“At last he said, if all the arms and public property were given up, we should be allowed to go away.  After inducing the Bois-brules to allow me to go to Fort Douglas, I met our people; they were long unwilling to give up, but at last our Mr. Macdonell, who was now in charge consented.  We went together to the Frog Plain, and an inventory of the property was taken when we had returned to the Fort.  The Fort was delivered over to Cuthbert Grant, who gave receipts on each sheet of the inventory signed ‘Cuthbert Grant, acting for the North-West Company.’  I remained at Fort Douglas till the evening of the 22nd, when all proceeded down the river—­the settlers, a second time on their journey into exile.

“The Colonists, it is true, had little now to leave.  They were generally employed in agricultural pursuits, in attending to their farms, and the servants of the Hudson’s Bay Company in their ordinary avocations.  They lived in tents or in huts.  In 1816 at Red River there was but one residence, the Governor’s which was in Fort Douglas.  The settlers had lived in houses previous to 1815, but in that year these had been burnt in the attack that had been made upon them.  The settlers were employed during the day time on their land, and used to come up to the Fort to sleep in some of the buildings in the enclosure.  All was now left behind.  The Bois-brules victory being now complete, the messenger was despatched Westward to tell the news far and near.”

CHAPTER X.

Afterclaps.

The Seven Oaks affair was the most shocking episode that ever occurred in North-Western history.  The standing of the victims, including a Governor appointed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, his staff men of position, the unexpectedness of the collison, the suddenness of the attack, the destruction of life, the cruelty and injustice of the killing, and the barbarous treatment of the bodies of the dead, by the Bois-brules war party, fill one with horror, and remind one of scenes of butchery in dark Africa or the isles of the South Sea.

This is the more remarkable when it is considered that so far as known in the whole two hundred years and more of the career of the Hudson’s Bay and Nor’-Wester Companies not so many officers and clerks of these two Companies have altogether perished by violence as in this unfortunate Seven Oaks disaster.  No sooner was the massacre over than the Bois-brules took possession of Fort Douglas and were under the command meantime of Cuthbert Grant.  There was the greatest hilarity among the Metis.  This New Nation had been vindicated.  About forty-five men under arms held possession of the Fort.  The dead left upon the field were still exposed there days after the fight and were torn to pieces by the wild birds and beasts.  The body of Governor Semple was carried to the Fort.