THE MONTREAL DAILY STAR

20 august

A the banquet lo colonel Hughes and caplain Larocque last evening colonel Ouimet took the opportunity to explain why he left his command at Calgary to come to Montreal. Nobody who knew colonel Ouimet suspected him of cowardice, althongh the very fact of a commanding officer leaving his battalion in the field Was sufficiently remarkable to provoke much natural curiosity and much stupid comment. The explanation now given by colonel Ouimet was anticipated at the time, at least, so far as his mission being Lo oblain better equipment is concerned. That he was acling upon the express orders of major-general Strange was not undersicod, and the rumor that colonel Onimet had gone to Ottawa to obtain belter equipment for his men was so persislentiy denied that great scope was left for inventive genius to explain the gallant colonel's motives.