Homesteading 



a car, and as the trail was not wide enough for 

 them to pass us, though they could travel faster, 

 we continued together for some distance. Thus 

 doing, we met two sleighs loaded with lumber 

 proceeding in the opposite direction. Such an 

 occurrence sometimes leads to difficulty, as when 

 the narrow trail gets heaped high, to leave it 

 may easily lead to an upset. 



The difficulty is, however, generally got over 

 with good humour, and on the present occasion 

 we all succeeded in persuading the men with 

 the lumber to pull out, undertaking to help 

 them to reload if an upset ensued. Fortunately, 

 it did not, and as a side trail was now partly 

 broken, we too pulled our load out to let the 

 faster horse teams pass us. 



Before darkness fell the tall elevators appeared 

 in sight ; but these can often be seen for a long 

 distance, and the short winter's day had closed 

 in and the lights of the little town appeared 

 before we turned into the street, put the oxen 

 into the livery barn, and made our way into 

 the warm office of the hotel to thaw out our half- 

 frozen limbs. 



Then the evening West-bound train came 

 through, making quite a little bustle, and drop- 

 ping off one or two passengers. 



The idea of a visit to town after a long stay 



164 



