carried out strictly and they are these: Corporal Dixon, who
thoroughly understands this work, will be in charge here and be
responsible to me for the proper management of the passage of the
Canyon and White Horse Rapids. No women or children will be taken
in the boats. If they are strong enough to come to the Klondike
they can walk the five miles of the bank to the foot of the White
Horse and there is no danger for them here. No boat will be
permitted to go through the Canyon until the corporal is satisfied
that it has sufficient free board to enable it to ride the waves in
safety. No boat will be allowed to pass with human beings in it
unless it is steered by competent men, and of that the corporal
will be the judge. There will be a number of pilots selected, whose
names will be on the roll in the Mounted Police Barracks here, and
when a crew needs a man to steer them through the Canyon to the
foot of the rapids, pilots will be taken in turn from that list. In
the event of the men not being able to pay, the Corporal will be
permitted to arrange that the boats are run without charge."

Some of the impetuous who were willing to risk everything for the
glitter of gold rather demurred at this strong paternalism, but when it
was all over they thanked their stars that the Mounted Police had been
on hand to head off the folly of fools.

We have anticipated in the last paragraph in order to illustrate how the
Mounted Police guided the wild stampede. But let us get back and find
Superintendent Perry on the ground just as the rush was starting for the
passes. He made a swift trip and placed detachments of police on the
Chilcoot and White Passes, putting those reliable officers Inspectors
Belcher and Strickland in command. Up to a certain date it had almost
been taken for granted that the whole country was on the American side
as the names of Miles, the Indian fighter, and Gordon Bennett had been
given by enthusiasts to the Canyon and the lake. But when Perry put
Belcher on the Chilcoot and Strickland on the White Pass to hoist the
British flag and collect customs levies, intimation was given that the
great gold country was on the Canadian side of the line and that all who
wished to pass that way must contribute to the Dominion exchequer and
thus swell the revenue of Canada. Weather conditions were nothing less
than awful. Steele, who, with Constabl