for their
impassiveness. When Walker met the Commissioners farther on, he told
Governor Morris of the situation and then, wheeling his men, formed a
scarlet escort around the carriage. When they met Beardy he was in a
repentant mood and shook hands with the Governor. But this disorderly
Chief would only sign the treaty in his own camp. Not long afterwards
Inspector Walker with two constables had to go to Duck Lake and face
this same chief and a band of his insolent warriors and prevent them
from looting a store at that point. Still later we shall find the
incorrigible Beardy on the war-path with the rebels Riel and Gabriel
Dumont.

The treaty, known generally as "Number Six," was duly made at Carlton by
Governor Morris and the other Commissioners, with a noted half-breed,
Peter Erasmus, as the capable interpreter. Those present who had not
been accustomed to the plains witnessed a spectacle of wild splendour,
as preceding the treaty, over a thousand Indians, brilliantly and
fantastically painted, chanting a weird song, firing rifles, exhibiting
marvellous horsemanship, beating drums and giving strange yells,
advanced in a semi-circle near to the Commissioner's tent. All this was
preparatory to the famous dance of the stem, where the chiefs,
councillors and medicine men seated themselves on buffalo robes and a
beautifully decorated pipe with a long stem was produced. This was
carried around the semi-circle, then raised towards the heavens and the
stem pointed in turn north, south, east and west. With more stately
motion the Indians moved towards the Council tent, where they were met
by the Commissioners who took the pipe and one after the other stroked
it gently to indicate that they reciprocated the peaceful approach of
the Indians.

The Commissioners present with Governor Morris at this treaty and others
deserve special notice. The Hon. W. J. Christie was a famous Hudson's
Bay Company Factor. When in January, 1873, the Ottawa Government
appointed a North-West Council to act with Governor Morris in governing
the far hinterland towards the mountains, Mr. Christie, who had a very
wide knowledge of conditions and who had education and judgment, was one
of the men chosen. An interesting fact in that connection was that when
the first meeting of that Council was held, on March 8 in that year,
Mr. Christie travelled 2,000 miles by dog-train from Fort Simpson to
Winnipeg to attend it. It was a good opportunity for collectin