THE POLICE 7 



44 Ya, Stranger," he answered. " The iron 

 hand is raised, our stripping of the forest is done, 

 the river and the mill can do the rest." 



" Ah ! Been in the woods, Ryan ? " 



44 Ya." 



44 Quit now ? " 



44 Ya." 



44 Know something about canoe and river 

 work ? " 



44 Well — I guess so, Stranger, been riverman 

 and lumber- jack, off and on, ever since I was big 

 enough to work." 



44 Know the north trail hereabouts ? " 



44 No ! Have not been long west. Come from 

 the Ottawa " (River). 



44 Well, look here, Ryan, the police canoe 1 is 

 in from Green Lake — just arrived — I've seen 

 Bob Handcock, the police sergeant. Ice is 

 rotten on Crooked Lake, and moving, and passage 

 out is possible inshore for light canoe. Hudson 

 Bay Co. have failed to send me up promised 

 4 breed ' who knew the trail, and I'm going to 

 move out now as soon as I've a partner in the 

 canoe. What do you say to tackling the job ? 

 You can go back from Lake lie a la Crosse, if 

 you don't want to carry on after two weeks' 

 trial of it." 



44 Wall, Stranger, it might be done. I don't 

 know you, you don't know me — that's a great 

 risk on undertakings of this kind, but perhaps 



1 North- West Mounted Police. Splendid men, those single 

 representatives of justice who command that law and order 

 be recognised even in distantly remote corners where there is 

 no law except that which their strength of character imposes 

 on lawless men. 



