48 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



I found that it was quite news to him that he was 

 to thresh out the crop. It is probable in the dazzHng 

 brightness of the kitchen my greenness, standing out 

 from the background of the pathetic darkness in 

 which I had lost my way, stood me in good stead, 

 since among the entire threshing-gang only one 

 tittered audibly at my amazed discomfiture, and he 

 was promptly shut up. I gladly shared the evening 

 meal, and before Charles Edward and I were set 

 upon the right road I had asked my host if he would 

 be kind enough to thresh for me, and he had most 

 graciously consented. 



The charge was to be four cents a bushel for 

 oats, and five cents for wheat ; and he found all the 

 stook teams. So that if one or both my teams were 

 in the field he was due to pay me for the use of 

 them ; and the same law held good with the 

 neighbours. But we were all more casual about 

 payment in those days when threshing terms were 

 comparatively low. In due course the engine 

 arrived at my neighbour's, and Hilaria and I went 

 over to make acquaintance with the Mazey family, 

 who were always in the trail of their father, always 

 choosing some form or another of work for play, and 

 always happy. At that time they only numbered 

 eight of the present eleven, and each seemed to have 

 arrived within easy distance of the other. The 

 eldest girl was driving a stook team, the eldest boy 

 was fireman, the third girl had stocked from dawn 

 till dark through the gathering of the harvest, and 

 was still busy at one thing or another in the threshing 

 field, whilst the second girl was at home preparing 

 meals for the gang of fifteen men, and all the younger 

 branches took care of themselves and each other. 



