The natives having been all supplied, had taken their departure for their hunting-grounds by the latter end of August; I then commenced making the arrangements requisite for the coming contest.

CHAPTER VII.

SUPERSEDED—­FEELINGS ON THE OCCASION—­MORE OPPOSITION—­AE.  MACDONELL—­TACTICS—­MELANCHOLY DEATH OF AN INDIAN.

About the middle of September, I observed a north canoe paddling in for the landing-place, having a gentleman passenger on board, who immediately on landing ordered his servant to carry his baggage up to the Fort.  On his entering the house, the apparent mystery was soon unfolded.  Mr. Siviright handed me a letter from Mr. Thane, conveying the agreeable Intelligence of my being superseded by the bearer,—­commanding me to obey him as my bourgeois, and to conduct myself in such a manner as to give Mr. S. every satisfaction.  The latter injunction I felt very little inclination to comply with at the time; in fact, the slight put upon me caused my northern blood to rise to fever heat; and in this excited frame of mind I sat down to reply to the “great man’s” communication, in which I gave vent to my injured feelings in very plain language.  What he may have thought of the epistle, I know not, as he never deigned to reply.  It was inconsiderate in me, however, to have so acted; but prudence had not yet assumed her due influence over me.

Mr. S. had been at that time twenty-four years in the service, I only three; he had therefore a superior claim to any I could advance:  but why not inform me at once that my appointment to the charge was merely temporary?  This double dealing manifested a distrust of me, for which no cause could possibly be assigned:  that excited my resentment, and not the circumstance of being superseded.

Towards the latter end of the month of September, our opponents made their appearance in three small canoes, while I embarked in pursuit with the same number.  One of my north canoes was in charge of three men, the others contained two, counting myself as a man.  Having become rather expert as an amateur voyageur, I considered myself capable of undertaking the real duty now, and accordingly volunteered my services as steersman, as no additional hand could be spared, without great inconvenience to my bourgeois.  A little experience convinced me, however, that my zeal exceeded my ability.  My opponent was in a light canoe, and moved, about with a celerity that my utmost exertions could not cope with; for as soon as an Indian canoe appeared, he paddled off for it; I of course attempted to compete, but generally arrived just in time to find that he had already concluded his transaction with the hunters.