ine. Perhaps it was well that he hailed from the land where
they say, "A stout heart to a stey brae," because, if a figure of speech
from the sea is permissible on the prairie, he and his men knew that
they had "burned their ship behind them," and that they must hold their
ground or perish. They proved equal to their task, but a sketch or two
from the reports of that period reveal the situation even to those who
do not know the country. Colonel MacLeod decided that he could not hope
to pull the horses and cattle through the winter in the locality where
he was making his headquarters, so he dispatched Inspector Walsh and the
weakest of the horses and cattle to Sun River, some 200 miles to the
south. Walsh was evidently on the look out for service, for MacLeod
says, "Walsh was anxious to be sent, and he deserves great credit for
the way in which he is performing this service." In another place
MacLeod says about November 1: "We had a severe snowstorm, with high
wind and extreme cold, the thermometer going to 10 degrees below zero.
When the storm broke I had all the horses driven into the shelter of the
woods near by; every one blanketed and fed with oats and corn. Then I
was extremely anxious about them, and glad they got through so well."
The righteous man is merciful to his beast, even though the beast is
Government property. And then we come across this fine human touch in
which the emotional nature of the Highlander breaks through: "I hope
soon to have ample accommodation for all if another storm breaks out. I
have made up my mind that not a single log of men's quarters shall be
laid until the horses are provided for, as well as a few sick men." If
the dumb animals cannot speak for themselves, the Colonel speaks for
them. If the men who are laid aside cannot plead their own cause they
will not suffer, for the Colonel does not forget them. And MacLeod is
early teaching his officers that he will have no "carpet knights," who
claim immunity from hardship because of their rank, for he goes on to
say, "Then the men's quarters will be proceeded with, and after that the
officers'." We think the officers would all say amen to this, and that
is why they always had the confidence of their men. By the time it was
20 degrees below zero they had got the men inside buildings with enough
chimney to allow a fire to be kindled. But officers were still on the
waiting list, for the report says in December, "Winder, Jackson and the
doctor