ents, and so they had lost faith in the American
Government, for they assumed that the Government knew or ought to know
of these things. It was matter of common knowledge throughout the
Western country that some agents who were receiving a salary of $1500.00
a year retired with fortunes after a few years in office, and even the
most unsuspecting and docile Indian would baulk at that after a while.

Colonel McLeod, a very cautious man, in a report to the Hon. David Mills
at Ottawa, said, "I think the principal cause of the difficulties which
are continually embroiling the American Government in trouble with the
Indians, is the manner in which these Indians are treated by the swarms
of adventurers who have scattered themselves all over the Indian country
in search of minerals before any treaty is made giving up the title.
These men always look upon the Indians as their natural enemies, and it
is their rule to shoot at them if they approach after being warned off.
I was actually asked the other day by an American who has settled here,
if we had the same law here as on the other side, and if he was
justified in shooting any Indian who approached his camp after being
warned not to advance. I am satisfied that such a rule is not necessary
in dealing with the worst of Indians, and that any necessity there might
be for its adoption arose from the illegal intrusion and wrongdoings of
the Whites." Happy country was ours to have a MacLeod on the spot
through these troublous years!

Meanwhile the Police had occasional problems with our own Indians, not
in relation to the Government, but in connection with ancient or modern
feuds or ordinary quarrels between tribes. The Police generally got
things early under control. Here is a case. On May 25, 1877, Little
Child, a Salteaux Treaty Chief, came to Fort Walsh and reported that his
people and a large number of Assiniboines under Chief Crow's Dance had
been camped together. The Salteaux desired to leave, and so notified
Crow's Dance. This individual for some reason refused permission to the
Salteaux to leave camp. But Little Child, feeling that he and his people
had a right to go where they pleased "so long as they kept the laws of
the White Mother," ordered his people to move. Whereupon Crow's Dance,
who had 250 warriors, set upon the Salteaux, killing not any of the
people, but shooting nineteen valuable sled-dogs, cutting lodges,
upsetting travois, knocking down men, and frightening