On the Indian Trail, and Other Stories of Missionary Work Among the Cree

ON THE INDIAN TRAIL Hnfc tber Stories of Missionary Worfe among tbe Cree ant) Saulteauj Snfcians BY EGERTON R. YOUNG " " AUTHOR OF BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN," FROM INDIAN WIGWAMS AND " NORTHERN CAMPFIRES," OOW1KAPUN," "THREE BOYS IN THE WILD NORTH LAND," ETC. "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable " riches of Christ EPHESIANS iii. 8 LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 56, PATERNOSTER ROW; 65, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD To MY BELOVED BROTHER MISSIONARIES IN ALL LANDS, WHO ENDURE HARDSHIP, AND ARE IN PERILS OFT, THAT "//e may see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied," WHEN "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them ; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.' Contents CHAP. PAGE PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR . .11 I. ON THE PRAIRIE TRAIL . .13 II. ON THE INDIAN TRAIL . .26 III. PRACTICAL WORK IN INDIAN HOMES . 44 IV. How THE GOSPEL is CARRIED : BY CANOE IN SUMMER; BY DOG-TRAIN IN WINTER 62 V. GOD ON THE ROCK ; OR, How THE IN- DIANS ARE TAUGHT TO BEAD THE BOOK . ... .83 VI. THE STORY OP SANDY HARTE . .102 VII. THE NEW YEAR'S INDIAN FEAST . .136 VIII. THE EXTRA DOG-TRAIN OF SUPPLIES, AND WHAT CAME OF IT . .149 IX. A LESSON NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN . 158 X. THE HONEST INDIAN ; OR, VENISON FOR PEMMICAN 163 XI. THE VINDICATION OF THE SABBATH . 174 XII. GOD MORE POWEREUL THAN THE CON- JURER ....... 182 XIII. BETSY, THE INDIAN WIFE . .188 7 8 Contents CHAP. PAGE XIV. FIVE INDIANS AND A JACK-KNIFE . .201 XV. THE SAULTEAUX CHIEFTAINESS ; OR, A SEARCHER AFTER THE TRUTH . .210 XVI. BIG TOM, THE UNSELFISH CHRISTIAN . 219 Illustrations PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR . Frontispiece. " GOOD MISSIONARY, BUT HIM LOST THE TRAIL" . Page 27 SHOOTING THE RAPIDS IN A BIRCH CANOE 63 BOREALIS . THE AURORA ,, 75 EVANS' SYLLABIC ALPHABET . 86 GOD ON THE ROCK . 95 THE BEAR FISHING . ,,123 " DOG -TRAVELLING WAS NOT WITHOUT ITS PLEASURES" . ,,151 THE WINTER CAMP . ... 165 SINGING FOR JACK-KNIVES 207 Preface THIS is not a continuous narrative of missionary work as are some of the author's books. It is a collection of distinct chapters, some of which are written expressly for this volume, others of which, having in whole or in part seen the light in other form, are now, at the re- quest of friends, and thanks to the courtesy of the publishers, here gathered. Romantic missionary work among the red Indians will soon be a thing of the past. Civi- lisation is reaching this people, and the iron horse rushes and shrieks where the Indian trail was once the only pathway. The picturesque garb is fast disappearing, and store clothes, often too soon transformed into rags anything but picturesque, have robbed the Indian of the interest that once clung to him. These wanderings on the fast disappearing of failures trail, speak successes rather than ; not but that there were many of the latter, as well as long waiting after the seed time for the harvest, but because it is so much more pleasant and helpful to look on the bright side of life, and talk of victory rather than defeat. 11 12 Preface So in the hope that this book will be helpful and encouraging to the friends and supporters of missions, who have become such an innumer- able company, and that His name may be glorified thereby, we send it on its way. E. R. Y, On the Indian Trail ON THE PRAIRIE TRAIL WE struck the prairie trail at St. Paul in 1868. We, that is my young wife and I in company with some other missionaries and teachers, were to travel many hundreds of miles upon it, in order that we might reach the wigwam haunts of the Indians in the northern part of the Hud- son Bay Territories, to whom we had been ap- pointed to carry the glorious Gospel of the Son of God. We were to follow up the work begun by men of sublime faith and heroic courage, and to carry it still farther into more remote regions where as yet the sweet story of a Saviour's love had never been heard. We had confidence enough in God to believe that, if fur-traders could travel along these trails, and live in those lonely remote regions far from the blessings of civilisation, and in order to make money by trading with the Indians, put up with the hard- ships and privations incident to such a life, we 13 14 On the Indian Trail could make equal sacrifices for Christ's sake, to carry the Glad Tidings of His great love to those who had never heard the wondrous Story. After about three weeks' journeyings, we had traveled as far as we could by steamboat and railroad, and were at the extreme limit of these splendid methods of civilised locomotion. From this point onwar4 there was nothing before us but the prairie trail. On and on it stretched for hundreds of miles, away and away to the land of the north wind. Over its winding un- dulating course, long years ago, the hardy pioneers of the new world adventured themselves; and as they bravely pushed on they were filled with amazement and awe at the vastness of the great and illimitable prairies. Following closely in their trail, and even sometimes themselves the pioneers, came those early heroic priestly followers of Loyola, eager and anxious to meet and to make friends of the wild Indians of the plains and forest, that among them they might plant the cross, and, according to their belief, by the simple rite of baptism induct them into the bosom of Mother Church. In later years much of the romance of the great Trail had worn away. Commerce and Trade with their multiplied activities had so taken possession of it that when first we saw it in 1868, the long trains of noisy creaking Red On the Prairie Trail 15 River carts, and the great canvas-covered wagons of the adventurous immigrants, were the most conspicuous sights on its dusty stretches. Occasionally bands of Indian warriors, plumed and painted, were seen upon it, dashing along on their fiery steeds, out on some marauding adventure, or more likely, on the lookout for the vast herds of buffalo that still swarmed in the " regions farther west, like the cattle on a thou- sand hills." It was one of those perfect days in the lovely month of June when we left the thriving young city of St. Paul, and with our canvas-covered wagons, and fourteen picked horses, really entered on che trail. As we left the frontier city, thus severing the last link that bound us to civilisation, we realised most vividly that now we were entering upon our missionary work. Thirty days were we on this Prairie Trail. Not all of them were of that rare beauty of the first. Fierce thunderstorms several times as- sailed us when it was not always possible to protect ourselves from the terrible downpour of rain. One night a genuine cyclone wrecked our tents with their camp ; and wagons varied contents went careering in erratic courses before its irresistible power. Our way was beset with dangers : bridgeless streams had to fires to be crossed ; prairie had be or run treacherous fought, wildly away from ; 16 On the Indian Trail quicksands sometimes spread most invitingly on either side of the miserable looking trail, lured the unwary traveler to trust himself on their smooth and shining surface. But woe to the foolish ones who left the trail for the quicksands : unless speedily rescued by the united strength of friends, horses and travelers would so the of soon be swallowed up ; warning cry " " the guide was ever : Keep in the trail ! Thus we journeyed on, sometimes in the sun- shine, and sometimes in the storm. Every morning and evening we had our family pray- ers. The Sabbaths were rest days for all sweet and precious days, when out in the sun- shine on the glorious prairies, we, a little company of missionaries and teachers wor- shipped God : they were as the days of the Son of Man on earth. Thirty days on such a trail could not pass without some strange adventures, and we had our share of them with white men and with Indians. A talkative parrot in our party nearly fright- ened the lives out of some very inquisitive arid superstitious Indians and French half-breeds. They had stopped their ox-carts one day at the same spot where we, coming in the opposite direction, were resting for the dinner hour. Hearing about the wonderful parrot, they crowded around to see her. Polly stood their On the Prairie Trail 17 inquisitive gnzings for awhile, then, apparently somewhat annoyed, with wings ruffled, sprang forward as far as she could in her large cage, and shouted out : " " Who are you ? The effect upon the superstitious half-breeds, and Indians, was about as though His Satanic Majesty had suddenly appeared among them. They rushed away, and nothing that we could do would induce any of them to look at the bird again. Another adventure, most unique and startling, occurred on this trip ere we had pro- ceeded many days on the trail. " You had better keep a sharp eye on those splendid horses of yours, or you may wake up some fine morning and find them missing." This was rather startling news and caused a good deal of excitement in our camp.

Load more