ping out at
the squaws pillaging the town. It seems a little illogical
that we should call out our young men from Halifax, from
Quebec, from Montreal, from Kingston, from Ottawa, and
from the other cities that put forces into the field, to
go out into the far wilderness to protect property, when
able-bodied men with arms in their hands stood by and
watched unmoved a body of savages and squaws pillage
their town, and give their property to the flames. It
was to relieve this town that Colonel Otter made the
brilliant march, upon which writers and orators have not
been able to bestow enough of eulogy.

CHAPTER XV.

After the defeat of the police and civilians at Duck
Lake, Riel and Dumont felt thoroughly confident of being
able to deal with the forces which they were apprised
the Canadian Government would send into the field against
them. They held many long consultations together, and
in every case it was Dumont who laid down the details of
the military campaign. "These Canadian soldiers," he
would say, "can not fight us here. We will entrench
ourselves in positions against which they may fire cannon
or gatling guns in vain. They are not used to
bush-fighting, and will all the time expose themselves
to our bullets. Besides, distances here are deceptive;
and in their confusion they will make the wildest sort
of shooting." It was decided that the rebel forces should
make their main stand at an advantageous position, which
Dumont had accidentally observed one day when he was out
elk-stalking three years ago. This place, he assured his
chief seemed to be intended by nature for a post of
defence. It lay a short distance from Batoche's Crossing.

"But my idea is to engage them several times with portions
of my force; gradually to fall back, and then fight at
my final ground the battle which shall decide who is
master in these territories, the half-breeds or the
Canadian volunteers."

All this while General Middleton, with his brave fellows,
had been making one of the most laborious marches recorded
in modern wars. Perhaps the worst portion of the march
was around the dismal reaches of Lake Superior. I take
an extract from correspondence to the Toronto _Mail_.
"But the most severe trial was last night's, in a march
from Red Rock to Nepigon, a distance of only seven miles
across the ice, yet it took nearly five hours to do it.
After leaving the cars the battalion paraded in line. A
couple of camp fires served t