Part 74 (1/2)

Small wonder, then, that twenty times a day he cursed the luck that had transferred him from the comparatively peaceful environment of the Police Post at Fort Macleod to the maddening whirl of conflicting desires and duties attendant upon the Service in the railroad construction camps. A letter from his friend Inspector d.i.c.kson accentuated the contrast.

”Great doings, my boy,” wrote the Inspector, evidently under the spell of overmastering excitement. ”We have Little Thunder again in the toils, this time to stay, and we owe this capture to your friend Raven. A week ago Mr. Raven coolly walked into the Fort and asked for the Superintendent. I was down at stables at the time. As he was coming out I ran into him and immediately shouted 'Hands up!'

”'Ah, Mr. Inspector,' said my gentleman, as cool as ice, 'delighted to see you again.'

”'Stand where you are!' I said, and knowing my man and determined to take no chances, I ordered two constables to arrest him. At this the Superintendent appeared.

”'Ah, Inspector,' he said, 'there is evidently some mistake here.'

”'There is no mistake, Superintendent,' I replied. 'I know this man. He is wanted on a serious charge.'

”'Kindly step this way, Mr. Raven,' said the Superintendent, 'and you, Inspector. I have something of importance to say to you.'

”And, by Jove, it was important. Little Thunder had broken his pledge to Raven to quit the rebellion business and had perfected a plan for a simultaneous rising of Blackfeet, Bloods, Piegans, and Sarcees next month. Raven had stumbled upon this and had deliberately put himself in the power of the Police to bring this information. 'I am not quite prepared,' he said, 'to hand over this country to a lot of bally half-breeds and b.l.o.o.d.y savages.' Together the Superintendent and he had perfected a plan for the capture of the heads of the conspiracy.

”'As to that little matter of which you were thinking, Inspector d.i.c.kson,' said my Chief, 'I think if you remember, we have no definite charge laid against Mr. Raven, who has given us, by the way, very valuable information upon which we must immediately act. We are also to have Mr. Raven's a.s.sistance.'

”Well, we had a glorious hunt, and by Jove, that man Raven is a wonder.

He brought us right to the bunch, walked in on them, cool and quiet, pulled two guns and held them till we all got in place. There will be no rebellion among these tribes this year, I am confident.”

And though it does not appear in the records it is none the less true that to the influence of Missionary Macdougall among the Stonies and to the vigilance of the North West Mounted Police was it due that during the Rebellion of '85 Canada was spared the unspeakable horrors of an Indian war.

It was this letter that deepened the shadow upon Cameron's face and sharpened the edge on his voice as he looked in upon his hospital friends one bright winter morning.

”You are quite unbearable!” said the little nurse after she had listened to his grumbling for a few minutes. ”And you are spoiling us all.”

”Spoiling you all?”

”Yes, especially me, and--Nurse Haley.”

”Nurse Haley?”

”Yes. You are disturbing her peace of mind.”

”Disturbing her? Me?”

A certain satisfaction crept into Cameron's voice. Nothing is so calculated to restore the poise of the male mind as a consciousness of power to disturb the equilibrium of one of the imperious s.e.x.

”And you must not do it!” continued the little nurse. ”She has far too much to bear now.”

”And haven't I been just telling you that?” said Cameron savagely. ”She never gets off. Night and day she is on the job. I tell you, I won't--it should not be allowed.” Cameron was conscious of a fine glow of fraternal interest in this young girl. ”For instance, a day like this!

Look at these white mountains, and that glorious sky, and this wonderful air, and not a breath of wind! What a day for a walk! It would do her--it would do you all a world of good.”

”Wait!” cried the little nurse, who had been on duty all night. ”I'll tell her what you say.”

Apparently it took some telling, for it was a full precious quarter of an hour before they appeared again.

”There, now, you see the effect of your authority. She would not budge for me, but--well--there she is! Look at her!”