ought with him the Qu'Appelle contingent and had waited at Portage la
Prairie while Cuthbert Grant with his followers, chiefly disguised as
Indians, had gone on their bloody work. Macdonell on receiving the news
showed great satisfaction. He announced to those about him that Governor
Semple and five of his officers had been killed; and becoming more
enthusiastic shouted with an oath in French that twenty-two of the
English were slain. His company shouted with joy at his announcement.
Macdonell then went to Fort Douglas and took command of it. But what had
become of the Eastern Company from Fort William? Of this a discharged
non-commissioned officer, Huerter, of one of the mercenary regiments
which had fought for Britain against the Americans in the War of 1812
was with them, and gives a good account of the journey. We need only
deal with the ending of the expedition. Coming from Lake Winnipeg they
reached Nettly Creek two days after the fight at Seven Oaks, expecting
there to get news from the Western levy and Alexander Macdonell. But no
news of that Company having reached them they started in boats up the
Red River to reach the rendezvous agreed on at "Frog Plain," the spot
where Kildonan church stands to-day. From this point they expected to
meet with their Western reinforcement, and to move upon Fort Douglas and
capture it, as Governor Semple had done with Fort Gibraltar. Their
commander Archibald Norman McLeod was the senior officer and would later
take command.

They had on the 23rd of June gone but a little way when they were
surprised to meet seven or eight boats laden with men, women and
children. These were the fragment of the Colony which had refused to go
with Duncan Cameron down to Upper Canada. They had been sheltered in the
Fort during the time of the fight and now were rudely driven away from
the settlement, according to the announcement of Cuthbert Grant.

McLeod ordered the convoy of boats to stop and the Colonists to
disembark. Their boxes and packages were opened, including the late
Governor Semple's trunks, and examined for papers or letters which might
give important information to the captors. The Western levy now joined
them, and gave them full news of what had happened.

The Colonists were then ordered to re-embark and to proceed upon their
journey to their lonely place of banishment whither they had gone the
previous year--Jack River, near Norway House. One of the Bois-brules
followed after th