The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-06-23
HELD THE FORT.
John Barleycorn Proved Too Much for
q Band of Hostile Indians.


John BarIeyeorn Proved Too Much for
q Band of Hostile Indians.
An adventure with hostile Indians,
seldom surpassed in critical peril and
exciting situation, was that Of French
Canadian some years ago at Fort Pierre
au Calumet, ON Lake Athabasca. One
day, when the chief trader was absent
on a visit to York factory, and the
other men employed in the station were
playing lacrosse upon the ice, this man
were the only persons left in the fort.
Just then forty Chippewa braves"
who had pretended to have furs to sell,
but who had really been watching an
opportunity to plumber, came up to the
fort and poured inside the stockade.
Pierre, the Frenchman, had barely
time to bar the main door when they
rushed against 1t, showing plainly their
unfriendly purpose. A parley with the
chief, through a small side-trap, re-
suited in the withdrawal of the Indians
outside the stockade and an agreement
to admit the chief alone, with the furs.
Pierre thus relates what followed:
/ instructed my man, McTaggart, to
watch when the Indians were well out
Of the yard, and when the chief came
in to make a dash and fasten the outer
gate. / then opened the door. Nc
Taggart slipped out, but had not made
one step when the chief struck him
with his tomahawk. killing him In
stantly. The savage then darted
through the half-open door, and, parry
ing a blow l aimed at him, he seized
the bar which fastened the door and
threw it outside.
had by this time got hold of one
of my pistols and pulled 1t at him as
he came toward me, flourishing his
bloody tomahawk. The bullet took eff
feet, for the savage, with frightfu
yell, staggered through the doorway
where his cries soon gathered his banC
about him,
Before l could fasten the door the
whole gang had burst into the fort
! sprang behind some casks and hit
myself there, feeling, however, SURF
that they would find and kill me
There can be no doubt about my fat
If the savages had not been more cage
for plumber and whisky than they wer
for vengeance.
As it was, one of them at once rushe'
to a cask of whisky, the head of whicl
be stove in with his Ratchet, and wit
the greatest eagerness the Who'll
crowd began to help themselves to tn
contents.
That they would drink themselve
drunk was now my only hope and OF
portunity, and l quietly kept out Q
sight behind the empty barrels to ava
events.
The idiotic abandon and geners
"cutting up of the savages as the
came under the influence Of the whisk
was very ludicrous; but you may b
sure kept my laughter to myself. !
an hour all were hopelessly intoxlcate'
except one big fellow who seemed
have stronger head than the rest.
now felt that with my pistol in M
hand | could fight at least on equi
terms, II fight was necessary; but I'll
rascal precipitated matters by turnin
! over the cask of whisky while climbin
!, to reach some plumber that he wante
on an upper shelf. In doing this
live coal was Jared out Of the sto'
, into the liquor on the floor and Il
!. room was Immediately In flames. II
Indian who had caused the catastropl
sprang toward the door, but my pist
ended his career.
q The whisky was soon consumed,
y there was but little left, and the d
y was put out without doing large dan
a age, but many of the drunken savag
; on the floor were fatally burned. VIII
the men came back from the lake al
found so many dead Indians and sa
. the general ruin they were amaze
i and supposed l deserved all the cree
+ Of the capture of the assailants, ct
r. when 1t was merely an accident tn
" had accomplished 1t.
8, Dataw thu Guaat Eloom ~