...Canadians respond to war....

Ralph Connor

The incident, however, was a determining factor in changing the party's plans. Already they were behind their time schedule, to Mr. Cornwall Brand's disgust. The party was too large and too heavily encumbered with impedimenta for swift travel. Besides, as Paula said, "Why rush? Are we not doing the Peace River Country ?  We are out for a good time and we are having it." Paula has not interested in mines and oil. She did not announce just what special interest was hers. She was "having a good time" and that was reason enough for leisurely travel. In consequence their provisions had run low.
It was decided to send forward a scouting party to the Hudson's Bay Post some thirty miles further on to restock their commissariat. Accordingly Knight and Fielding were dispatched on this mission, the rest of the party remaining in camp.

"A lazy day or two in camp is what we all need," said Mr. Howland. "I confess I am quite used up myself, and therefore I know you must all feel much the same.

On the fourth day the scouting party appeared.
"There's war!" cried Knight as he touched land. He flung out a bundle of papers for Mr. Howland.
"War!" The word came back in tones as varied as those who uttered it.
"War!" said Mr. Howland. "Between whom?"
"Every one, pretty much," said Knight. "Germany, France, Russia, Austria, Servia, Belgium, and Britain."
"Britain!" said Barry and Duff at the same moment.
"Britain," answered Knight solemnly.
The men stood stock still, looking at each other with awed faces.
"War!" again said Barry. "With Germany!" He turned abruptly away from the group and said, "I am going."
"Going ! Going where ?" said Mr. Howland.
"To the war," said Barry quietly.
"To the war! You? A clergyman?" said Mr. Howland.
"You? You going?" cried Paula. At the pain in her voice her father and Brand turned and looked at her. Disturbed by what he saw, her father began an excited appeal to Barry.
"Why, my dear sir, it would surely be most unusual for a man like you to go to war," he began, and for quite ten minutes he proceeded to set forth in fluent and excited speech a number of reasons why the idea of Barry's going to war was absurd and preposterous to him. It must be confessed that Barry was the only one of the men who appeared to give much heed to him. They seemed to be dazed by the stupendous fact that had been announced to them, and to be adjusting themselves to that fact.
When he had finished his lengthy and excited speech Brand took up the discourse.
"Of course you don't think of going immediately," he said. "We have this expedition in hand."
The men made no reply. Indeed, they hardly seemed to hear him.
"You don't mean to say," continued Brand with a touch of indignation in his voice, addressing Duff, the recognised leader of the party, "that you would break your engagement with this party, Mr. Duff?"
Duff glanced at him, then looked away in silence, studying the horizon. The world was to him and to them all a new world within the last few minutes.
His silence appeared to enrage Brand. He turned to Barry.
"Do you mean to tell me, sir, that you approve of this? Do you consider it right and fair that these men should break their engagement with us? We have gone to great expense, we have extremely important interests at stake in this exploration."
Barry stood looking at him in silence, as if trying to take in exactly what he meant, then in a low and awed tone he said:
"It is war! War with Germany!"
"We cannot help that," cried Brand. "What difference can this war make to you here a hundred miles from civilization? These men are pledged to us."
"Their first pledge is to their country, sir," said Barry gravely.
"But why should you, a Canadian, take part in this war?" argued Mr. Howland. "Surely this is England s war.
Then Barry appeared to awake as from a dream.
"Yes, it is England's war, it is Britain's war, and when Britain is at war my country is at war, and when my country is at war I ought to be there."
"God in heaven!" shouted Duff, striking him on the back, "you have said it! My country is at war, and I must be there. As God hears me, I am off to-day-now."
"Me, too!" said Knight with a shout.
"I'm going with you, sir," said little Harry Hobbs, ranging himself beside Barry.
"Count me in," said Tom Fielding quietly. "I have a wife and three kids, but--"
"My God !" gasped Duff. "My wife." His face went white. He had not yet fully adjusted himself to the fact of war.
"Why, of course," said Mr. Howland, "you married men won't be called upon. You must be reasonable. For instance you, Mr. Duff, cannot leave your wife."
But Duff had recovered himself.
"My wife, sir? My wife would despise me if I stayed up here. Sir, my wife will buckle on my belt and spurs and send me off to the war," cried Duff in a voice that shook as he spoke.
With a single stride Barry was at his side, offering both his hands.
"Thank God for men like you! And in my soul I believe the Empire has millions of them."
"Does your Empire demand that you desert those you have pledged yourself to?" enquired Brand in a sneering tone.
"Oh, Cornwall!" exclaimed Paula, "how can you?"
"Why, Brand," said Mr. Howland, "that is unworthy of you."
"We will see you into safety, sir," said Duff, swinging round upon Brand, "either to the Hudson's Bay Company's post, where you can get Indians, or back to Edmonton, but not one step further on this expedition do I go."
"Nor I," said Knight.
"Nor I," said Fielding.
"Nor I," said Barry.
"Nor I," said Harry Hobbs.
"You are quite right, sir," said Mr. Howland, turning to Barry. "I apologise to you, sir, to all of you Canadians. I am ashamed to confess that I did not at first get the full meaning of this terrific thing that has befallen your Empire. Were it the U.S.A. that was in a war of this kind, hell itself would not keep me from going to her aid. Nor you either, Brand. Yes, you are right. Go to your war. God go with you."
He shook hands solemnly with them one by one. "I only wish to God that my country were with you, too, in this thing," he said when he had performed this function.
"Father," cried Paula, "do you think for one minute that Uncle Sam won't be in this? You put it down," she said, swinging 'round upon Barry, "where it will jump at you some day: We will be with you in this scrap for all we are worth."
"And now for the march," said Barry, who seemed almost to assume command. Then removing his hat and lifting high his hand, he said in a voice thrilling with solemn reverence, "God grant victory to the right! God save the king!"
Instinctively the men took off their hats and stood with bared and bent heads, as if sharing in a solemn ritual. They stood with millions upon millions of their kin in the old mother lands, and scattered wide Upon the seas, stood with many millions more of peoples and nations, pledging to this same cause of right, life and love and all they held dear, and with hearts open to that all-searching eye. praying that same prayer, "God grant victory to the right. Amen and amen. We ask no other."
Then they faced to their hundred miles' trek en route to the war.

From:  Ralph Connor, The Sky Pilot In No Man's Land (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1928), pp.80-84.  Originally published 1919.