A Chase in the Wilderness.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15022, 17 July 1914, Page 6

A Chase in the Wilderness.

The difficult and dangerous nature of the work of the Canadian Mounted Police in the wilds of the North-west is exemplified by the story of Sergeant Harper's pursuit and capture of a trapper and an abducted girl some months ago. Asa Hunting, a trapper of excitable and eccentric habits, persuaded a fifteen-year-old girl to elope with him to the Rocky Mountain country, which is inhabited by only a few Indians aud half-breeds. In the eyes of the Jaw it

was abduction, so the .vtountcJ i'oii c detachments were ordered to keep a look-out for tho couple. In October last, however, it was reported that tho girl was suffering' from exposure, and that the man prevented anybody from speaking to her. It was thought she might be iv danger of her life in more ways than one, so it was decided to send a police patrol to arrest the couple. Sergeant Harper, a nonstable, and a packer, set out from Lake Saskatoon, the westernmost outpost of civilisation, oi November 4th, expecting to be back by December Kith. Weeks went by and there was nothing but disquieting intelligence about Harper, so a relief party was ordered up from Athabasca Landing, 400 mile? away trom Lake Saskatoon, and the party had covered the distance in eight day. when news came that Harper was safe. Harper had had a very rough time. Penetrating further and further into the mountains without sighting his quarry, and running short of provisions, he at length came to a store which Hunting had visited a tow days before. It took a week's scouting to fix Hunting's probable whereabouts, and at last, on December 22nd, a camp fire was sighted. In a hut of spruce boughs tho girl was iound by herself, and the party lay in wait for the return of Hunting, who came along presently, and offered no resistance when told to drop his rifle. The two had been living in that rigorous climate in something close to destitution. The return journey was difficult and tedious, and the party suffered much from lack of food, provisions shrinking at one time to "lynx which wo caught in a snare, tea, and two cupfuls of tapioca a day." The relief party was not encountered until January 12th. The little story could be paralleled by many others from the records of the forco, but it is worth giving to show the kind of call sometimes made on this fino body of men.