A Bad Harvest 



still hung thick, to remind us that all wheat (and 

 there was a lot of it) not sufficiently matured was 

 either badly damaged or totally ruined for mill- 

 ing purposes. Oats, too, stricken by this frost 

 would be useless for seed, though they might 

 still be used for feed. 



" Hullo ! here's some weather to cheer you 

 up ! What do you think of this smiling country 

 and its smiling wheatfields now ? " was Sunny 

 Jim's greeting as we drove up. 



*' Just look at that crop — not worth cutting," 

 said Harry, pointing to their sixty acres. 



Tom remarked it was hard luck, and I asked, 



(kIs none of it any good ? " 

 [*' We may cut a bit and feed it to pigs, and 

 iim off the rest, if it will burn," said Bob, and 

 asked : " Where are you fellows going, anyway ? " 

 l^_ " To look for shocking or stacking work ; can 

 |^B>u tell us where to find it ? " I answered. 

 ^BThey advised us to go further south, where 

 there was some lighter land with a southern 

 slope, which in a damp, cool season like this had 

 probably fared somewhat better. 



They also advised us to try and pick good men 



who could and would treat us right, and gave us 



the names of several who might be wanting help. 



" Got your sheepskins ? " one of them asked 



as we started. 



121 



