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The　Foreigner：　　A　Tale　of　Saskatchewan

by　Ralph　Connor








PREFACE


In　Western　Canada　there　is　to　be　seen　to…day　that　most　fascinating　of　all　human　phenomena；　the　making　of　a　nation。　　Out　of　breeds　diverse　in　traditions；　in　ideals；　in　speech；　and　in　manner　of　life；　Saxon　and　Slav；　Teuton；　Celt　and　Gaul；　one　people　is　being　made。　The　blood　strains　of　great　races　will　mingle　in　the　blood　of　a　race　greater　than　the　greatest　of　them　all。

It　would　be　our　wisdom　to　grip　these　peoples　to　us　with　living　hooks　of　justice　and　charity　till　all　lines　of　national　cleavage　disappear；　and　in　the　Entity　of　our　Canadian　national　life；　and　in　the　Unity　of　our　world…wide　Empire；　we　fuse　into　a　people　whose　strength　will　endure　the　slow　shock　of　time　for　the　honour　of　our　name；　for　the　good　of　mankind；　and　for　the　glory　of　Almighty　God。

C。W。G。

WINNIPEG；　CANADA；　1909。







CONTENTS


I　THE　CITY　ON　THE　PLAIN

II　　WHERE　EAST　MEETS　WEST

III　　THE　MARRIAGE　OF　ANKA

IV　　THE　UNBIDDEN　GUEST

V　　THE　PATRIOT'S　HEART

VI　　THE　GRIP　OF　BRITISH　LAW

VII　　CONDEMNED

VIII　　THE　PRICE　OF　VENGEANCE

IX　　BROTHER　AND　SISTER

X　　JACK　FRENCH　OF　THE　NIGHTHAWK　RANCH

XI　　THE　EDMONTON　TRAIL

XII　　THE　MAKING　OF　A　MAN

XIII　　BROWN

XIV　　THE　BREAK

XV　　THE　MAIDEN　OF　THE　BROWN　HAIR

XVI　　HOW　KALMAN　FOUND　HIS　MINE

XVII　　THE　FIGHT　FOR　THE　MINE

XVIII　　FOR　FREEDOM　AND　FOR　LOVE

XIX　　MR　FOREIGNER




THE　FOREIGNER



CHAPTER　I

THE　CITY　ON　THE　PLAIN


Not　far　from　the　centre　of　the　American　Continent；　midway　between　the　oceans　east　and　west；　midway　between　the　Gulf　and　the　Arctic　Sea；　on　the　rim　of　a　plain；　snow　swept　in　winter；　flower　decked　in　summer；　but；　whether　in　winter　or　in　summer；　beautiful　in　its　sunlit　glory；　stands　Winnipeg；　the　cosmopolitan　capital　of　the　last　of　the　Anglo　Saxon　Empires；Winnipeg；　City　of　the　Plain；　which　from　the　eyes　of　the　world　cannot　be　hid。　　Miles　away；　secure　in　her　sea…girt　isle；　is　old　London；　port　of　all　seas；　miles　away；　breasting　the　beat　of　the　Atlantic；　sits　New　York；　capital　of　the　New　World；　and　mart　of　the　world；　Old　and　New；　far　away　to　the　west　lie　the　mighty　cities　of　the　Orient；　Peking　and　Hong　Kong；　Tokio　and　Yokohama；　and　fair　across　the　highway　of　the　world's　commerce　sits　Winnipeg；　Empress　of　the　Prairies。　　Her　Trans…Continental　railways　thrust　themselves　in　every　direction；south　into　the　American　Republic；　east　to　the　ports　of　the　Atlantic；　west　to　the　Pacific；　and　north　to　the　Great　Inland　Sea。

To　her　gates　and　to　her　deep…soiled　tributary　prairies　she　draws　from　all　lands　peoples　of　all　tribes　and　tongues；　smitten　with　two　great　race　passions；　the　lust　for　liberty；　and　the　lust　for　land。

By　hundreds　and　tens　of　hundreds　they　stream　in　and　through　this　hospitable　city；　Saxon　and　Celt　and　Slav；　each　eager　on　his　own　quest；　each　paying　his　toll　to　the　new　land　as　he　comes　and　goes；　for　good　or　for　ill；　but　whether　more　for　good　than　for　ill　only　God　knows。

A　hundred　years　ago；　where　now　stands　the　thronging　city；　stood　the　lonely　trading…post　of　The　Honourable；　The　Hudson's　Bay　Company。　To　this　post　in　their　birch　bark　canoes　came　the　half…breed　trapper　and　the　Indian　hunter；　with　their　priceless　bales　of　furs　to　be　bartered　for　blankets　and　beads；　for　pemmican　and　bacon；　for　powder　and　ball；　and　for　the　thousand　and　one　articles　of　commerce　that　piled　the　store　shelves　from　cellar　to　roof。

Fifty　years　ago；　about　the　lonely　post　a　little　settlement　had　gathereda　band　of　sturdy　Scots。　　Those　dour　and　doughty　pioneers　of　peoples　had　planted　on　the　Red　River　their　homes　upon　their　little　〃strip〃　farmsa　rampart　of　civilization　against　the　wide；　wild　prairie；　the　home　of　the　buffalo；　and　camp　ground　of　the　hunters　of　the　plain。

Twenty…five　years　ago；　in　the　early　eighties；　a　little　city　had　fairly　dug　its　roots　into　the　black　soil；　refusing　to　be　swept　away　by　that　cyclone　of　financial　frenzy　known　over　the　Continent　as　the　〃boom　of　'81；〃　and　holding　on　with　abundant　courage　and　invincible　hope；　had　gathered　to　itself　what　of　strength　it　could；　until　by　1884　it　had　come　to　assume　an　appearance　of　enduring　solidity。　hitherto　accessible　from　the　world　by　the　river　and　the　railroad　from　the　south；　in　this　year　the　city　began　to　cast　eager　eyes　eastward；　and　to　listen　for　the　rumble　of　the　first　trans…　continental　train；　which　was　to　bind　the　Provinces　of　Canada　into　a　Dominion；　and　make　Winnipeg　into　one　of　the　cities　of　the　world。　Trade　by　the　river　died；　but　meantime　the　railway　from　the　south　kept　pouring　in　a　steady　stream　of　immigration；　which　distributed　itself　according　to　its　character　and　in　obedience　to　the　laws　of　affinity；　the　French　Canadian　finding　a　congenial　home　across　the　Red　River　in　old　St。　Boniface；　while　his　English…speaking　fellow…　citizen；　careless　of　the　limits　of　nationality；　ranged　whither　his　fancy　called　him。　　With　these；　at　first　in　small　and　then　in　larger　groups；　from　Central　and　South　Eastern　Europe；　came　people　strange　in　costume　and　in　speech；　and　holding　close　by　one　another　as　if　in　terror　of　the　perils　and　the　loneliness　of　the　unknown　land；　they　segregated　into　colonies　tight　knit　by　ties　of　blood　and　common　tongue。

Already；　close　to　the　railway　tracks　and　in　the　more　unfashionable　northern　section　of　the　little　city；　a　huddling　cluster　of　little　black　shacks　gave　such　a　colony　shelter。　　With　a　sprinkling　of　Germans；　Italians　and　Swiss；　it　was　almost　solidly　Slav。　　Slavs　of　all　varieties　from　all　provinces　and　speaking　all　dialects　were　there　to　be　found：　　Slavs　from　Little　Russia　and　from　Great　Russia；　the　alert　Polak；　the　heavy　Croatian；　the　haughty　Magyar；　and　occasionally　the　stalwart　Dalmatian　from　the　Adriatic；　in　speech　mostly　Ruthenian；　in　religion　orthodox　Greek　Catholic　or　Uniat　and　Roman　Catholic。　　By　their　non…discriminating　Anglo…Saxon　fellow…　citizens　they　are　called　Galicians；　or　by　the　unlearned；　with　an　echo　of　Paul's　Epistle　in　their　minds；　〃Galatians。〃　　There　they　pack　together　in　their　little　shacks　of　boards　and　tar…paper；　with　pent　roofs　of　old　tobacco　tins　or　of　slabs　or　of　that　same　useful　but　unsightly　tar…paper；　crowding　each　other　in　close　irregular　groups　as　if　the　whole　wide　prairie　were　not　there　inviting　them。　From　the　number　of　their　huts　they　seem　a　colony　of　no　great　size；　but　the　census　taker；　counting　ten　or　twenty　to　a　hut；　is　surprised　to　find　them　run　up　into　hundreds。　　During　the　summer　months　they　are　found　far　away　in　the　colonies　of　their　kinsfolk；　here　and　there　planted　upon　the　prairie；　or　out　in　gangs　where　new　lines　of　railway　are　in　construction；　the　joy　of　the　contractor's　heart；　glad　to　exchange　their　steady；　uncomplaining　toil　for　the　uncertain；　spasmodic　labour　of　their　English…speaking　rivals。　　But　winter　finds　them　once　more　crowding　back　into　the　little　black　shacks　in　the　foreign　quarter　of　the　city；　drawn　thither　by　their　traditionary　social　instincts；　or　driven　by　economic　necessities。　　All　they　ask　is　bed　space　on　the　floor　or；　for　a　higher　price；　on　the　home…made　bunks　that　line　the　walls；　and　a　woman　to　cook　the　food　they　bring　to　her；　or；　failing　such　a　happy　arrangement；　a　stove　on　which　they　may　boil　their　varied　stews　of　beans　or　barley；　beets　or　rice　or　cabbage；　with　such　scraps　of　pork　or　beef　from　the　neck　or　flank　as　they　can　beg　or　buy　at　low　price　from　the　slaughter　houses；　but　ever　with　the　inevitable　seasoning　of　garlic；　lacking　which　no　Galician　dish　is　palatable。　　Fortunate　indeed　is　the　owner　of　a　shack；　who；　devoid　of　hygienic　scruples　and　disdainful　of　city　sanitary　laws；　reaps　a　rich　harvest　from　his　fellow…countrymen；　who　herd　together　under　his　pent　roof。　　Here　and　there　a　house　surrendered　by　its　former　Anglo…Saxon　owner　to　the　〃Polak〃　invasion；　falls　into　the　hands　of　an　enterprising　foreigner；　and　becomes　to　the　happy　possessor　a　veritable　gold　mine。

Such　a　house　had　come　into　the　possession　of　Paulina　Koval。　　Three　years　ago；　with　two　children　she　had　come　to　the　city；　and　to　the　surprise　of　her　neighbours　who　had　travelled　with　her　from　Hungary；　had　purchased　this　house；　which　the　owner　was　only　too　glad　to　sell。　　How　the　slow…witted　Paulina　had　managed　so　clever　a　transaction　no　one　quite　understood；　but　every　one　knew　that　in　the　deal　Rosenblatt；　financial　agent　to　the　foreign　colony；　had　lent　his　shrewd　assistance。　　Rosenblatt　had　known　Paulina　in　the　home　land；　and　on　her　arrival　in　the　new　country　had　hastened　to　proffer　his　good　offices；　arranging　the　purchase　of　her　house　and　guiding　her；　not　only　in　financial　matters；　but　in　things　domestic　as　well。　It　was　due　to　Rosenblatt　that　the　little　cottage　became　the　most　populous　dwelling　in　the　colony。　　It　was　his　genius　that　had　turned　the　cellar；　with　its　mud　floor；　into　a　dormitory　capable　of　giving　bed　space　to　twenty　or　twenty…five　Galicians；　and　still　left　room　for　the　tin　stove　on　which　to　cook　their　stews。　　Upon　his　advice；　too；　the　partitions　by　which　the　cottage　had　been　divided　into　kitchen；　parlour；　and　bed　rooms；　were　with　one　exception　removed　as　unnecessary　and　interfering　unduly　with　the　most　economic　use　of　valuable　floor　space。　　Upon　the　floor　of　the　main　room；　some　sixteen　feet　by　twelve；　under　Rosenblatt's　manipulation；　twenty　boarde