St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-23
RAVOUX REMINISCENT.

sent by him, few days after, to
Prairie du Chen, where [ exercised
the holy ministry till September,
1S41. I was then commissioned by
| him to visit the Sioux, in order to see
if there was any prospect of estab-
| fishing a mission among them. 1
left Prairie du CHEN, and, having
arrived at Fort Smelling by a
steamer, I went to see my friend
Father Galtier, with whom [ spent
few days. Being then invited to
go to Traverse DIES Sioux in a canoe,
l accepted, and after four or five
days navigation I was welcomed by
Mr.. Provencal dit Leblanc, who for
many years was trading with the
Sioux at Traverse. On the 10Th OF
December I departed from Traverse.
for Little Rock, where I was the
guest of the kind Mr.. Laframboise
for four weeks. On the I'd Of Febru
airy, 1912, I arrived at Lac-qui-parle,
where I was kindly received by Mr..
| Rinville, by his very numerous fam
lily, and also by some half breed
French Canadians. After Easter 1
left for Mendoza, and spent great
part of the summer with Father
Galtier.
During the same summer the
encamped near our little church for
several weeks. 1 had many CONVEX
sations with them concerning the
Sioux. At their invitation and re-
quest I accompanied them to Lake
Traverse. | had been Informed by
them that I would find there several
hundred families of Sioux, who
would be pleased to see me and hear
the good tidings of our holy re-
ligion. Unfortunately we were very
much delayed in our journey by al
most daily rains, and when we
reached Lake Traverse, the Indians
had left the place, four or five fam
lilies excepted.
Whilst I was there some Chippe-
way warriors, who were probably
encouraged by the fight which had
taken place near Kaposia, came to
Lake Traverse in the expectation
of killing some Sioux and carrying
away their scalps. They caused US
much trouble during three or four
DAYS; some of the Sioux had to
watch day and night to prevent any
| attack by surprise. Our situation
cannot be well understood, except
by making a statement of the posi-
| ton we occupied against, perhaps, a
! strong force.
Near the bank of the lake, the
| Frenieres had erected a log house,
which they used as a store and a
dwelling house; two Or three hundred
feet further four or five Sioux fam
lilies had their tepees, and L had
planted my tent some 800 yards from
the lake, near ravine well tim
! bered. My tent was surrounded with
small trees and bushes. Hippolyte
Martin, an employ of the F'renieres,
passed the night in my tent.
On a certain day some of the
Frenieres spoke about having seen
or heard a person in the ravine, ard
after inquiries they had strong Tea-
son to believe that the ChippeWays
had come there. Before dark [ made
a good fire in my tent, took a book
in my hand and read it for a good
while, when I heard some persons
advancing toward me in such a man
ner that it was easy for me
to understand that they did not
wish me to be aware of it. Having
come at distance of about fifty
feet from me, near a small creek,
which they did not cross, but where
they stood hidden in the bushes, 1
think they leaned upon their guns,
because [ heard dry leaves cracking,
when they laid them on the ground.
1 Immediately stirred the fire, put
my crucifiX on my breast, that they
might see it. Now, said [ to myself,
if they fire upon me they will know
that 1 am not a. Sioux but a Black
gown. L took again my book and
continued to read. A short time
after H. Martin came across tho
bushes, and, smiling, told me that
at the house they had said he would
find me the prisoner of some Chip
peWays. well" I replied, there
are some Chippeways very near us,
and who, no doubt will attack the
Sioux during the night, if they are
unaware of it. Stay here for a short
time to prevent all suspicion, and
then, when you shall have crossed
! the bushes, run as fast as possible
to the Frenieres and let them know
what [ told you" He followed my
advice, and a few minutes after
walked also across the bushes, and
when on the prairie 1 ran speedily
to the F'renieres, where 1 saw all the
| men loading their guns, and learned
that the Sioux also had been in
| formed Of the danger.
They watched all the night and no
Chippeway made his appearance Early
in the mornig Sioux came to me smil-
| ing, and said to me: "Blackgown, you
have played trick on u.s." Not at
all, was my answer; 1 am certain that
| If you go little farther than my tent
| you will see in the ground the foot
| prints OF some CnlDpeWayS. A few OF
them went thither and came back a
! short time after, convinced that 1 had
| told them the truth.
| They began Immediately to dig a
hole in. the prairie about twenty-five
feet in circumference, and when the
work was completed it was some five
feet deep. They planted branches all
around to hide the warriors, when fir
| ing on the enemy.
Three days after, walking near the
ravine, heard coming toward me some
persons, whom [ supposed to be the
Chippeways, because L had seen no
Sioux nor half-breed going in that di-
rection. [ ran to the Frenieres to
whom [ gave the alarm, and through
them to the Sioux. Prepare tons were
Immediately made to repulse the en-
envy, who might have been as mum erous
as the Chippeway warriors who fought
the Sioux near Kaposia. The Frenieres,
Hippolyte Martin and myself went into
the log house. They secured the door
and put up against it several bales of