Produced by Steven desJardins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team [Illustration: MOUNTED POLICE ROUNDING UP HORSE THIEVES. _From painting by C. W. Russell, Montana._ _Courtesy of the Osborne Coy., Toronto._] POLICING THE PLAINS BEING THE REAL LIFE RECORD OF THE FAMOUS ROYAL NORTH-WEST MOUNTED POLICE By R. G. MACBETH, M.A., Author of "The Romance of Western Canada." WITH ILLUSTRATIONS HODDER AND STOUGHTON, LTD. LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO MCMXXI CONTENTS I A GREAT TRADITION 7 II ENTER THE MOUNTED POLICE 25 III MOBILIZING 33 IV THE AMAZING MARCH 48 V BUSINESS IN THE LAND OF INDIANS 57 VI HANDLING AMERICAN INDIANS 78 VII THE IRON HORSES 93 VIII RIEL AGAIN 106 IX RECONSTRUCTION 126 X CHANGING SCENERY 141 XI IN THE GOLD COUNTRY 153 XII STIRRING DAYS ABROAD AND AT HOME 175 XIII MODESTY AND EFFECTIVENESS 206 XIV ON LAND AND SEA 233 XV GLORY AND TRAGEDY IN THE NORTH 255 XVI STRIKING INCIDENTS 266 XVII THE GREAT WAR PERIOD 281 XVIII GREAT TRADITIONS UPHELD 297 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS