e was still felt at every turn.

[Illustration: LORD STRATHCONA AND MOUNT ROYAL. Governor of the Hudson's
Bay Company]

Among the earliest acts of the new provisional government was on
February 11th, the confiscation of Dr. Schultz's property, and of the
office of The Norwester newspaper. The type of The Norwester was said to
have been melted into bar lead and bullets. Judge Black, Father Richot,
and A.H. Scott were chosen as delegates to Ottawa, though the
appointment of the last of these, the "American delegate," was very
distasteful to the English-speaking people. The success of Riel led him
to dismiss about a quarter of the prisoners in Fort Garry. The fact that
he seemed to hold the remainder as hostages stirred up the English
people living along the Assiniboine.

What is usually called the "Portage la Prairie" Expedition was now
organized, to secure the release of the remaining prisoners. A body,
varying from sixty to one hundred, marched down to Headingly, and were
there joined by a number of English-speaking Canadians and others. They
then pushed on to Kildonan Church, where they were increased by a number
of English half-breeds from St. Andrew's and adjoining parishes. The
proposal was to attack the fort and set free the prisoners. Alarmed at
the movement, Riel released all the prisoners in the fort. Their object
being gained, the men of the Kildonan Church camp, who had grown to be
six hundred strong, dissolved, and were proceeding to their homes, when
Riel, by an unheard of act of treachery, arrested some fifty of the
Assiniboine party. Among them was Major Boulton, a former officer of the
100th Regiment. Riel again sought out a victim for revenge, and intended
to execute this prominent man. It was only on the persistent request of
Commissioner Smith and the urgency of Mrs. John Sutherland, whose son
had been killed by an escaping French prisoner at the Kildonan Church
camp, that Boulton's life was spared.

Riel, however, seemed to feel that power was slipping from his hands. He
was criticised on all hands for his treachery and for his arrogance. It
is said his followers were dropping off from him, notwithstanding the
luxurious lives they had been living on the Company's supplies in Fort
Garry.

He determined, though with a divided Council, to make an example, and
despite the solicitations of Commissioner Smith, the Rev. George Young,
and others, publicly executed, on the 4th of March, outside of Fort
G