A SOJOURN" AMO^a THE HALF-BBEEDS. 131 



with whom the Half-breeds had been at war for several years ; tbey 

 came for the purpose of negociating a permanent peace. But whilst 

 smoking the pipe of peace in the council lodge, the dead body of a 

 Half-breed, who had gone to a short distance from the camp, was 

 brought in newly scalped, and his death was at once attributed to the 

 Sioux, the Half-breeds not beiug at war with any other nation. A 

 general feeling of rage at once influenced the young men, and they 

 would have taken instant vengeance for the supposed act of treachery 

 upon the twelve chiefs in their power, but for the interference of the 

 old and more temperate of the body ; who, deprecating so flagrant a 

 breach of the laws of hospitality, escorted them out of danger, but at 

 the same time told them that no peace could be concluded until satis- 

 faction was had for the murder of their friend. Exposed as the Half- 

 breeds thus are to all the vicissitudes of wild Indian life, their camps 

 while on the move are always preceded by scouts, for the purpose of 

 reconnoitering either for enemies or buffaloes. If they see the latter, 

 they give signal of such being the case by throwing up handfuls of 

 dust, and if the former, by running their horses rapidly to and fro. 

 Three days after the departure of the Sioux chiefs, our scouts were 

 observed by their companions to make the signal of enemies beiug in 

 sight. Immediately a hundred of the best mounted hastened to the spot, 

 and, concealing themselves behind the shelter of the bank of a small 

 stream, sent out two as decoys who exposed themselves to the view 

 of the Sioux. The latter supposing them to be alone rushed upon 

 them, whereupon the concealed Half-breeds sprang up and poured in 

 a volley amongst them, which brought down eight; the others escaped, 

 although several must have been wounded, as much blood was after- 

 wards discovered on their tracks. Though differing iu very few 

 respects from the pure Indians, they do not adopt the practice of scalp- 

 ing, and in this case, being satisfied with their revenge, they abandoned 

 the dead bodies to the malice of a small party of Saulteaux who 

 accompanied them. 



The Saulteaux are a band of the great Ojibewah nation, both words 

 signifying " the jumpers," and derive the name from their expertness 

 in leaping their canoes over the numerous rapids which occur in the 

 rivers of their vicinity.* The Saulteaux, although numerous, are 

 not a warlike tribe, and the Sioux, who are noted for their daring 



*I took a sketch of one of them, Peccootiss (the man with a lump on his navel.) 

 He appeared delighted with it at first, but the others laughed so much at the like- 

 ness and made so many jokes about it, that he became quite irritated, and insisted 

 that I should destroy it, or at least not show it so long as I remained with the 

 tribe. 



