"You've seen one little corner of Western life from the inside, Slicker," he said. "You know the two big temptations a man has to meet—for himself or for others. He is no more fit or able to meet them because he has a uniform on his back. That's the mistake that gets us so many wasters in the Force. A man has got to be a man before he goes into the R. N. W. M. P., or I guess he's not particularly likely to become one afterwards. There is so much which he can hide beneath his authority if he has a mind to. And that is a temptation in itself."
"I don't want to drink or—or doing anything I shouldn't, Tempest. I am sure I could keep straight if it was worth while."
"It is always worth while. But I see your argument. We are made of such poor stuff that we must have a special motive"—he turned suddenly, and his eyes softened. "No," he said. "That's a lie. We are made of such good stuff that we can do most things if we have a motive at all. But I'm not going to help you into our Service if your only motive is to try to run away from temptation. You wouldn't be doing it, anyway. You'd likely be running in."
"It's not exactly a temptation yet. I could easily give it up if I had something special to interest me."
"Sure? Well, I don't want to discourage you. We need all the men we can get, and we need the finer kind of men—like yourself. There's work in plenty for them. But a drunken life and a sinful life go easily together, Slicker. There's no use burking that truth. You'll have to know it and a good deal worse if you choose to be one of us. You'll see very many sordid things, and very many hideous things, and a few very glorious things. And you'll have your full share of temptations. There are enough of those for every man, no matter what he is made of."
"I know that. But I reckon I want to try it, Tempest."
Then, for God's sake, keep straight." Tempest's voice sharpened—it sharpened more easily now than it used to do. "The Force isn't a nursery for men who can't handle themselves and who expect the discipline to do it for them.
