Homesteading 



come from a bit north and am looking for a har- 

 vesting job," I said to Jones, as he came out of 

 the stable. 



" Ain't you one of the boys that's friends with 

 them fellows on nine ? " he asked. 



" That's so," I answered. 



*' Well, come on in, and we will see what the 

 missus can do for you." 



As I walked with him, I noticed that though 

 the house was one of the usual sodded shacks, 

 there was a good granary built of logs and a small 

 barn, besides several haystacks, and a lot of 

 implements scattered about ; from which appar- 

 ently Mr. Jones was at least well " fixed," though 

 whether he also had a good crop of debts was 

 not so clear. 



Mrs. Jones and her son welcomed me with 

 a curt "Howdye?" and it seemed to be taken 

 for granted that I should be fixed up for the 

 night somehow, and Andy — the son — went with 

 me to put the oxen into a rough sod stable, an 

 early erection. 



After a plentiful supper of the usual fried pork 

 and potatoes, washed down with strong tea, pipes 

 were lighted, and we sat down to discuss the 

 situation. 



It seemed the three had come from Ontario 

 some seven years before, and settled here in the 



124 



