Philip Steele of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police — Background and Themes

A Letter That Sets the Mood

The first excerpt is a letter, but it reads more like a diary entry. Steele describes the storm in vivid, almost theatrical language—"volleys of sleet, like shot from guns"—and personifies the wilderness as a collection of "wild demons." The skull, described as "new" and belonging to a man who was recently alive, becomes a focal point of his discomfort. This is not a conventional adventure opening; it is introspective, even morbid. The letter may never be mailed, suggesting that Steele's primary audience is himself. Readers should note how this private voice contrasts with the more action-oriented passages later in the book.

The Pursuit Begins

In the second excerpt, Steele arrives at Fond du Lac to find that his quarry, DeBar, has fled. The factor Hutt provides exposition: DeBar is a repeat offender who has already bested four officers—Forbes, Bannock, Fleisham, and Gresham. Steele's reaction is telling: he feels a "shiver" that is "neither of cold nor fear" but an "oppression." The narrative shifts into a chase, but the language remains atmospheric—"the last slanting beams of the winter sun, heatless and only cheering to the eye." Steele's internal conflict is hinted at: he has "painted a picture of William DeBar—of the man—and it was a picture to his liking." This moral complexity, set against the stark landscape, is a key thread.

Silence and the Northern Night

Throughout the excerpts, silence is as present as the wind. Steele imagines the stillness that will follow the storm: "the stillness which breeds our tongueless people of the North." Later, the Chippewayan guide is "as silent as the trees," and the dogs pull "noiselessly in their traces like slinking shadows." This quiet amplifies the tension. The narrative also uses weather as a character—the storm in the opening, the "desolate gloom" before nightfall in the chase. These details are not mere backdrop; they shape Steele's psychological state. Readers should watch for how the environment mirrors or challenges his resolve.

The Outlaw's Shadow

DeBar is never directly seen in these excerpts, but his presence is felt. Steele imagines him "watching and scheming" ahead, and the text notes that each previous victim "had made of him a more deadly enemy of the next." This creates a sense of escalating stakes. The chase is not just physical but psychological: Steele must confront his own sympathy for the outlaw. The excerpts leave the outcome uncertain, but they establish a pattern—the hunt is a game, and DeBar has won before. The final line of the second excerpt, "The thought urged new fire into Philip's blood," suggests a determination that may be tested.

These excerpts offer a first reading that is less about plot mechanics and more about atmosphere and interiority. Pay attention to how Curwood uses the letter form, the skull, and the weather to build a mood of isolation and moral unease. The chase is underway, but the real tension may lie in Steele's divided feelings about the man he pursues.

There’s something about Philip Steele’s storm-bound cabin and that skull on the table that reminds me of another quiet, morally tangled hero—Zorro, waiting in shadows for his own reckoning. Both stories feel like weather: cold, patient, and full of silence. I sometimes think back on them the way one remembers a long winter night. The mark of Zorro — A Reader’s Guide sits nearby, and it holds that same hush.