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he had loaded his gun struck McIntosh under the arm. The factor leaped
forward, fell overboard, and was drowned, while his murderer fled around
the back of the rancherie to the mouth of Pack river, where he had left
his canoe, and paddled up to the factor’s store as though he had just
returned from Trout lake. As he loitered around the store the boy recog-
nized him and pointed him out to his father’s wives. They did not dare to
shoot him, but two days later, when he left with other Sekani for the
hunting grounds, the Cree woman bent two sticks into the shape of half-
moons, cut four human figures in a blanket, and arranged the six objects
in a line; then, with her son and fellow-wife, she hurried away to Stuart
lake. On the trail she met a friend, and warned him not to go near the
trading post on McLeod lake; but he disregarded the warning, stayed a
few hours at the post and continued down Pack river to his fellow
countrymen. Soon his legs swelled so greatly that he died within a few
hours, and more than half the Sekani perished in the same way. Thus the
Cree woman avenged her husband.

After the middle of the nineteenth century peace reigned in the
Sekani country. The surrounding tribes, greatly reduced in numbers, had
become outwardly Europeanized, and were more concerned in protecting
their own territories from the encroachments of white settlers, traders, and
prospectors, than in raiding their neighbours. The Sekani too changed.
They adopted European clothing and weapons, abandoned their temporary
lodges of brush or skins in favour of permanent cabins, and took on the
externals of the new civilization that approached them from every quarter.
The laws of the white man extended everywhere, and the tribes could
wander freely into the territories of their former enemies. The Sekani did
wander, some down Peace river to the settlements of the Beaver, others
west to the Carrier of Stuart and Babine lakes and to the Gitksan of
Skeena river. A few settled in those places, others returned with alien
Wives; but the majority of the Sekani kept themselves isolated in their

old haunts, losimg more and more their ancient customs and beliefs under .

the influence of the missionaries and traders.

i

et ee ae