24 DEEP FURROWS 



"I ain't tryin' to be funny I" finished. McNair. "I 

 mean every dashed word of itfjlotherwellj If I don't 

 get some of it out o' my system I'll bust to bits, that's 

 what. Say, I met Sibbold. SfLe told me some of you 

 fellows was meetin' over at the Head to-day.^? What 

 about it?" 



"Why, yes, Johnny Millar got a few of us together 

 to talk things over. Lot of talk alright. Some of the 

 boys were feeling pretty hot, I can tell you! But I 

 can't see that anything came of it except some resolu- 

 tions the usual sort, you know." 



" Pshaw ! I was hopin' it meant action of some 

 kind." The ex-rancher was silent for a moment. Then 

 his right fist went into his left palm with a smack. 

 " The only kind o' resolution that'll get anythin' is 

 made o' lead and fits in a rifle breech! And I want 

 to tell you, old man, if there ain't some pretty quick 

 right-about-facin' in certain quarters, I'll be dashed if 

 I ain't for it ! An' I won't be standin' alone, either !" 

 he added grimly. 



W. E. MotherwelR)glanced sharply at the tense face. 



" Don't talk nonsense !" he reproved quietly. 



" I ain't talkin' nonsense. Not on your life ! If I am, 

 then I reckon I know a hundred or so hard-headed 

 farmers who're doin' the identical same. An' if I 

 know that many in my territory, W. R., how many 

 d'you suppose there are if we take in Manitoba and 

 clean through to the mountains?" 



"Then all I've got to say is: there are more and 

 bigger fools in the country than I had any idea of." 



"What d'you mean, talkin' like that?" 



" That's just what I've got to say to you, McNair," 



| <4>Eon. W. R. Motherwell, Minister of Agriculture, Province of 

 Saskatchewan. 



