Breaking the Prairie 



until they stopped with a look of surprise and 

 stared at me. 



" What's up ? " said I, when Pierre asked, in 

 very good English : 



" Didn't you know it was Sunday ? " 



We all had a laugh, for so things happen in 

 the stress of work. However, we agreed to have a 

 rest the next day, for experience had taught me it 

 is a mistake to keep labouring on without a break. 



The Canadian law, too, prescribes the observ- 

 ance of the Sabbath, and wisely, for without it, 

 especially imder the conditions that prevail, life 

 is apt to become far too material. 



When our visitor said good-night and was 

 departing, we reminded him of his sack, but he 

 walked off, shouting back, " That's for you." 



On examination, we found the present con- 

 sisted of a nice lot of potatoes, carrots, etc., and 

 very welcome they were. 



The next morning Tom took a stroll with the 

 gun to see if he could find something to vary 

 our monotonous diet. He returned in a couple 

 of hoiu*s with two nice ducks he had secured 

 with one shot, though he had to crawl very 

 cautiously through the dwarf willows and long 

 grass round the slough before firing, then wait till 

 they drifted near the shore, and wade in to get 

 the birds. 



77 



L 



