s.

Having dismounted, the three strangers turned to meet the boys, who at
once recognized in their khaki uniforms, blue flannel shirts and
broad-brimmed hats, three of the members of Major McClintock's patrol of
Royal Northwest Mounted Police, whom they had met in White Horse.

They saluted the boys, who returned the recognition, and then shook hands
with their rescuers.

"Faith, it seems we were just in time," said O'Hara, the sergeant, "but
I'm sorry we didn't get that crowd. If I'm not mistaken, it's one the
Major has been looking for that came up on the same boat from Seattle with
you."

Rand assured him that the desperadoes were the same that had been referred
to, and he continued:

"I'm sure I don't know how they got by our post at White Horse, but they
must have made a circuit. However, our men'll get thim somewhere. How are
ye yerselves? Begorra ye have foine lookin' faces on ye. Wait till I
docther ye up a bit. We all get lukin' worse than that sometimes on this
patrol duty."

He produced from the haversack or his "war bag," as he called it, at the
rear of his saddle, a couple of bottles, one of which contained water of
ammonia and another glycerine and vaseline mixed. The application soon
relieved the pain and reduced the swellings. As he did so the other
policemen walked down to the landing, where they were attracted by groans
at the foot of the bank, and there found the Indian who had pitched
forward when they had fired, and whom they supposed had been dragged into
the boat. Instead he had rolled down the bank and partially into the
water.

They picked him up and carried him up onto the grass, where the boys at
once recognized him as the Siwash chief who had deserted at the head of
their Indians a few days before.

An examination showed that one of the police bullets had gone through his
thigh, but had not made a dangerous wound. Rand at once dressed this, at
the same time having some talk with him in "pigeon." The chief could add
but little in his jargon to what Dublin had already stated--that they had
been met at the conjunction of the Gold and the Lewes by the desperadoes,
and under cover of the rifles been compelled to return up stream. Of the
narwhal's horn he refused to talk, and his wound having been dressed he
was placed on the balsam boughs in the shack.

Rand and Jack at once extended the hospitalities of the camp to the
mounted police, who gladly accepted the offer of the empty sod hou