24 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. 



shall have none ! Go out, immediately 1 " With this, he took 

 him by the arm, and conducted him out of the tent. On turn- 

 ing round to re-enter, the Indian, who was armed with a knife, 

 which he had concealed under a mantelet de calmande, gave him 

 a stab in the back of the neck. He then retired towards the 

 camp fire, which was surrounded by a great many Indians and 

 our men. I got up immediately, hearing the scream of his wife, 

 whom I perceived in front of me. " Have you been stabbed V 9 

 I inquired of Mr. Kay. " Yes !" he replied, "but he shall pay 

 for it." So saying he put his hand in the mess-basket and drew 

 out a large, pointed table knife, with which he sallied furiously 

 from the tent, without my being able to stop him. The Indians 

 seeing the knife in his hand, asked the cause of it. He said that 

 Le Cousin had stabbed him, and that he was in search of him 

 to kill him. But Le Cousin had taken refuge in his own lodge 

 which was near our camp. Mr. Kay went towards the lodge. 

 We ran after him to prevent some fatal accident. The tumult 

 was, by this time, very great. Great numbers were collected 

 from all sides, and all, both French and Indians, bereft of their 

 reason, for it was in the midst of a general carouse. In a 

 moment, every one seized his arms, and there was a motley dis- 

 play of knives, guns, axes, cudgels, war-clubs, lances, &c. I 

 found myself greatly at a non-plus, for I had not before wit- 

 nessed such a scene. I saw so many preparations that I judged 

 we should have a serious time. 



" Mr. Kay pursued Le Cousin, but before he could reach him, 

 the passage to his lodge was blocked up by the crowd. Le 

 Cousin's mother asked him what he wanted. " Englishman ! '' 

 said she, " do you come to kill me ?" She made her way among 

 the crowd, armed with a small knife, and reached the spot 

 where Mr. Kay was standing, without any one's observing the 

 knife, for she came in an humble attitude imploring Mr. Kay 

 for the life of her son. In a moment, Mr. Kay cried out, in a 

 ]oud voice, " I am killed," and he fell. We entered, and found 

 that she had struck him in the side, making an incision of more 



