White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1938-06-24
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by Captain
G. Elliott Nightingale
Copyright, WNU
SEND Il REGIMENT? NO.
SEND FOUR MEN

ans was clearly demonstrated pack
in the late nineties when about four
hundred Wood Cree Indians, fear.
ing that they would be involved in
the violation of certain treaty be.
tween all the Cree tribes and the
Canadian government, sneaked quiz
city away from their reservation in
small groups one night and slipped
across the border into Montana.
Upon assembling there, the Ameri-
can peace officers and military men
told the Wood Cree chieftains that
they had better 60 back to Canada,
because Uncle Sam had more In
dians than he needed.
The Crees refused to depart and
stayed "put" where they'd camped,
threatening all kinds of trouble if
they were bothered in any way. The
result of this defiant attitude was
that thousand United States cav
alrymen were soon uprooting the
Crees and herding them north to
the border. While the party was en-
route, messages concerning the re-
turn of the Crees were hurried
through to the Assinaboine authori-
ties, and the Northwest Mounted Pc.
lice, requesting that an armed force
be at the border to take charge of
the returning Wood Crees. The mes.
sages were to the effect that these
Wood Crees were murderous lot
and would take some handling If
trouble or massacre were to be pre-
vented.
Upon arriving at the designated
crossing place on the border, the
American colonel of cavalry was
quite disappointed at not finding a
regiment of relocated infantrymen
to meet the party and take charge
Of the 400 Wood Crees. Instead
three Men Of the Royal Mounted
walked, not rode, into the Ameri-
can cavalry officers presence.
eve have come to take over the
Crees," the corporal announced.
you've WHAT!!!!?" shouted the
colonel. The corporal repeated his
remarks.
"Why -. Good God, man :.
where's your troops? Why
you'll need a regiment to handle
this bunch of rascals. How many
men have your"
"Well, sir, there's three Of us
here. The fourth man of my party
is packing up our kits. He'll be
with us in minute, sir, asking
your patience.
"Four men ;" clustered the
cavalry officer. "Why it's
murder"
'Not at all, SIR" replied the cor
poral. "You see, we know these In
dams, and they know we wear the
queens scarlet. They know, too,
that we have kept all treaties with
them. Ask them, sir. Find out for
yourself"
The colonel did as requested and
without any help or advice from the
Men of the Mounted, the chieftains
of the Wood Crees stepped out and
said that never in all their expert
ence since the redcoat pony SOL
diers had come, had they found a
''forked tongue" among them. They
had always been faithful to all trea-
ties, and the chieftains concluded
with the admission that they were
glad to be back on Canadian soil,
and that they would not have run
away if they had not believed that
they would be in serious trouble
with the pony soldiers because the
Swampy Crees had broken a prom
Use and treaty they'd made with
the Northwest Mounted.
Later that week four Men Of the
Mounted were leading, not driving,
400 supposedly "bloodthirsty, scalp
ing savages" northward, well into
Canadian territory, finishing the job
without any untoward incident, and
without the loss Of man, woman.
child. or horse,