Homesteading 



of wheat growing, there is a great gambhng ele- 

 ment, for, should the expected railroad come near, 

 as most settlers hope and believe it will, their 

 lands may easily leap up 100 per cent, or even 

 more in value. 



But after this digression, let us get on into 

 town with our load of wheat and see how we fare. 

 The wagon-box on the sleigh has been loaded up 

 at our neighbour's, some mile and a half away, 

 the evening before, with fifty bushels. This is 

 a fair load, all things considered, though much 

 heavier ones are sometimes taken with teams 

 of four animals. 



Warmly clad in sheepskin coat, moccasins, and 

 with fur cap drawn tightly over my ears and 

 hands in mitts, I arrived and proceeded to hitch 

 up Joe and Nigger, aided by a young fellow who 

 happened to be going out for the winter. " Going 

 out " is a term used to express leaving the prairie, 

 and he was glad of a lift and the opportunity of 

 my company, as I was of his. The weather was 

 neither very bad nor was it very good, for it 

 was overcast ; the thermometer stood a few 

 degrees below zero, and there was a cold breeze 

 blowing. 



Mounted on the spring seat on the front of 

 the sleigh, with a heavy blanket over our legs, 

 we set forth cheerily, and soon struck the main 



162 



