Four Months Under Arms

              Page 8

The Battle
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of Duck Lake
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were given for the first sleighs to pull out to the left as far as this pond and the rest to follow, and draw up in echlon formation, thus forming a long barricade for the police to take position behind it. The horses were unhitched and driven to the shelter of the dense growth around the pond. The six pounder was drawn up to the front, and just off to the left side of the road, and loaded ready for action. To the right and front was a cleared field of approximately 10 acres, with a rail fence along the north, east and south sides, and on the west side was a large slough or small lake. To the right and rear was a thick growth of small poplar with some large trees standing 8mong it, and between the north fence and this bluff, was a well beaten path leading up to a small log house, set well back from the fence, with a small window in the east side facing the road. The fence on the east side of the field paralleled the road nearly to the top of the hill, then west to the slough or lake. Along the south fence there was a number of fair sized poplar trees standing. The ridge of the hIll extended to the east from the road, in a crescent shape, around and abreast of the dense poplar and willow growth, behind which the police horses were sheltered. A trail branched from the road at the top of the hill, and through a gap in the fence crossed the field to the log house. The volunteers were under command of Capt. Moore, retired from the Canadian Militia. He gave orders for a number of us to extend to the right along the north fence, while two groups of three men in each group went into the poplar bluff and worked towards the house. While this was being done, the rebels had reached the top of the hill in front, some moving along the top of the crescent shaped ridge to their right, and others to their left, along the south fence, while a large group was standing along the road. A horseman left the group, and rode down the trail that crossed the field towards the house, and he was followed by a man on foot some distance behind. The horseman was ordered to stop by Charlie Hamilton, when he got near the house, and and as we had strict replied. "You go to hell, this is my house," orders not to fire fi~st, he came right along and went in. There was another man in the house. Another horseman left the group at the top of the hm, and came down the road waving a white rag, and Supt. Crozier and Joe :vrcKay went to meet him and parley. He dismounted when they met, and they talked only a short time when he made a grab for Joe's revolver, and at the same time made a slash at him with a long knife, but Joe stepped aside and shot the fellow in the leg. Crozier and Joe walked back to the sleighs amid a hail of bullets. As they reached the sleighs a shot was fired from the sixpounder at the group on the road ot the top of the hill, and every rebel disappeared almost at once, by dropping flat on the snow. After that a rebel head would rise above the snow, just long enough to aim and fire and drop again.