recover

empty cartridge - case had he back without them, and the entered that camp, and the braves crowded up a little colonel left him and the two closer. Then the colonel reconstables behind, some three marked sotto voce to his commiles from the hills, and went panion, “I don't think I'll on alone with the superin- arrest all those chaps"; and tendent and the interpreter. the superintendent, whose sense

In the gathering darkness of humour was a little to seek, they caught the twinkle of said, “For God's sake don't.” many fires, and on arriving at The chief rose in reply. He their destination found an en- complained that the Sioux had campment of over three hun- stolen some of their horses, and dred lodges. It was not diffi- asked scornfully if the colonel cult to pick out the chief would assist him to recover teepee, and the little party went them. Whereto the latter straight up to this and were at promptly replied, “Certainly ; once admitted. The chief was if they were taken on this side seated, as usual, in the place of the line, you shall have them of honour, and the lodge was all returned."

' The chief acpacked with young braves, each knowleged that they had been one with a Winchester between taken on American soil, and his knees.

the colonel suggested that, in Through the interpreter the that case, he had better get his colonel explained his mission, American friends to and the chief rose to address them

for

him. Meanwhile them. With all the stateliness Spotted Eagle had been talking and dignity of an Indian war- to the braves round him, and rior (who would be as much at advising them to give up the home in a European Congress horses. There was a long conas in a painted wigwam) he sultation, and then the Assiniacknowledged that they had boine chief again arose. taken the horses. He said that “I am going," he said, “ to the Sioux were enemies of the make your hearts glad. The Americans, who were his friends. horses were taken on this side He unrolled a parchment com- of the line, and to - morrow mission which had been given morning you shall have them him by the United States Gov- back." The colonel

said, ernment; and finally, by way“That's all right,” and adof peroration, drew a sword vanced and shook hands, an given to him by some American action which was explained to officer in high standing, and the somewhat astonished chief waved it over his head. The to be ratification of the eyes of the young braves began bargain. to sparkle in the firelight and Next morning all the horses, their fingers to fidget with their excepting two or three, were Winchesters.

brought in, and the interpreter The colonel explained court- appealed to his officer to be eously but firmly that the horses satisfied, adding that the Sioux had been stolen on English ter- would be more than pleased to ritory, and that he wasn't going recover that number. The

a

con

answer was curt, “I am not In the next place, one of the here to please the Sioux or any evils of prohibition is that it one else—I'm here to get back drives men to think longingly those horses."

of forbidden fruit, and to set To save further trouble, the their wits to work to devise missing number was made up means of obtaining it. They from horses belonging to the smuggled it in coffins; in eggAssiniboines themselves, and shells carefully packed and duly the army

of six returned to labelled ; in tomato cans; even Fort Walsh. Next morning, in Bibles, ingeniously early, Red Dog galloped up structed of tin, and holding with his men in columns of about a pint apiece. And the troops behind him. They police caught them and poured formed up into line in front of it regretfully out on the prairie. the fort, and the men dis- In one case they buried a tub in mounted with the speed and a certain spot, and over the tub precision of a crack cavalry they placed an iron grate, and corps.

The colonel returned over that earth. They chose their property.

The Indians this place to empty a particuremarked with a grunt, “ Couplarly large seizure, and that for you” (coup meaning a good night there was but one sober stroke of business); and the in- man in the detachment, and he cident was at an end.

was the officer in charge. But the greatest trouble they But away from the settlehad was

with the whisky- ment the men recognised the dealers. The Indians, or the necessity of the measure, and more intelligent among them, joined keenly in the chase of recognised early that they could illicit traders. not drink and live, so that the One Saturday night the chiefs co-operated with the officers at Fort Macleod were police, while the more bigoted half-way through dinner when drinkers among them some Assiniboine Indians came driven to pain-killer, and red in and reported that a quantity ink, and hell broth, concocted of liquor was being smuggled by boiling tea and tobacco in into the country, to be “cached” the same kettle, and that soon near a point where two Indian weeded them out.

tribes, who were not on the best With the white men it was of terms, were camped in somedifferent. In the first place, what dangerous proximity. the constables themselves re- Colonel Irvine knew that this garded whisky - drinking as a meant red war, and he promptly malum prohibitum, — nothing started with an inspector and a could persuade them that it force of about twenty men to a malum in se; so that make the seizure.

They rode they hated arresting a delin- all night, and reached Fort quent, unless it was out on the Whoop-up an hour before dawn. prairie, and they suspected him There they waited for the sun of trying to trade spirits to the to rise, and to rest the horses. natives.

At break of day they pushed on VOL. CLXVII. —NO. MXIV.

2 K

were

was

grass.

It was

an

till a scout galloped back and plied, nothing loth, but he reported that there was a cart promptly spat the first mouththree or four miles ahead in the ful on to the valley beneath them, with two pure alcohol. men driving. The men were

The detachment returned standing up, flogging the horses, with the prisoners to Fort and racing for the river. It Macleod, having been in the was a lovely morning, the dew saddle for twenty-four hours, sparkling on the grass, and the with the exception of one hour green valley, dotted here and at Fort Whoop-up, and having there with bluffs, stretching covered nearly a hundred miles. away far beneath their feet. The depot and headquarters With one

accord the whole of the Mounted Police are troop caught hold of their situated at about two or three horses' heads turned them miles from Regina, on the banks sharp, and rammed them down of the Wascona (which, being the precipitous incline.

interpreted, means “ Pile-ofOnce on the flat they were Bones Creek"). Their official racing for blood, the red coats duties cover area of over of the pursuers making the two and a half millions of scene curiously like a fox-hunt. square miles—about two-thirds But the quarry had a long the size of Europe; and, railstart, and were over the river roads being

scarce

in this and galloping up the farther country, most of their travelling bank before the leaders had has to be done on horseback, or reached the water's edge. By in winter with dog-trains. It that time their load was light. was found that the Ontario ened, as they had been seen horses took too long to acclithrowing cans into the stream matise, and that the native as fast as they could get rid of broncho, crossed and much imthem during their transit. proved with thoroughbred stock,

The police didn't trouble was far better adapted to the about looking for a ford,—each country both in endurance and man rode straight into the river hardiness. They are tough and where he first reached it, and wiry, averaging about fifteen the whole troop were swimming hands, with short backs and like a pack of otter - hounds. sound legs and feet. Lord They scrambled up the bank Lorne's escort of about fifty on the far side, and the cart mounted men travelled 1229 stopped, the drivers throwing miles in thirty-five days, an up their hands. It was neces- average of over thirty-five miles sary, however, to secure a pièce per diem. Owing to the large de conviction, and, by the amount of transport, they had, colonel's orders, sergeant speaking generally, two horses picked up a can which had to a man, and not one single been washed ashore. “Open horse was incapacitated from it, and taste it,” said his chief; work by sore back or shoulders. " we've got to prove that it's His Excellency, prior to taking whisky' The sergeant com- his departure from Ford Shaw,

a

ordered a parade of the escort, to Major Walsh. - I am, dear sir, and in the course of his address yours very truly, made use of these words :

W.C. VAN HORNE,

General Manager." “You have been subjected to the The number of men employed most severe criticism during the long march on which you have accom

on the Canadian Pacific Railpanied me, for I have on my personal way during construction was staff experienced officers of the three over 30,000. branches of the service-cavalry, artil

If the history of the Mounted lery, and infantry—and they have one

Police is ever written it should and all expressed themselves astonished and delighted at the manner in be of thrilling interest; but which you have performed your ardu. enough — perhaps more than ous duties, and at your great efficiency. enough—has been said in this Your work is not only that of military article to show that we have men, but you are called upon to per here in Canada a force which, form the important and responsible duties which devolve upon you in properly used, should render civil capacities,—your officers in their invaluable assistance towards capacity of magistrates, and other the defence of the empire. duties they are called upon to perform, even that of diplomacy.”

I have another word to say.

The “Recessional” is a great Of the services rendered by poem. At the moment it was the North-West Mounted Police written it put into burning during the construction of that words the idea that gigantic undertaking, the Ca- growing half defined in the nadian Pacific Railway, Sir minds of most Englishmen, that William Van Horne wrote in the power of Great Britain had the following terms :

reached its climax, and that

henceforward our empire might “DEAR COLONEL IRVINE, Our work of construction for the year begin to decay. To these men 1882 has just closed, and I cannot I would say, Come out to the permit the occasion to pass without Colonies; fill your lungs with acknowledging the obligations of the the wild free air of Company to the North-West Mounted Police, whose zeal and industry in country; look around and see preventing traffic in liquor and pre- your blood-brothers living close serving order along the line under to Nature herself, facing the construction have contributed so much difficulties

difficulties and fighting the to the successful prosecution of the

foes that beset a young nation. work. Indeed without the assistance of the officers and men of the Remember that they are round splendid force under your command, you and with you, east and it would have been impossible to west and north and south. accomplish as much as we did... On Then you will feel and know no great work within my knowledge, where so many men have been em

that the coming century is ployed, bas such perfect order pre- only seeing the birth of a new vailed. "On behalf of the Company and empire greater than we have

“On behalf of the Company and yet known. Come out here, for all their officers, I wish to return thanks, and to acknowledge particu. here you will feel it in the air. larly our obligations to yourself and

Č. HANBURY-WILLIAMS.

was

a

new

NOTHING is more striking in ly enough, the great statesman, modern parliamentary life than whose isolated words have been its growing disregard of the so often twisted and perverted, past. Great issues are mooted to whom completely opposite by men who either ignore or proclivities have been misare ignorant of their historical attributed, on whose lips have origin. Young members discuss been placed, by those who ought weighty problems in the light to have known (and perhaps of native omniscience. The did know) better, the deliverancestry of events is neglected. ances of others—this statesman, Development is relegated to the with that consistence and perfew students whose lucubrations sistence peculiar to him, was moulder in classical dust. The the first in this century to press fact that statesmanship is able on his countrymen that for a to look forward, because it has united nation inhabiting an already looked back, is either island the concert and union of flouted or forgotten. Public her Colonies also are of the first interest is gradually being with- importance. drawn from the debates of the It will be of interest to recall Commons, just because they some of his utterances in this are daily, less and less, in touch regard. As early as 1848, when with national life, whose very Lord Palmerston was dictating changes are organic. The a constitution to Narvaez, Disgenius which treats facts with raeli, true to the principle of imagination has been replaced Bolingbroke that interference by the opportunism which in- with foreign Powers was to be vests phantoms with solemnity. deprecated unless British interThe causes of this degeneration ests were endangered, yet held we shall not here attempt to that our welfare as a great explain. That degeneration it colonial Power was so intimis must be patent to any one who ately connected with European reflects how the national growth politics that emergencies might depends upon traditional con- arise where non - interference tinuity, and is rooted in the would menace alike safety and soil of institutions.

prestige. In July 1856, in • There has been recently a reviewing the labours of the great burst of colonial feeling. session, he pronounced the folCommunity of blood, of lan- lowing remarkable criticism on guage, and of institutions have the objectors to the expansion riveted the daughters to the and progress of America :mother country. It is an auspicious moment, and Mr Cham- “I cannot forget that the United berlain prepared for and utilised States, though independent, are still . it. But of that statesmanship Aluenced by colonial tendencies; and

in some sense colonies, and are inhe was not the founder. Curious- when they come in contact with large