The St. Johns herald., 1898-07-23
HELD THE FORT.
John BarIeycorn Proved Too Much for
 a Band of Hostile Indians,

John Barleycorn Proved Too Much fo
 Band of Hostile Indians,
 An adventure with hostile Indians seldom surpassed in critical peril an, exciting situation, was that of French Canadian some years ago at Fort Pierr au Calumet, on Lake Athabasca. On day, when the chief trader was absen on visit to York factory, and tn other men employed in the station wer playing lacrosse upon the ice, this mal and an Irishman named McTaggar 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 ar opportunity to plunder, came up to the l fort and poured inside the stockade Pierre, the Frenchman, had barely time to bar the main door when they rushed against It, showing plainly theil unfriendly purpose. A barley 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:
 l instructed, my man, McTaggart, to watch when the Indians were we'll out of the yard, and when the chief came in to make a dash and fasten the outer gate. then opened the door. Me 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 tho half-oppn door. and, parry. ing a blow ! aimed at him, he seized the bar which fastened the door and threw it outside.
 I had by this time got hold of one of my pistols and pulled it at him as he came toward me, fourishing his bloody tomahawk The bullet took ef- feet, for the savage, with q frightful yell, staggered through the doorway, where his cries soon gathered his band about him.
 Before I could fasten the door the whole gang had burst into the fort. l sprang behind some casks and hid myself there, feeling, however, sure that they would find and kill me. There can be no doubt about my fate if the savages had not been more eager for plunder and whisky than they were for vengeance.
 AS 1t was, one of them at once rushed to a cask of whisky, the head of which he stove in with his hatchet, and with the greatest eagerness the whole crowd began to help themselves to the contents.
 drunk was now my only hope and Op- portunity, and I quietly kept out of sight behind the empty barrels to await events.
 The idiotic abandon and general "cutting up" of the sayages as they came under the influence of the whisky was very ludicrous; but you may be sure I kept my laughter to myself. In an hour all were hOpelessly intoxicated, except one big fellow who seemed to have a stronger head than the rest.
 now felt that with my pistol in my hand I could fight at least on equal terms, if fight was necessary; but the rascal precipitated matters by turning over the cask of whisky while climbing to reach some plunder that he wanted on an upper shelf. In doing this a live coal was jared out of the stove into the liquor on the floor and the room was immediately in flames. The Indian who had caused the catastrophe sprang toward the door, but my pistol ended his career.
 The whisky was soon consumed, as there was but little left, and the fire was put out without doing large dam age, but many of the drunken savages on the floor were fatally burned. When the men came back from the lake and found so many dead Indians and saw the general ruin they were amazed, and supposed deserved all the credit of the capture of the assailants, etc., when 1t was merely an accident that had accomplished it.