St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-11
RAVOUX REMINISCENT.
His Journey to Fort Pierre Con-
tinued.

ms Journey to Fort Pierre Con-
tinued.
"Fear we not them that kill the
body and cannot kill the soul; but
rather fear him that can destroy soul
and body in hell"
An alarm. On a beautiful day,
near one of the tributaries of the
James river, when proceeding far
Their west without any trouble or
anxiety, at once a change of for
tune arose. Before long we saw we
might have to fight to save our
lives. Some Rees, or perhaps some
other savages as dangerous as the
Rees, had been seen by us at dis
lance of a mile. Several times we
saw one or two of them getting up
and then STOPPING and hiding them
selves in the grass. They were, no
doubt, spies; and not surprising if
they would number thirty or forty
men to attack US. We stopped i'm
mediately and loaded all the guns.
We were nine men, three women and
two or three small children. In such
circumstances, as it was the duty
OF Catholic missionary, 1 advised
them to trust in God, not to begin
the fight, except that against our
request the Indians would come so
near to us that we could no longer
protect and defend ourselves. I rec
commended to them to invoke the as
SlStance Of God, and not to forget to
say an act of contrition before the
hight, If we were forced to it. I did
not think proper, at that time, to
add anything else but if fighting
had been inevitable. I would have
made them say a short act of con-
triton, and then given them the
abSolution. We remained at the
same place for an hour, and. seeing
no more of them appear, we ad-
Vanced little farther, made a fire
near deep ravine, in order to pre-
pare supper. Meanwhile we saw a
man coming up to us from the bot
tom OF the ravine; he was a Sioux,
friend; he had been with his whole
FAMILY very much frightened from
the very moment they perceived us
ON the prairie; they had taken US
for enemies, and had come into that
ravine to hide himself and to run to
a camp of Sioux at a distance of six
miles, where he was to inform them
of the situation of his family, and
return to their assistance with q
strong force. We invited him to
supper, and we passed a happy
night.
Two or three days after took place
announcer occurrence which would
have been the cause of the destruc-
ton of our little caravan had we not
been prudent and willing to bear
patiently an offense of a very singu-
lar character. In the morning of the
day we saw before us a canp of
Sioux, and we were glad of if for
our provisions were scanty for the
remainder of our journey, and there
was not much prospect of killing anv
pufalo. Having arrived at half a
mile from the camp we saw mes
senger on horseback coming at fuIl
speed toward us. We proceeded a
little farther and then we STONED
ana IN order to hear more easily
four OF us who were on horseback
placed ourselves on one line. tbe
others stood near us. AS soon as the
messenger had arrived. without saw
ing one word, he fired his gun loaded
WIN powder upon the head of our
suldes morse; then loaded again his
gun with powder and unloaded if
upon the head of the second horse.
he loaded his gun a third time and
hred it upon the third horse in the
same manner. When I saw 7 was
to be the recipient of similar in
suit said to him: Friend, come
and shake hands with the black
gown, cease firing; my horse is
young, he would be frightened and
perhaps throw me down." He i'm
med1ately extended his hand to mo
and all was over.
we asked him then what had in
duced him to act as he had done. He
replied that, though he was but dust
and ashes, he was pleased to show
us that. he was a man, and added
that we could now proceed to his
camp without fear, and that we
would be welcome. Then he re-
turned to the camp at full speed.
understood afterward that it was
an act of revenge for an offense he
hod received when visiting Fort
Flerre two or three years before.
we all felt deeply the Insult, but
no one felt it so much as L. MaIo
who expressed himself as follows.
Are we such towards as to allow
saVages to insult US? [ have two
palis In my gun, and if he had in
suited me as some of US have been
L would have killed him. We must
not allow savages to insult us. IF
any one OF them comes to insult me
L siah XIII MIN. Mr.. Malo," I
said to him, you are very much ir-
rltated. Do not speak about killing
any one if it can be avoided by bear
ing an offense, for the love of God.
Let me tell you also that it would he
very imprudent to kill an Indian
in such circumstances; it would
cause the destruction of us ALL l..
Malo and all the others understood
tnat human prudence alone was
making it duty to bear with pa
thence an insult rather than have a
conflict with the Indians who could
have destroyed our little caravan in
a short time. We then proceeded to
the camp, where we were treated
with kindness. Before parting 1 an
nounced to them some of the prin-
cipal doctrines of our holy faith.
A. RAVOUX.