It was the common opinion that the turbulence and
violence of the pensioners was so great that, as one of the Company
said, "We have more trouble with the pensioners than with all the rest
of the Settlement put together." The pensioners were certainly
absolutely useless for the purpose for which they had been sent, that is
to preserve order in the country. The Metis, at any rate, spoke of them
with derision.
[Illustration: PLAN OF FORT GARRY]
In the year following the removal of the troops the policy of preventing
the French half-breeds from buying and selling furs with the Indians was
being carried out by Judge Thom, the relentless ogre of the law. Four
men of the Metis had been arrested; of these the leader was William
Sayer. He was the half-breed son of an old French bourgeois of the
Northwest Company. He had been liberated on bail, and was to come up for
trial in May. The charge against him was of buying goods with which to
go on a trading expedition to Lake Manitoba.
Possibly the case would be easily disposed of, and most likely dismissed
with a trifling fine, although it was true that Sayer had made a stiff
resistance on his being arrested. This violent resistance was but an
example of the bitter and dangerous spirit that was developing among the
Metis.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211