The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
THERIDERSOFTHEPLAINs
THE LIFE AND DUTIES of THE ca
MADAM MOUNTED POLICE.
ImpOssibiIities Made Facts, Heroic Adj
ventures, Great TraEedies-s.When
the Red Gods Cali for You.v
oyer POcock. in chambers's Journal.

Roger Pocock, in Chamberss Journal.
In her Majesty's great triumph on the 22d
Of June 1897. all the cavalry of the emnira
were represented for the first time in Lon
don, and among the men who have fought
on the frontiers for England, and who for
the first time came home, there was a de-
tachment of the Northwest mounted police
Their brilliant uniform had never before
been seen in England, and the general pub
lie probably took them for Australians.
Considering the record of one of the finest
cavalry regiments in her Majesty's service,
it seems curious that it should be absolutely
unknown beyond the limits Of Canada
To join the riders of the plains you
must be Of girth and stature which provi-
dence has withheld from most Of the appli-
cants5 you must be able to speak Freach
or English, read and write passably, and,
above all things, show testimonials of good
moral character. You may be retired
horsethief starving tramp, fugitive from
the United States marshals, a. broken-down
gentleman, or a healthy young farm lad
from eastern Canada; the letters testimonial
may have been given by your friends and
the clergy to get rid of you; but "a good
moral character" is Indispensable. IN my
time a third of the crowd were broken down
name; a third were Canadian bucolics; the
rest promiscuOus desperadoes, old soldiers,
cowboys, sailors and heliTake adventures
from all ends of the earth. Not one of us
had the least difficulty in proving our good
moral character. The fact that all the law
Iessness of the great plains would be en-
listed sooner or later in the cause of law and
order was the pride and glory of the corps.
We made the life Of bad citizens SO very un-
comfortable that sooner or later they joined
US in despair.
Once on the strength of the force, given
a regimental number, uncomfortably break
ing in new clothes and boots, we were
showed into the awkward squad at head
quarters to learn the goose step. 1 rernem-
Der that my chest expanded at the rate of
an inch a week. because the life was per-
feet bliss, with three meals day regular
as cIockwork-an astonishing experience
after casual work. hard frontier life and
occasional starvation.
The pay begins at 2 shillings, rising every
year till the fifth, when, if you are good,
you can re-enlist at shillings day. About
a third of the men get 71zd a day extra for
staff duties, and there is plenty of promo
ton, even to commissioned rank. A shilling
in the Northwest Territories buys about as
much SiXpence will at home; but so
liberal is the provision of food and cloth
ing that, beyond the laundry ana the To-
bacco pouch. there are few expenses. Six
months of the year there are no tempta-
tons; out on the great plains money is
useless except for playing cards; and so
for at least three days after the monthly
distribution of pay one feels like mil
Honaire.
OF COURSE THEY GRUMBLE.
OF course, we grumbled at our hard fate
-"growsing'' was part of the fun; we were
severely critical about every order given,
rather looked down on the officers, were
sometimes inSubordinate, occasionally mu-
tinous Indeed, the commissioner must
have wept himself to sleep three nights
week over his woolly lambs, about as easy
to govern as a shopload of pirates. He was
rarely troubled with any malingering,
skulking, or cowardice, his difficulties being
to control our misdirected energies, and,
without insulting us, to make it quite plain
that he wanted US to behave like Chris
tians. The civil population seemed to ex-
pect every morning that we had been put
out overnight and torn the whole country
to pieces. doubt IL we ever worked hard
enough Our saddle bronchos would buck
themselves hoarse on the first day Of
trip, hang their tails limp the second, and
very likely die before the end; but never
knew hardship so great or times so deS-
perate but some of us would fill up spare
moments by miSbehaVior.
However much we may have 'icursed the
outfit among ourselves and called it the
last refuge of the destitute, the civilian who
ventured to join in the chorus OF disparage-
ment probably got a black eye. AS to any
other military force in the empire we only
wanted opportunity to compare notes.
We were ready to outride, outdare and
thrash any regiment in her Majesty''s serv-
ice. That was ten years ago, when we
numbered five hundred men-now there are
eight hundred to take up the challenge. &c
is very difficult with q mere string OF words
to give the actual touch and taste and feel
of that jolly headlong frontier life, as 1t
was then and as it is to-day. 1t IS lie
that only the adventurer knows. the gen
t...nan-adventurer of Kipling's Lost
Region, who helps to build big historical
empires, and does it all for fun.
A scarlet regiment-that was to impress
the red IndianS-we were technically mount
ed infantry. The uniform was like that of
the Dragon Guards, with q white canvas
helmet instead of the tin hat" VIM
chester carbine, belt of flaming bright
brass cartridges and foot-long service re-
volver instead OF the cavalry saoer. Inc
horse was a half-broken broncho raised
under the SHADOW OF the ROCKIES. "a, a i nu-
morous beast, standing, say, hfteen hands,
with all the vices and an artlstc thorougn-
ness in bucking. The saddle weighed forty
pounds and was of the Mexican type, hlgn
in horn and cantle with broad-,webbed
cinchas instead of the English girth.
Apart from HEADQUARTERS at Regina, which
was only meant for the Christening of re-
cruits, we numbered four troops, eacn Win
tract like France to keep In order. II
walled them round with a stockade COM
manded by two bastions on the alterndle
corners. Each troop had the duties OF an
army corps-cavalry, infantry, artillery or
old brass seven-pounders. transport coiil-
missariat. hospital, jail. with the nag over
all as a reminder. In the morning the Work
was to shovel coal or make a water-colof
sketch for the officer commanding; IN the
afternoon, to exercise horses, shovel snow
or paint a barrack room. On Monday one
would drive a wagon; on IueSday, WASH
dishes tor the cook; on Wednesday. clean
stables; on Thursday, drill; on FRIDAY,
mount regimental guard, escort prisoners
and spend most Of the night pacitylng
horse fights making round of the barrack
stoves and taking temperature readings on
flying sentry.
ON DUTY IN WINTER.
That was sample of winter duty in bar
racks when the midnight thermometer stood
at 80 to Go degrees below zero. or refused