sed his march. Onward along the
Saskatchewan, he avoided the trap laid by four hundred half-breeds at
Batoche's Crossing, and, making the crossing at Agnew's, further down,
arrived at Prince Albert all fit and sound on the eve of the 24th,
completing his two hundred and ninety-one miles in just seven days; and
that in the teeth of the bitter weather of a rejuvenated winter, without
loss of man or horse, a feat worthy of the traditions of the Force of
which he was the head, and of the Empire whose most northern frontier it
was his task to guard.

Twenty-four hours to sharpen their horses' calks and tighten up their
cinches, and Irvine was on the trail again en route for Fort Carlton,
where he learned serious disturbances were threatening. Arrived at Fort
Carlton in the afternoon of the same day, the Commissioner found there a
company of men, sad, grim and gloomy. In the fort a dozen of the gallant
volunteers from Prince Albert and Crozier's Mounted Police lay groaning,
some of them dying, with wounds. Others lay with their faces covered,
quiet enough; while far down on the Duck Lake trail still others lay
with the white snow red about them. The story was told the Commissioner
with soldierlike brevity by Superintendent Crozier. The previous day a
storekeeper from Duck Lake, Mitchell by name, had ridden in to report
that his stock of provisions and ammunition was about to be seized by
the rebels. Immediately early next morning a Sergeant of the Police with
some seventeen constables had driven off to prevent these provisions and
ammunition falling into the hands of the enemy. At ten o'clock a scout
came pounding down the trail with the announcement that Sergeant Stewart
was in trouble and that a hundred rebels had disputed his advance.
Hard upon the heels of the scout came the Sergeant himself with his
constables to tell their tale to a body of men whose wrath grew as
they listened. More and more furious waxed their rage as they heard
the constables tell of the threats and insults heaped upon them by the
half-breeds and Indians. The Prince Albert volunteers more especially
were filled with indignant rage. To think that half-breeds and
Indians--Indians, mark you!--whom they had been accustomed to regard
with contempt, should have dared to turn back upon the open trail a
company of men wearing the Queen's uniform! The insult was intolerable.

The Police officers received the news with philosophic calm. It was
merely an incid