A TALE OF COO-COO-CACHE 133 



was only conjectural at what time the the canoe behind. Without pause or 



Iroquois would arrive. let-up they swung out into the Vermil^ 



The women, children and aged people lion, and then rapidly down stream, go- 

 of the tribe were encamped out on the ing east. 



St. Maurice, about two miles from The first rapid they would come to 



where the able men kept watch, and was, properly speaking, a succession of 



each day a couple of boys brought them falls, and no one could possibly run that 



cooked provisions for the next twenty- stretch of turbulent water and come out 



four hours. alive. The approach to the portage at 



At last, after a week's waiting and the head of the falls is dangerous 



watching, the signal came from the man enough at any stage of water, and has 



on the height that the Iroquois were in to be negotiated with care. Both canoes 



the portage. The Algonquins lay well were then going at a tremendous speed 



concealed, strung along one side of the through the water, being impelled not 



trail. The enemy came along Indian only by the paddles, but by the ever-in- 



file, not suspecting any danger so far creasing current. Every nerve was 



south as they then were. The mode of keyed to the utmost tension. A little 



assault mapped out by the Algonquin closer and the pursuers would be within 



" chief was that when the first man of shooting distance. The fugitives looked 



the Iroquois reached the last man of the back. They realized that death was be- 



Algonquins that last man was to take fore them and death behind them, 



steady aim and fire. This shot was to To shoot the falls there was one 



be the signal for a general attack, each chance in a thousand, and they chose to 



of the interior Indians to take the Iro- take the risk. The followers saw the 



quois nearest to him. bowsman in the preceding canoe wrench 



The Iroquois being unprepared and his frail bark out into midstream, and 



taken so much by surprise, offered very they with one accord ceased paddling 



little resistance. A few of those not and looked on with amazement at their 



killed outright drew their belt hatchets foolhardy decision. To witness the 



and hand-to-hand conflicts ensued, but death of their enemies they resumed 



the victory was complete to the Algon- their paddling and hastened ashore at 



quins, with the loss of only one man and the portage and bounded up onto the 



a few flesh cuts to some others. The rocks just in time to see the desperate 



man lost was the lookout on the moun- men take the second and biggest jump 



tain-top. To better observe what was in the flight for life, 



taking place, he had clambered up into The steersman stood erect in the ca- 



the solitary spruce. Two, only, of the noe as she was on the brink and shook 



Iroquois had not reached the firing line his clenched fist at the Algonquins 



when the massacre commenced. One of ashore. In another moment canoe and 



these, espying the watchman in the tree, men were lost in the mighty, seething 



potted him from where he stood, and waters. To this day those falls are 



with his companion fled back across the known as the Iroquois Falls, "Na-ta- 



portage. way-Pow-is-tic." 



The Algonquins, seeing the men run, The loss of these men made such an 



fired a volley after them and a number impression on the Iroquois that no oth- 



gave hot pursuit. Under no consider- ers molested the interior people, and 



ation could they risk a single one to shortly after this event the country came 



escape and carry the tale to their kins- into the possession of the English, who 



men. The fugitives sprang into one of countenanced no such traffic. In 1886 



the canoes at the south end of the port- the writer of this historical fact ascend- 



age and the pursuers into another. A ed the mountain and stood beside the 



hot and strenuous chase then took place identical spruce tree from which 



with a slight gain at each small lake by tumbled to the rocks below the bruised 



