DRUNKEN INDIANS. 
323 
duct of the Indians, we had not paid sufficient 
attention to it this ; and though it could 
not have been much more than five minutes 
out of our sight, jet in that short space of time 
the screw had been forced, and the cask drain¬ 
ed to the last drop. The Indian, whom we 
discovered to be drunk, was advanced a little 
before the others. He went on for some time 
staggering about from side to side, but at last, 
stopping and laying hold of his scalping knife, 
which they always carry with them by their 
sides, he began to brandish it with a threaten¬ 
ing air. There is but one line of conduct to 
be pursued when you have to deal with Indians 
in such a situation, and that is, to act with the 
most determined resolution. If you betray the 
smallest symptoms of fear, or appear at all 
wavering in your conduct, it only serves to ren¬ 
der them more ungovernable and furious. I 
accordingly took him by the shoulder, pushed 
him forward, and presenting my piece, gave 
him to understand that I would shoot him if 
he did not behave himself properly. My com¬ 
panions, whilst I was taking care of him, went 
back to see in what state the other Indians 
were. Luckily the liquor, though there was 
reason to apprehend they had all had a share 
of it, had not made the same impression 
upon them. One of them, indeed, was be¬ 
ginning to be refractory, and absolutely threw 
y 3 
