volunteers to-night. I hope, sir," said
Cameron, "you will have a place for me in your troop?"

"My dear fellow, nothing would please me better, I assure you," said
the Superintendent cordially. "And as proof of my confidence in you I am
going to send you through the South country to recruit men for my troop.
I can rely upon your judgment and tact. But as for you, you cannot leave
your present beat. The Sun Dance Trail cannot be abandoned for one hour.
From it you keep an eye upon the secret movements of all the tribes in
this whole region and you can do much to counteract if not to wholly
check any hostile movement that may arise. Indeed, you have already done
more than any one will ever know to hold this country safe during these
last months. And you must stay where you are. Remember, Cameron," added
the Superintendent impressively, "your work lies along the Sun Dance
Trail. On no account and for no reason must you be persuaded to abandon
that post. I shall get into touch with General Strange to-morrow and
shall doubtless get something to do, but if possible I should like you
to give me a day or two for this recruiting business before you take up
again your patrol work along the Sun Dance."

"Very well, sir," replied Cameron quietly, trying hard to keep the
disappointment out of his voice. "I shall do my best."

"That is right," said the Superintendent. "By the way, what are the
Piegans doing?"

"The Piegans," replied Cameron, "are industriously stealing cattle and
horses. I cannot quite make out just how they can manage to get away
with them. Eagle Feather is apparently running the thing, but there is
someone bigger than Eagle Feather in the game. An additional month or
two in the guardroom would have done that gentleman no harm."

"Ah, has he been in the guard-room? How did he get there?"

"Oh, I pulled him out of the Sun Dance, where I found he had been
killing cattle, and the Superintendent at Macleod gave him two months to
meditate upon his crimes."

Superintendent Strong expressed his satisfaction.

"But now he is at his old habits again," continued Cameron. "But his
is not the brain planning these raids. They are cleverly done and are
getting serious. For instance, I must have lost a score or two of steers
within the last three months."

"A score or two?" exclaimed the Superintendent. "What are they doing
with them all?"

"That is what I find difficult to explain. Either they are running them
across