The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-02-12
Seven Bad Brothers,

the upper country is meant all that
territory forming part of British Co
lumbia situated above Yale, the head of
navigation of the Frazer river. The
father of these boys, an old Scotchman,
came to British Columbia in his youth
in the employ of the Hudson Bay Com
pany. He was singularly brave man,
and soon after his arrival he was trans
ferred from Victoria to Kamloops, a
place some 900 miles from Yale, where
he took charge of "post" and traded
with the Indians Like all servants Of
the Hudson Bay Company, he lived in
concubinage with the Indians, and in
time had large family about him.
The seven boys already spoken of are by
two wives-one full-blooded Indian
and the other half breed. Some Of
the boys are thereforeS half-breeds, the
others qualter-breeds. They say in this
country that no good comes from man
who has Indian blood in him. McLane,
the father, was, as has already been
said, remarkably courageous man, and
from the very first was feared and held
in veneration by the Indians. On one
occasion Hudson Bay man was MUIR
dered by the Chilicotans, and they re-
fused to say who committed the murder.
Old McLane seized his musket and
stalked into the Indian camp. He
called the chief and asked that the
murderer be given up. This was re-
fused The sun was high in the heavens,
and McLane stopped and picked from the
fire burning in the chiefs tent piece
of charcoal. He coolly drew line be-
tween himself and the chief, saying that
as the sun cast bis shadow on the line
he would kill the chief unless the muir
derer had slready been given up. In
those DAYS the Indians had seen very
little of fire arms, and were in no wav
put out by old McLane's threat
he BIDED HIS TIME.
As soon as the shade covered the mark
NcLane took aim, fired and killed the
chief. The rest of the tribe were so
dumbfounded that they gave up the
murderer and ever after regarded him
as a superior being. From that day he
could do as he liked with them, and IN
course of time, as he married and
children grew up around him, they in
their turn came to be looked upon as in
heriting their fathers supernatural
powers. The boys were sent down
country to the Mission schools,
and received fair education. Even
here their Indian blood began to
show itself, for one lad named Hare,
who later figures in this narrative,
drew Knife and stabbed school fel,
low in quarrel. On returning home
the boys were good for nothing They
were all expert horsemen and good
shots, but had no taste for work. They
obtained engagements with the ranchers
in the upper country but never stayed
long. They could always earn enough
money at breaking horses to live upon,
and this, in conjunction with their
national aversion to labor, soon reduced
them to the position of vagabonds. One
of the BOYS who has since committed
murder, used to ride races in Cariboo in
its palmv days. He would then make
enough to live on during the season.
As they grew up they " ere always get
ting in different kinds Of trouble and as
often managed to evade detection.
After a while, however, they began TO
be regarded as outlaws. Their
HAND WAS AGAINST EVERY MAN,
And every mans hand was against them.
They stole cattle and sheep, outraged
women, broke jail, carried off horses and
committed the most serious crimes
known 10 the criminal code of new
country. One of their latest exploits
was robbing and beating Chinaman
whom they overlook from collection of
gold along the river bank Having re-
lieved him OF his treasure they beat him
numerically and left him tor dead. An
attempt was made by User, a govern
ment agent, to arrest them, and four of
them were overtaken in camp after a
hot chase. No sooner did Users party
appear on the scene than one of the Nc
Lanes raised his rifle and shot both
User and Mcleod User did not fall
from his horse, but was armed with a
revolver only and unable to return the
FIRE. The McLanes had Henry rifles
and revolvers. Both Mcleod and
Palmer returned the fire, and as has
c;rco ou,,eorad vvouu1ad ono of the Nc