Four Months Under Arms

              Page 18
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Jackson
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Gets

Ducking
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as he done it so quickly. We grabbed him by legs and arms, and gave him a couple of Dutch whirls, and carried him over to the wagon, and shackled him close to the floor. He was biting and clawing like a mad dog. On the 24th we camped between two lakes on the Salt Plains. Jackson was getting so filthy it was unbearable. We reported it to the officer. and he told us to give him a bath. We unshackled him and took him intc the water, stripped him naked and started to scrub him with a horse brush. He broke loose and waded out till the water was up to his chin, then he would make the most diabolical faces. and duck under. He did this several times, then stayed under longer than usual. and the officer thought that he might loose a prisoner by drowning. He sent a couple of mounted men in on the other side, and Jackson came out towards us, ducked to one side and under the wagon, and away across the prairie like a harc. and being naked could outdistance any of us, but was finally run down by a mounted man. On the 27th we passed through Quappelle Valley shortly after reveille had sounded, reached Regina that night and delivered all the prisor.ers. Next day they were all lined up and photographed. They were all given prison terms of different lengths. Riel was tried for treason and convicted and was hanged on the 16th of November. Jackson was not put on trial as he W&S judged to be insane and he was sent to an asylum near Winnipeg, and when he knew that he had escaped the just penalty for his actions, he soon regained his sanity, and was made a servant to the Chaplin of the institution. One Sunday when the Chaplin was holding services, he stole the housekeeper's dress and walked out for an evening stroll and was not missed till the next morning.. He made his way across the United State's border and the next that was heard of him he had joined Cox's army marching to Washington. We were given five days leave to see the sights of the new city and rest the horses for the return trip. The third night we camped close to a slough with a poplar bluff around it. The horses were picketed and only one was hobbled. After dark the coyotes started to howl close to camp, and all the horses except the one that was hobbled broke loose and went back about 15 miles before they were caught. We had a difficult time crossing the South Saskatchewan river as the cable was broken, and it took us a full day to make the crossing. We reached Prince Albert on the 14th of July, and turned in o,n rifles, and we were discharged, after nearly four months active service.