The Rising of the Red Man / A Romance of the Louis Riel Rebellion

This etext was produced by Gardner Buchanan.
THE RISING OF THE RED MAN A Romance of the Louis Riel Rebellion
by JOHN MACKIE
Author of The Heart of the Prairie, Tales of the Trenches, The Cannibal Island, Daring Deeds in Far Off Lands, The Prodigal's Brother, The Man Who Forgot, etc.
PROLOGUE I. IN THE GREAT LONE LAND II. TIDINGS OF ILL III. THE STORM BREAKS IV. HARD PRESSED V. TO BATTLEFORD VI. THE GRIM BLOCKADE VII. DETECTED VIII. IN THE JUDGMENT HALL IX. THE DWARF AND THE BEAR X. THE UNEXPECTED XI. THE RETREAT XII. A MYSTERIOUS STAMPEDE XIII. ROOFED XIV. A THREE-CORNERED GAME XV. CHECKMATED XVI. THE FATE OF SERGEANT PASMORE XVII. A CLOSE CALL XVIII. ACROSS THE ICE XIX. CAPTURED BY POUNDMAKER XX. THE BATTLE OF CUT-KNIFE XXI. BACK TO CAPTIVITY XXII. ANTOINE IN TROUBLE XXIII. THE DEPARTURE OF PEPIN xxiv. THE INDIANS' AWAKENING XXV. A PROPOSAL FROM PEPIN XXVI. A BOLD BID FOR LIBERTY XXVII. AN ONLY WAY XXVIII. THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW
The 16th of March, 1885, was a charming day, and Louis David Riel, fanatic and rebellion-maker, was addressing a great general meeting of the half-breeds and Indians near Batoche on the Saskatchewan river in British North America. There were representatives from nearly every tribe; Poundmaker and his Stonies, who were always spoiling for trouble, being particularly well represented. Round the arch malcontent were a score of other harpies almost as wicked if less dangerous than himself. Among them were Gabriel Dumont, Jackson, Maxime, Garnot and Lepine. Riel's emissaries had been at work for months, and as the time was now ripe for a rising he had called them together to decide upon some definite course of action.
He wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and looked anxiously at the sun. What if, after all, the compilers of the almanac, or he himself, had made a mistake, and he had called this his most vital meeting on the wrong day? The bare idea was too terrible. But, no, his keen eyes detected a dark line on the outer edge of the great orb, and he knew that the modern astrologers had not erred. His grand opportunity had come, and he must seize it. He stretched out his hands and dramatically asked—