pagans.

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While the small-pox was raging in the Great Saskatchewan country,
strenuous efforts were made to prevent it spreading to other districts.
Manitoba had now been formed into a province, and was filling up with
white settlers. The old name, Fort Garry, had been changed to Winnipeg,
and this place was rapidly growing into a prosperous town. From Fort
Garry long trains of Red River carts had been in the habit of going for
years with the supplies needed in the far-off Saskatchewan country.
These carts were made without having in their construction a single
piece of iron. The Half-breeds or Indian drivers never oiled or greased
them, and the result was they could be heard about as far as seen, even
on the level prairies. Each cart was drawn by one ox, and was supposed
to carry from eight to twelve hundred pounds of supplies, in addition to
the food and outfit of the driver, who was always expected to walk.
This freighting by carts on the prairies is the counterpart of
transporting goods by open boats or canoes in the northern rivers, to
which we have elsewhere referred. The arrival of the brigade of carts
with the supplies, and the news from the outside world, was the great
event of the year in the early times at those lonely prairie
settlements.

But stern measures had to be adopted in this year of the small-pox
plague. A proclamation was issued by the Governor of the Province of
Manitoba, absolutely prohibiting any trade or communication in any way
with the infected district. Not a single cart or traveller was
permitted to go on the trail. This meant a good deal of suffering and
many privations for the isolated Missionaries and traders and other
whites who, for purposes of settlement or adventure, had gone into that
remote interior country.

As it was, only twice a year in many places did the lonely Missionaries
hear from the outside world. Then the mail-carrier was very welcome,
whether he came by canoe or dog-train.

Although there were still plenty of buffalo on the plains, it was well
known that the ammunition was about exhausted, as well as all other
supplies, including medicines, now so much needed. Some interested
parties vainly urged the Governor to relent and allow some supplies to
be sent in. But, conscious of the risks that would be run of the
pestilence reaching the province over which he governed, he remained
fir