At last they came, and we were allowed to sleep in quiet

D,g,t,7P:hyG0t>^lt:



AT BATTLEFORD. 367

during the remainder of the night. This morning the
prints of moGcaained feet were discovered on the bUlside
where the picket said he saw two men the night before,
and fired on them. AJl are anzious for the arrival of the
General or reinforcements, and the wiping out of the
Indiana. Had we had a hundred more men, or had our guns
not givea out, we would never have had to retire from
our position. We were certainly very fortunate to get
out as we did. The Indians were too far off to discover
what we were doing until it was too late for them to
prevent it. Had they succeeded in getting into the brush
at the creek in time we would have lost a great many
men — some say it would have been a second Custer



A correspondent, writing from Battleford on May
13, the day upon which Poundmak:er captured the waggon
train, thus writes :

Since the rebellion broke out Riel has been very
anxious to have the public believe that he has had
nothing to do with the Indian outbreak. Here are a few
facts as related to me by Mr. McKay, who has charge of
the Hudson Bay Company's business here. It appears
that during March last I-em-e-cease, or The Awkward,
Big Bear's son, called on Mr. McKay and told him that
Riei had made a private arrangement, with his (Awk-
ward's) father at Prince Albei-t last fall to join in a
rising against the whites. They had talked the matter
over while in Montana. Kiel then arranged with Big
Bear that should the former begin a rebellion in Canada
the latter was to come over and assist him. I-em-e-cease
said that Wandering Spirit, one of Big Bear's councillors
and the man who is said to have murdered Quinn at
Frog Lake, knows all about the arrangement ; also that
the Indians west of here had been seen and were ready
to rise when Biel gave the word. Riel told his father in
his presence that be had made up his mind to come to
Canada, imd if 'he did not get what he wanted he would
spill Canadian blood^a promise whi(!h he has kept to the

D,g,t,7P:hyG0t>^lf



368 CANJLDA 8 NOBTH-WEST BEBELLION.
