loping up to him, ordered him to halt. Marker
wheeled, drew his revolver and made for the line. Kelly headed him off
and Marker shot at him, but missed. Kelly then charged, knocking both
Marker and his horse over. He quickly remounted and rode on, but Church
intercepted him, telling him he would shoot if he did not stop. Marker
attempted to shoot the constable, but his revolver missed fire. Church
then shot Marker's horse and captured the horse-stealer before he got to
the line. Church then hired a team to take the prisoner to the
detachment headquarters. But when the wagon on a winding road seemed to
be on the American side of the line, Marker threw himself from the
conveyance and reaching a house at the spot, rushed in and slammed the
door. Church reports: "I forced the door open and was met by a blow in
the eye from Marker, who had taken his spurs off and used same as a
weapon. I grappled with him and threw him on the floor, and with
assistance tied his hands and feet after a good rough and tumble scrap."
Church had done his duty surely, but whether lawyers and surveyors would
prove that the arrest was made a few feet over the line or not we cannot
say. The lads of the scarlet tunic always got their man, but the courts
sometimes let him go again.

In support of the position taken by Superintendent Wood, already quoted
in regard to the orderliness of the Yukon, it is interesting to quote
from Inspector Wroughton, who was in command of the Dawson Division. He
says, looking back over 1908, "I am pleased to report that there has
been very little crime in this district during the last eleven months
and, I might say, none of a serious nature." In the list of cases for
gambling and such like one can gather from the names that the Mounted
Police did not confine their efforts to suppressing gambling amongst
aliens as some have done elsewhere. The majority of names mentioned are
of our own race. The Mounted Police played no favourites.

In his report for 1910, Commissioner Perry makes the almost incredible
statement that twenty-five new detachments have been established during
the past year without any increase in the strength of the Force. The
corps seems to have had all through the years an extraordinary
elasticity. It seemed to be able to stretch itself over constantly
growing areas of settlement and to meet the situation created by the
increasing tide of immigration that was flowing over the great new West.
That could onl