upright behind his back to rest upon, fell asleep. On the first appearance of day, the Dakotas embarked, and one of their canoes passing close to the shore, noticed with an Indian's wariness and sagacity, the mark of a canoe through the grass and weeds at the entry of the little creek. One of the Dakotas arose in his canoe, and seeing the end of the upright paddle sticking up above the tall grass in the creek, he quietly informed his fellows, and the Ojibway, being surrounded, was surprised in his sleep—he and his family killed and scalped, with the exception of one child taken captive.
Much elated, the Dakota war party proceeded on their way, and at Little Boy, or Que-wis-aus Lake, they again attacked and killed three little boys, while engaged in gathering wild rice. Their parents, hearing the noise of the firing incident to the attack, made their escape. From this circumstance, this large and beautiful sheet of water has derived its Ojibway name of Que-wis-aus (Little Boy). The Dakotas passed into Leech Lake, and crossing over by a short portage into Cass Lake, they commenced their descent of the Mississippi. A short distance above the Falls of Puk-a-gum-ah, they again destroyed an Ojibway hunter and his family. On the banks of the river where this occurrence took place, the Dakotas made marks on the pine trees, which are still discernible to the eye of the traveller. The Ojibways call it Mun-zin-auk-wi-e-gun (tree picture marks).
Some distance below the Falls of Puk-a-gum-ah, they were met and discovered by two Ojibway hunters, in a birch canoe, who turned and fled down the river, warning their fellows as they went. The Dakotas made a warm pursuit, as they wished to attack the village of their enemies at Sandy Lake by surprise. The fleeing hunters, by making short portages across long bends of the river, left their pursuers some distance, and arrived at the Sandy
