The men were arrested and were brought before Macdonell and Hillier,
sitting as magistrates. This was about the end of February. The rebels,
however, defied the authorities, departed carrying Finlay with them and
getting possession of a house took it defiantly for their own use.
During their remaining sojourn at York Factory they subsisted on
provisions obtained at the Factory itself and carried by themselves from
the post to the encampment. Governor Macdonell, meantime, decided to
send these rebellious spirits home to Britain for punishment, and not
allow them to go on to Red River.
The possession by the rioters of some five or six stand of firearms, was
felt to be a menace to the peace of the encampment. An effort was made
to obtain them by Macdonell, but "the insurgents," as they were called,
secreted the arms and thus kept possession of them. In June on the
rebels being very bold and being unable to get back across the Nelson
River from the Factory for a number of days, they were forced by Mr.
Auld, then at York Factory, to give up their arms and submit or else
have their supplies from the Factory stopped. They were thus compelled
to submit and on the receipt of a note from Mr.
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