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Walsh Meets Bull

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Sitting Bull - The Most feared name in all buffalo country - made an indelible impression on both American and Canadian history. Sitting Bull
The Years in Canada
Copyright 1973 Hurtig Publishers
165 pages,
ISBN 0-88830-73-5.

The scouts told Walsh of their discovery. The Superintendent instructed them to go again and examine the horses. They reported their confidence about the proper ownership of at least three of the animals. "Then," said Walsh, "we must act at once and demonstrate to the Sioux how we deal with horse thieves." Walsh ordered Sergeant Robert McCutcheon to arrest White Dog and his two companions who were at that moment boasting to the Sioux. Boldly, the Seraeant and two constables marched into the milling body of Indians and made the arrests. White Dog creamed in anger, demanding to know why he was being arrested. He was told that he had property that did not belong to him. He denied the imputation, saying: "These horses are mine and I will not give them up. Neither will you get away with arresting me".

At this stage, Walsh strode forward and confronted White Dog, ordering that the arrested man be disarmed. The order was carried out and White Dog grew even more hostile. Walsh addressed him: "You say you will not surrender the horses and will not be arrested? Well, we shall see. You are being charged with theft and you are now under arrest."

Thereupon, the officer called for the shackles. The Indians became excited. Some were ready to fight for White Dog. Some were moved by the display of police courage. Some appeared electrified. Walsh remained cool and looking at White Dog, said, "Tell me where you got these horses and what you intend to do with them, or I shall put these leg irons on you and take you to Fort WaIsh to face triaI."

White Dog wilted and made a stumbling statement. He had been travelling over the plain east of Cypress Hills when he saw the horses wandering and took them. He did not know he was doing wrong, he said, because his friends had alway taken loose horses when they found them on the Milk River. Walsh doubted some of White Dog's statements but warned him of the consequences if he did such a thing again on the Canadian side and the let him go.

Nor was that the end of the lesson, as Walsh related later: "When White Dog was about to withdraw, he looked at me and said 'I shall meet you again'. I caught his words and ordered him to halt, called for the interpreter, and told him to now repeat what he had said and I did not wish to misunderstand him. He would not repeat." But after Walsh warned that he might still take the man to Fort Walsh to explain his conduct, White Dog yielded and said he did not mean to make a threat. Walsh accepted this. Having forced White Dog to abandon his defiance of Canadian law, he had accomplished his purpose, Best of all, this success had been won with the great Silting Bull as a witness.

"White Dog was disgraced in the presence of the Sioux," Walsh wrote "and felt his position severely but the lesson was long remembered by Bull and his followers. Within 24 hours after entering Canada, they witnessed British law at work."

Before Walsh and his party left the camp, Sitting Bull asked the officer for additional information concerning the laws he and his people would have to obey while north of the boundary. It was evident that the White Dog affair had made a strong impression. Finally, having won the confidence of Silting Bull and most of the people in the camp, the Mounties departed.


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