CKUELTY OF THE BLACKFEET. 



1-25 



Plain Crees against the Sioux and the Blackfeet, the Ojib- 

 ways against the Sioux, and Assinniboines. 



In August 1858, when camped near the Elbow of the 

 South Branch of the Saskatchewan, we found the Plain 

 Crees hastening from the west to the east bank of the river, 

 with a strong war party of Blackfeet in pursuit. Scouts 

 were posted on some of the outlying sand hills on the 

 Qu'appelle west of Sand Hill Lake, where a large party of 

 Crees, under the direction of their chief, Mis-tick-oos*, 

 were impounding buffalo. Both by day and night a 

 strict watch was kept in order to guard against a surprise. 

 Mis-tick-oos pointed out some of his band who had 

 penetrated through the Blackfeet country to the Eocky 

 Mountains two years ago, and returned with several 

 scalps, grizzly bear-claw necklaces, pipes, and other 

 trophies of success. He also related with much feeling 

 how twenty-five young warriors had gone on a similar 

 excursion during the summer of 1856, but none had yet 

 returned. 



About a month before we arrived at the Sandy Hills 

 on the Qu'appelle, a large body of the Plain Crees met a 

 portion of the Blackfeet tribe at the Eagle Hills, on the 

 North Branch of the Saskatchewan, to arrange terms of 

 peace. All matters went on smoothly, and the represen- 

 tatives of the two nations separated as friends. Some of 

 the Crees, however, incapable of resisting the opportunity, 

 stole some horses from the Blackfeet. They were pur- 

 sued,, and three of them taken. One was killed instantly, 

 the others were led back in triumph to the camp of the 

 Blackfeet ; they were stripped, their hands were tied 

 behind their backs, a hole was bored through both wrists 

 and a stick passed through them and so tightly fastened 



* Shortstick, or " the little tree." 



