ts. Perry, who was selected by
Superintendent Cotton on account of special fitness, brought with him a
nine-pounder gun, which did unique service in demoralizing and
scattering Big Bear's murderous and pillaging band, to whose outrages we
have already referred. These two Police detachments became the tentacles
of our column and the mainspring of its ultimate success.

Of the two officers Steele was the senior in years and in length of
service. He had been in the Red River Expedition, and was in the School
of Gunnery at Kingston, when he enlisted in the Mounted Police at its
organization and worked his way up from the ranks. Powerfully built, he
had all the appearance and carriage of a frontier soldier, accustomed to
unexpected situations and always ready for any action that might be
necessary. Perry attracted me first by his stalwart appearance and fine
horsemanship. Even in a country where riding was a fine art, Perry was a
distinguished figure on a horse, and later on I discovered that he made
a point of doing everything well. He was a graduate of the Royal
Military College, and had served with the Royal Engineers before joining
up with the Mounted Police, where his genius for thorough administration
and his general popularity raised him to the highest position in the
Force.

The news from the North coming to us at Calgary, indicated that the
whole country north of the Red Deer River to Edmonton and beyond was
full of rather surly and hostile Indians, who would rise at any moment
if they thought there were any chances of success. Hence, General
Strange, a thorough-going soldier greatly beloved by all of us,
determined to push on to Edmonton with all speed accompanied by Steele.
We of the Winnipeg Light Infantry waited a few days till Perry could
reach us from MacLeod, and then we also started north under his
guidance. We forded the Bow River, but when we got to the Red Deer we
found it flooded by the spring freshets into what our Adjutant
Constantine, who later did such splendid service with the Mounted
Police, called, in warning the men, "a wide, swift-flowing and
treacherous stream." Strange had crossed before the river rose, but how
we were to get over was a problem. Our chances of getting on to the
north looked slim. It was well that Perry, whose service with the Royal
Engineers meant something, was along in command of the column. He
decided to throw a rope across with the little skiff, which was the only
thing