to McKay; "we want blood,
blood--it's blood we want." McKay had a cool head and so sparred for
time, till the rebel sobered down somewhat and then McKay left and
returned to Carlton, where he reported to Crozier. Next day, in answer
to a request from Riel, McKay and Mitchell, a merchant of Duck Lake,
with Crozier's consent, met two of Riel's men, Nolin and Maxime Lepine
(a brother of Riel's adjutant in the Red River revolt), who demanded
again the surrender of Fort Carlton. This, of course, was refused, and
in a few days rebellion was rampant, with this man, half-knave,
half-madman at its head.

The first clash came on March 26, 1885, when Crozier sent out a small
detachment of Police with a few civilian volunteers from Prince Albert,
under the general direction of that experienced and fearless
frontiersman, Thomas McKay, above named, to bring in to Fort Carlton
some Government stores from Mitchell's trading place above mentioned.
This little detachment, of some twenty all told, were met when near Duck
Lake by that mischievous Indian, Chief Beardy, with his warriors and
Riel's fighting Lieutenant, a famous half-breed plainsman, Gabriel
Dumont, this rebel force being estimated by Duck Lake residents at
between 300 and 400 men, all well armed, though all did not appear then
on the field. A confab took place, Beardy and Dumont being very
insolent, and endeavouring evidently to get Crozier's men to begin
hostilities so that the rebels might wipe them out. But McKay, though
boldly standing his ground, would not be drawn, and after a somewhat
stormy interview, retired to Carlton, daring the rebels to follow.

In the meantime, the Commissioner, Colonel A. G. Irvine, a careful and
conscientious officer, who had succeeded MacLeod in command of the
Police in 1880, wired from Regina to Ottawa and got orders to take all
available men, less than 100, and proceed to Prince Albert, as that
whole section of country was exposed to the utmost danger. Irvine made a
record march through slush and snow, outwitted Riel's forces at South
Saskatchewan by going through their zone, and arriving at Prince Albert
with horses so used up by the spring roads that a day had to be taken to
get them able to go further. He had received word from Carlton that
there was no immediate likelihood of trouble, but he lost no time in
pressing on to that point, reaching there in the afternoon of March 26,
only to find that Crozier had gone out that day to Duck L