210 



Harmon's journal. 



I took up a piece of cloth, and asked him, if he 

 would have it from that ? He answered, no. I 

 then made a similar inquiry, respecting another 

 piece, to which he made a similar reply. This 

 persuaded me, that his only object was to provoke 

 me to quarrel with him. I, therefore, threw 

 down the cloth, and told him, if he would not 

 have that, he should have this, (meaning a square 

 yard stick which I had in my hand) with which 

 I gave him a smart blow over the head, which 

 cut it, considerably. I then sprang over the 

 counter, and pelted him, for about five minutes, 

 during which time, he continually called to his 

 companions, all of whom had knives in their 

 hands, to come and take me off. But, they re- 

 plied that they could not, because there were 

 two other white people in the room, who would 

 prevent them. It was happy for us that these 

 Indians stood in such fear of us ; for there were 

 only four white men, at this time in the fort, 

 and they could easily have murdered us. — As 

 Quas and his company left us, he told me that 

 he would see me again tomorrow, when the sun 

 should be nearly in the south, meaning between 

 ten and twelve o'clock. 



Monday, October 7. The next day after I 

 chastised the Indian, as above described, he sent 

 one of his wives to request me, either to come 



