the following day and arrived at the Fort of the Prairies by 

 the end of August. M. Lajimoniere had spent a winter there 

 two years previous and being acquainted with the factor, Mr. 

 Bird, obtained a place for himself and his wife in the Fort for 

 the autumn and winter. 



The Fort of the Prairies, which is now called Edmonton, 

 was the most important fort in the West at that time. Being 

 the great reunion point for the Indians, all the tribes met 

 there, Blackfeet, Assiniboines, Sarcees, Blood and Crees. When 

 these different bands were assembled around the Fort they 

 were often the cause of great uneasiness to the factor and his 

 employees who regarded them with very serious fears. More 

 than one battle took place in which blood was freelv spilt 

 and more than one combatant met his death. The men in 

 charge of the Fort had need of invincible courage and muscles 

 of steel to rule these savages who ackonwledged no sover- 

 eignty but that enforced by courage and strength. They must 

 be ruled by fear just as we tame wild animals by exerting that 

 power. 



At one time the factor of a Fort on the Saskatchewan 

 was left alone at the post with only one servant, all the other 

 employees being absent, some on the prairies and others con- 

 veying the " pieces " to a neighboring fort. A band of Black- 

 feet who were camped a short distance from the pallisade re- 

 solved under cover of the night to make the factor open the 

 gates of the Fort and provide them with whiskey and tobacco. 

 Knowing that the factor had only one man with him they 

 thought it would be very easy to intimidate him by their 

 numbers and never doubted that they would get everything 

 they asked for. They gathered around the principal gate of 

 the Fort and knocked for admittance. The servant aroused 

 by the noise went to see what was wanted, he opened a little 

 shutter through which he could see who was outside without 

 danger and perceiving the band of Indians at such a late 

 hour of the night he at once comprehended that the affair 

 might be serious. The factor was already in bed. The man 

 told the Indians to wait a moment and that he would inform 

 his master of their demands and bring the keys of the gate. 



On each side of the gateway there was a tower supplied 

 with a good cannon loaded with balls — they had only to fire 

 them to make the Indians dance. The factor said to his man : 

 " Go into the tower, take the balls out of the cannon, leaving 

 only a charge of powder and I will do the same on this side 



