The Wolf Hunters | Page 6

was just budding
into the early womanhood of her race, and possessed a beauty seldom
seen among Indian maidens. If there is such a thing as love at first sight,
it sprang into existence the moment John Newsome's eyes fell upon this
lovely princess. Thereafter his visits to Wabigoon's village, thirty miles
deeper in the wilderness, were of frequent occurrence. From the
beginning Minnetaki returned the young factor's affections, but a most
potent reason prevented their marriage. For a long time Minnetaki had
been ardently wooed by a powerful young chief named Woonga, whom
she cordially detested, but upon whose favor and friendship depended

the existence of her father's sway over his hunting-grounds.
With the advent of the young factor the bitterest rivalry sprang up
between the two suitors, which resulted in two attempts upon
Newsome's life, and an ultimatum sent by Woonga to Minnetaki's
father. Minnetaki herself replied to this ultimatum. It was a reply that
stirred the fires of hatred and revenge to fever heat in Woonga's breast.
One dark night, at the head of a score of his tribe, he fell upon
Wabigoon's camp, his object being the abduction of the princess. While
the attack was successful in a way, its main purpose failed. Wabigoon
and a dozen of his tribesmen were slain, but in the end Woonga was
driven off.
A swift messenger brought news of the attack and of the old chief's
death to Wabinosh House, and with a dozen men Newsome hastened to
the assistance of his betrothed and her people. A counter attack was
made upon Woonga and he was driven deep into the wilderness with
great loss. Three days later Minnetaki became Newsome's wife at the
Hudson Bay Post.
From that hour dated one of the most sanguinary feuds in the history of
the great trading company; a feud which, as we shall see, was destined
to live even unto the second generation.
Woonga and his tribe now became no better than outlaws, and preyed
so effectively upon the remnants of the dead Wabigoon's people that
the latter were almost exterminated. Those who were left moved to the
vicinity of the Post. Hunters from Wabinosh House were ambushed and
slain. Indians who came to the Post to trade were regarded as enemies,
and the passing of years seemed to make but little difference. The feud
still existed. The outlaws came to be spoken of as "Woongas," and a
Woonga was regarded as a fair target for any man's rifle.
Meanwhile two children came to bless the happy union of Newsome
and his lovely Indian wife. One of these, the eldest, was a boy, and in
honor of the old chief he was named Wabigoon, and called Wabi for
short. The other was a girl, three years younger, and Newsome insisted
that she be called Minnetaki. Curiously enough, the blood of Wabi ran

almost pure to his Indian forefathers, while Minnetaki, as she became
older, developed less of the wild beauty of her mother and more of the
softer loveliness of the white race, her wealth of soft, jet black hair and
her great dark eyes contrasting with the lighter skin of her father's
blood. Wabi, on the other hand, was an Indian in appearance from his
moccasins to the crown of his head, swarthy, sinewy, as agile as a lynx,
and with every instinct in him crying for the life of the wild. Yet born
in him was a Caucasian shrewdness and intelligence that reached
beyond the factor himself.
One of Newsome's chief pleasures in life had been the educating of his
woodland bride, and it was the ambition of both that the little
Minnetaki and her brother be reared in the ways of white children.
Consequently both mother and father began their education at the Post;
they were sent to the factor's school and two winters were passed in
Port Arthur that they might have the advantage of thoroughly equipped
schools. The children proved themselves unusually bright pupils, and
by the time Wabi was sixteen and Minnetaki twelve one would not
have known from their manner of speech that Indian blood ran in their
veins. Yet both, by the common desire of their parents, were familiar
with the life of the Indian and could talk fluently the tongue of their
mother's people.
It was at about this time in their lives that the Woongas became
especially daring in their depredations. These outlaws no longer
pretended to earn their livelihood by honest means, but preyed upon
trappers and other Indians without discrimination, robbing and killing
whenever safe opportunities offered themselves. The hatred for the
people of Wabinosh House became hereditary, and the Woonga
children grew up with it in their hearts. The real cause of the feud had
been forgotten by many, though not