t the hands of Bolshevists, and various other
exciting experiences. And Constable Pilkington, who penetrated into the
interior of the country, gives some vivid stories of Bolshevik exploits.
The Squadron did its whole duty, and did it well, but in a few months
the Canadian Government decided to withdraw from the Russian situation,
and so recalled the Force to duty in the Dominion, after an absence of
several months in the enigmatic land.

Thus, whether amid the puzzling problems of the war period in the
homeland, or in the face of new situations abroad, did the riders of the
plains, to the full extent of their opportunity, make their usual
thorough-going contribution to Canada's part in the making of human
history. East, West, North or South, they have always answered the call
to duty. In a word, they have always been on active service.

CHAPTER XVIII

GREAT TRADITIONS UPHELD

In the foregoing chapter I have, in order to preserve the continuity of
the Police story through the war period, gone a little ahead of the
chronological order of general events in the history of the corps. But
history was being made all the time by these remarkable men, whether
they were serving at home or abroad. They were always and everywhere on
active duty, and "peace hath her victories no less renowned than war."
Riding with dispatches in France was not more active and dangerous
service than patrolling over the immense areas of trackless snow and ice
in the Arctic Circle or facing overwhelmingly superior numbers where
mobs were surging restlessly and riotously in our own country. Here and
there on the plains or in the mountains little detachments were without
display or advertisement carrying out tasks that were onerous and
disagreeable in the extreme.

For instance, we have the story of a great mine disaster at Hill Crest,
Alberta, where by a terrific explosion 188 men out of the 237 who had
entered the mine on a June morning in 1914 lost their lives. The Mounted
Police as usual rushed to the scene to see what they could do to relieve
the situation, Inspector Junget taking charge. Experienced miners were
at work bringing out the bodies, it being evident from the first that
none but the few men who had come up in an exhausted condition were
alive. The detachment of Mounted Police only numbered six, but they took
effective oversight at once, first closing the bar of the local hotel in
order to head off the danger of drunkenness b