sed his party, and proposed that they
should endeavor to transport the goods themselves, above the falls,
before the sleeping savages could be aware of their operations. All
hands sprang to the work with zeal, and hurried it on in the hope of
getting all over before daylight. Mr. Stuart went forward with the first
loads, and took his station at the head of the portage, while Mr. Reed
and Mr. M'Lellan remained at the foot to forward the remainder.

The day dawned before the transportation was completed. Some of the
fifty Indians who had remained on the south side of the river, perceived
what was going on, and, feeling themselves too weak for an attack, gave
the alarm to those on the opposite side, upwards of a hundred of whom
embarked in several large canoes. Two loads of goods yet remained to
be brought up. Mr. Stuart despatched some of the people for one of the
loads, with a request to Mr. Reed to retain with him as many of the men
as he thought necessary to guard the remaining load, as he suspected
hostile intentions on the part of the Indians. Mr. Reed, however,
refused to retain any of them, saying that M'Lellan and himself
were sufficient to protect the small quantity that remained. The
men accordingly departed with the load, while Mr. Reed and M'Lellan
continued to mount guard over the residue. By this time, a number of the
canoes had arrived from the opposite side. As they approached the shore,
the unlucky tin box of John Reed, shining afar like the brilliant helmet
of Euryalus, caught their eyes. No sooner did the canoes touch the
shore, than they leaped forward on the rocks, set up a war-whoop, and
sprang forward to secure the glittering prize. Mr. M'Lellan, who was at
the river bank, advanced to guard the goods, when one of the savages at
tempted to hoodwink him with his buffalo robe with one hand, and to stab
him with the other. M'Lellan sprang back just far enough to avoid the
blow, and raising his rifle, shot the ruffian through the heart.

In the meantime, Reed, who with the want of forethought of an Irishman,
had neglected to remove the leathern cover from the lock of his rifle,
was fumbling at the fastenings, when he received a blow on the head with
a war club that laid him senseless on the ground. In a twinkling he was
stripped of his rifle and pistols, and the tin box, the cause of all
this onslaught, was borne off in triumph.

At this critical juncture, Mr. Stuart, who had heard the war-whoop,
haste