, but the chief of them was, that our 

 trader had employed another to "act soldier" in his stead, while he was too 

 drunk to perform the duties of that appointment. " I have been dressed"* 

 as a soldier," said he, " to be laughed at, and now Peazeezeef must die !" 



The room was full of Indians, and one of them, an old man, exclaimed : 



" When Peazeezee dies, let me go under,;]: — I must live no longer !" 



* Previously, he had been presented with a citizen's dress to secure him for the 

 company's interest. 



t Yellow-hair. The Indian name for our trader. 



t This term implies death, or the act of dying. 



8 



