36 FARMING IT 



"Ich verstehe parfaitement," I replied. "Je 

 vous paierai pour les bois, si vous voulez," I con- 

 tinued gracefully. 



Thereupon smiles beamed on Gallic faces and 

 peace seemed imminent, much to the disgust of 

 Pat, who yearned for war. 



"Bien, m'sieu," said the other, " eef m'sieu 

 me giv fav dollar, m'sieu can eet have." 



"Th' robber! lave me " began Pat. 



"Pat," I interrupted, "we have been trespass- 

 ing, and it is only fair that we should compensate 

 this gentleman for the annoyance we have caused. 

 We should be the first to recognize the justice of 

 his claim, and do what we can to foster in these 

 adopted citizens a respect for the law, that you 

 and I as American citizens have." 



"Hill and blazes!" scoffed Pat, "wan good 

 poonch wud tach thim dommed canucks more 

 rispict than fhorty laws, and lave me give 'im 

 jist wan for loock." 



But I refused, and handing a five-dollar bill to 

 our friend, I gathered up the reins and drove off, 

 not before we heard our " care-free sons of the 

 woods, without sordid thoughts, without disturb- 

 ing and unhappy ambitions destined never to be 

 rewarded," remark to one another: 



"Nona de Dieu, il a paye enormement; quel 

 fou ! he-he-he 'ere Bapteme." 



And that night when we called on Daniel and 



