CHAPTER VI 



A BAD HARVEST 



While we were building our shack and stable, 

 Tom kept his gun handy and secured several 

 prairie-chicken, which formed a very welcome 

 addition to our food supply. These birds fly 

 in coveys and may be shot on the wing, but are 

 often so tame (especially in the early part of the 

 season) that the poor sportsman in search of food 

 can often stalk them and get easy pot-shots. 

 While they have not much meat on their legs 

 and wings, there ■ is more on their breasts than 

 is usually found on those of barn-door fowl. 



The time of the August full moon, which is 

 much dreaded as favourable to early frost, had 

 come and gone without further serious damage 

 to the crops, but the season was getting late, 

 and the grain lacked heat to ripen it off and 

 harden it. 



The hope for really high-grade wheat had 

 vanished, but men were trying to make the best 

 of it, and binders were already at work with th^ 



ii6 



