last warrior had disappeared. But the effects
of their futile demonstration soon became apparent
in the increasing violence and tyranny of Riel and
his followers. The threatened attempt to upset
his authority by arraying the Scotch and English half-breeds
against him served only to add strength to his party.
The number of armed malcontents in Fort Garry became
very much increased, clergymen of both parties, neglecting
their manifest functions, began to take sides in the
conflict, and the worst form of religious animosity
became apparent in the little community. Emboldened
by the presence of some five or six hundred armed followers,
Riel determined to strike a blow against the party
most obnoxious to him. This was the English-Canadian
party, the pioneers of the Western settlement already
alluded to as having been previously in antagonism
with the people of Red River. Some sixty or seventy
of these men, believing in the certain advance of
the English force upon Fort Garry, had taken up a
position in the little village of Winnipeg, less than
a mile distant from the fort, where they awaited the
advance of their adherents previous to making a combined
assault upon the French. But Riel proved himself
more than a match for his antagonists; marching quickly
out of his stronghold, he surrounded the buildings
in which they were posted, and, planting a gun in
a conspicuously commanding position, summoned them
all to surrender in the shortest possible space of
time. As is usual on such occasions, and in such
circumstances, the whole party did as they were ordered,
and marching out-with or without side-arms and military
honours history does not relate-were forthwith conducted
into close confinement within the walls of Fort Garry.
Having by this bold coup got possession not only of
the most energetic of his opponents, but also of many
valuable American Remington Rifles, fourteen shooters
and revolvers, Mr. Riel, with all the vanity of the
Indian peeping out, began to imagine himself a very
great personage, and as very great personages are
sometimes supposed to be believers in the idea that
to take a man’s property is only to confiscate
it, and to take his life is merely to execute him,
he too commenced to violently sequestrate, annex, and
requisition not only divers of his prisoners, but also
a considerable share of the goods stored in warehouses
of the Hudson Bay Company, having particular regard
to some hogsheads of old port wine and very potent
Jamaica rum. The proverb which has reference to
a mendicant suddenly Placed in an equestrian position
had notable exemplification in the case of the Provisional
Government, and many of his colleagues; going steadily
from bad to worse, from violence to pillage, from pillage
to robbery of a very low type, much supplemented by
rum-drunkenness and dictatorial debauchery, he and
they finally, on the 4th of March, 1870, disregarding
some touching appeals for mercy, and with many accessories
of needless cruelty, shot to death a helpless Canadian