Homesteading 



" Why should we ? Dollars are scarce enough 

 with us," said Tom in reply, though I knew it 

 was to draw Bob on ; and the latter seemed to 

 guess as much, for he answered : 



" Oh, get out ! You need no argument, I 

 know, but, look here, what sense is there in nearly 

 every galoot, from a doctor to a newsboy, com- 

 bining in some way or other to protect them- 

 selves and improve their position, while the 

 farmer, on whom they all in one sense depend, 

 goes on ploughing and planting and seeing no 

 danger, just like a daft ostrich with its head in 

 the sand ? " 



" Oh, you get a megaphone ! " said Tom ; " but 

 I guess we will come along, anyway." 



" And say," said Harry, " if you see any other 

 fellows, you might pass the word of the meeting 

 on ; it begins at eight o'clock, or should, anyway. 

 Most of them hereabout belong to our branch, 

 but they may not have heard." 



After some more talk they went their way, 

 and the next evening found us on our way to the 

 meeting in the sleigh behind the oxen. ! 



Now, I knew enough of the matter to realize;' 

 the enormous importance to the prairie farmer! 

 of combination, and knowing that Tom had a, 

 bit of the prejudice so common to the indivi-'' 



4 



dualistic and somewhat insular Britisher (though, || 



176 !; 



\i 



