Page:The Columbia river , or, Scenes and adventures during a residence of six years on the western side of the Rocky Mountains among various tribes of Indians hitherto unknown (Volume 1).djvu/357

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  • rior of the Indian country. He would not

engage in the service of the Company, but preferred trapping beaver on his own account, which he afterwards disposed of at the nearest trading post. This extraordinary old man was ninety-two years of age at the period of his death. I saw him the year before, and he then possessed much of the lightness and elasticity of youth, with all the volatility of a Frenchman. His only luxury was tobacco, of which he consumed an incredible quantity. From his great age he was called "Père Hoole." The Canadians treated him with much respect, and their common salutation of "Bon jour, père," was answered by "Merci, Merci, mon fils." His body was found by the Flat-heads, close to a beaver dam:—a ball had penetrated his temples, and the few white hairs that remained on his aged head did not prevent his inhuman butchers from stripping it of the scalp. His clothes remained on him; but his horses, traps, and arms had been taken by the murderers.

END OF VOL. I.

LONDON:
IBOTSON AND PALMER, PRINTERS, SAVOY STREET, STRAND.