THE EED RIVER EXPEDITION. 313 



looked the picture of health and of soldier -like 

 bearing. Oh for 100,000 such men ! They would 

 be invincible. Up to the 20th of August it had 

 rained upon thirteen days in that month. The work 

 had been incessant from daylight until dark, but no 

 murmur was heard. The men chaffed one another 

 about being mules and beasts of burden ; but when 

 they saw their officers carrying barrels of flour and 

 pork on their backs, and fairly sharing their fatigues, 

 eating the same rations, and living just as they did, 

 they realised the necessity for exertion. There must 

 surely be some inherent good in a regimental system 

 which can thus in a few years convert the British 

 lout into the highly-trained soldier, developing in 

 him qualities such as cheerful obedience, endur- 

 ance, &c., &c., unknown to the beerhouse-lounging 

 rustic. 



A fresh batch of news from Fort Garry was here 

 obtained. Biel had summoned together his follow- 

 ers, who had assembled to the number of about 600, 

 and had endeavoured to organise a force to resist, but 

 had not received the support he expected. He had 

 also called a council, who met in secret conclave, no 

 English-speaking man being admitted. Of course it 

 was not known what had passed upon that occasion ; 

 but when the council broke up, an order was sent to 

 the Hudson Bay Company forbidding any further 

 sale of gunpowder or bullets. This was done, our 

 correspondent alleged, to prevent the supply of am- 



