West Bound 



'* I can say * Yes, yes ' to all that, Jack," he 

 replied ; " but one thing I want to say : I do 

 want to get on the land, and because I heard 

 that you were going to homestead, and I knew 

 you had some experience, I came to you. Fellows 

 tell me there are better chances in the towns for 

 a chap like me, but it is the life on the land 

 that attracts." 



"That's so, Tom," said I, "and in the long 

 run we may be right, but we are not choosing 

 the soft job." Then I said, " But if we mean 

 homestcading, we must talk a httle business ; 

 how does your credit balance stand ? " 



"Well, I've got just the even hundred pounds," 

 said Tom. 



" I can put the same in," said I, and went 

 on : " You see, it's like this : chaps do go out 

 and homestead with practically no cash, though 

 they gain in experience while they are doing it, 

 and if you were going alone or with a green hand, 

 I would say, ' Put your money in the bank 

 and go to work first,' for nothing one can tell or 

 that you read in books takes the place of actual 

 experience." 



I continued : " This is January, and as we 

 ought to be out there early in April, we had 

 better book our passages at once, as the rush is 

 on then, and if we leave it much longer we may 



17 B 



