A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information — John Shaqi
A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic InformationGray, W. H. (William Henry)
History
A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information
Gray, W. H. (William Henry)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon; Oregon Territory -- History
Peter was informed by Antoine that Mr. John, on leaving the room where
the men were drinking, went up-stairs to his own apartment, and he heard
him say to his wife, "I am going to die to-night." And he and his wife
both began to cry. Mr. John soon rallied, and observed, "Very well; if I
die, I must fall like a man." He then told Antoine to load his rifles
and pistols, and ordered him also to arm himself with his own gun. He
and Antoine then went out, and Peter thinks he heard the report of more
than fifteen shots. Antoine afterward told Peter that Mr. John fired at
Laperti, but missed him, and afterward ordered Antoine to fire at
Laperti. Antoine refused to do so, until his own life was threatened by
Mr. John, when he fired in the direction, without aiming at Laperti. He
also told the Kanakas to kill the Canadians, and it was in part they who
fired the shots that he (Peter) had heard. Peter then got up and placed
himself behind his door, and saw Mr. John come in and go up-stairs with
Antoine, when he took the opportunity of going out, armed with his gun
and a stout bludgeon, and found the men standing here and there on the
gallery watching an opportunity to shoot Mr. John. Laperti's position on
the gallery was fronting the door of the main house, toward which he had
his gun pointed; when Peter saw him, he was on his knees, the small end
of the gun resting on the top rail of the gallery, in readiness to fire.
Laperti exclaimed, on seeing Peter, "I must kill him now, as he has
fired two shots at me." Peter objected to this, and proposed to take and
tie him. Nobody answered him. At that moment, Smith came up to Laperti
and told him to hide himself or he would certainly be killed. Laperti
said, "Where can I hide myself?" and Smith said, "Come with me and I
will show you a place in the bastion where you can hide yourself," and
they went off together in the direction of the bastion at the corner of
Urbaine's house. Peter, after a few minutes' stay on the gallery,
returned to his house, as he had previously agreed upon with George
Hebram, who was lying sick in bed, and who had entreated him not to
leave him alone. At the door of the main house, he met Mr. John coming
out, followed by Antoine, who was carrying a lamp. Mr. John said to
Peter, "Have you seen Laperti?" Peter answered, "No, I have not seen
him;" and then Mr. John said, "Have you seen Urbaine?" And Peter again
answered that he had not. The minute before this, as he (Peter) was
returning from the gallery, he had seen Urbaine standing at the corner
of the main house, next to Urbaine's own dwelling, in company with
Simon. Urbaine said, "I don't know what to do; I have no gun, and do not
know where to hide myself." Simon said, "I have a gun, if he comes I
will shoot him, and will be safe." Mr. John, after Peter passed him,
said to Antoine, "Make haste, and come with the lamp," and proceeded
with a firm step to Urbaine's house, as Peter, who continued watching at
the door, saw.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account