Ill 



A VAGABOND GARDEN 



I KNEW nothing whatever of the law of crops beyond 

 the fact that one must never ride over anything 

 that springs at springtime. On the night of the 

 storm I concluded that in its rage and fury it must 

 have laid low the golden harvest, but I was much too 

 wet and uncomfortable to care. However, in the 

 morning the grain was standing erect, all fresh and 

 sparkling from its bath ; only the land itself was far 

 too sodden to permit the binder to travel, and the 

 harvest field was abandoned for the day. 



The son of my predecessor borrowed the buggy, 

 and drove off to Fort Qu'Appelle accompanied by 

 the late A.D.C. of the butcher ; but the " son of 

 Anak," whom we had already rechristened " the 

 Great Boaster," remained, and discussed the dilapi- 

 dations of the farm with every token of sympathetic 

 interest, and a hint of permanent intention in his 

 undertakings. 



" My ! But that's a miserable old barn of a 

 stable they've let you in for," he exclaimed at 

 dinner ; " we must get some lumber and roof-paper 

 and me and Lai will get busy and fix up the roof 

 so as to keep out the rain. I guess we'll have to 

 put in a good window too — horses don't like living 



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