"Did you ever hear of Paper-collar Johnnie?"
"No," said John.
"Paper-collar was an officer down below, and he and Smoothbore were pals. They were out to a banquet one night and returning home late—in fact dawn was breaking over the prairie, cold and misty, when they reached the ford of the river outside their post. It had been raining hard, the stream had risen, and the driver drew up before the ford and said, 'The river seems pretty bad, sir.' 'Hold on,' said Paper-collar, 'this won't do; mustn't try and cross that ford if the river is in flood.' 'Driver, halt,' ordered Smoothbore, 'my companion wishes to alight; get down, sir.' Paper-collar stepped down on the prairie. 'Now, driver, the ford.'"
"And he took it all right?"
"Yes, sir; and hours afterwards a patrol from the fort picked up poor Paper-collar."
"What would Smoothbore have done had the miners risen after the Dominion Creek stampede?" Berwick ventured to ask.
"He'd have fought, and the police would have stood by him. He'd have used his nerve."
"I learn there is a 'Nordenfelt' and a maxim in the Passes. If the miners had got them down here and hauled them to the top of the Dome they would have made things hot in the Barracks."
"Well, maxim or no maxim, Smoothbore would have fought. Neither he nor any of the police do any grafting; but we should have fought."
"Perhaps it is as well the Alaska stampede began," said Berwick musingly.