WINTER QUARTERS 93 



Carroll, who had vainly endeavoured to teach me 

 to shoot during some jolly half-holidays which we 

 had spent together on the prairie in company with 

 my brand-new .22 rifle and a box of shells. For- 

 getting the direful anecdote and event of my own 

 schoolroom days and all that has been written in 

 praise of silence, I asked if I might see his copy- 

 book. 



" I shouldn't have selected Sammy's copybook 

 if you hadn't asked for it," said the master, on a 

 note which was as a familiar arrow from the past. 



I could have knelt at the feet of Sam Carroll 

 for forgiveness for my tactless blunder, and in the 

 embarrassment of the moment I pleaded that he 

 was a remarkably promising shot ; but his reproachful 

 face seemed literally set in the giggles of his school- 

 mates, and it made no secret of his share in my 

 wish that I hadn't come. But in any case the rifle 

 is mightier than the pen on the Canadian prairie, 

 and to-day Sam Carroll is not only a fine shot but 

 among all horsemen in the Qu'Appelle valley, as a 

 race-course jockey easily first. 



When the boys and girls had been dismissed for 

 the day I remained for a while and chatted with the 

 schoolmaster. In the North- West there are often 

 more schools than teachers, and many Canadian 

 men obtain their teacher's certificate and put in an 

 occasional period of school teaching. Some take 

 it up altogether as a far less arduous means of making 

 a living than working on the land, some as providing 

 them the means to pass on to other professions such 

 as medicine, or the law, others by way of diversion, 

 or comparative rest. At any rate, many callings 

 must have been open to this particular teacher. 



