"They've had a patrol down here, these Royal Mounted fellows," said the old ranchman, between puffs on a pipe that seemed never to go out, "but they never got anywhere. Perhaps they'll jack up if we all join in an appeal. There's nothing against this young fellow except that he rides a white horse."
"Silver," introduced Childress.
"You should see him, dad," came quickly from Flame. "He's out in the stable now and more wonderful, probably faster than any of our blacks."
"Faster?" the question came quickly from Fitzrapp. For the first time he really turned to Childress. "Do you mean you could and would race him, my man?"
The sergeant ignored the other's "my man" arrogance. "There's a track at Strathconna," he said quietly. "The next time we meet there, I'll match Silver against any horse in your string."
"I'll hold you to that, the next time we meet."
The old horseman recalled them to the matter in hand by asking Flame to bring writing material and take a dictation. When she was ready to write, he spoke slowly, but very much to the point. The others listened, offering no suggestions. Fitzrapp, frowning, twisted his mustache nervously. Ethel Andress gave several nods of approval as she listened to the veteran's terse dictation. Sergeant Childress was secretly amused at the situation. Commissioner Jim up in Ottawa doubtless would get several chuckles out of one of his staff signing an appeal for additional patrol; then, probably, he would detail an inspector to visit the several complainants. None the less, he determined to hasten in every possible way his own investigation. When Flame had finished writing and the signatures were duly appended there was ready for the mail a document of protest which read:
To the Hon. Commissioner,
Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
Ottawa, Canada.
SIR:—The devil's pot is boiling again in the Fire Weed country. Already this spring there have been two raids on our horse bands. Now they have taken to skinning our cattle for the hides.
Can nothing be done for our protection, or do you wish us to take the law into our own hands? The trouble seems to start and fade out across the line in the States; but surely we don't need to appeal to a foreign sheriff for aid. Do we get a patrol detachment, or don't we?