122 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



terms of deferred payment. It was my first really 

 bad " sin of omission," and the law of " no for- 

 giveness " of course held good — no seed, no 

 harvest. 



There were times in Canada when you might be 

 worth five thousand dollars yet not be able to raise 

 five dollars. Mr. Edwardes was deputed to go to 

 the city in which was the livery-barn. He needed 

 ready money for the expenses of the journey, and 

 they both needlessly feared that the horses would 

 go for half nothing in an enforced sale. When I 

 refused the offer of the mare Nancy was coupled 

 to sell her, the price of the two being two hundred 

 dollars. I felt I couldn't afford both, but remem- 

 bered the money set aside on the altar of pleasure 

 and tumbled to temptation by offering a bit of it. 

 I hadn't the smallest idea that Mr. Edwardes 

 would accept fifty dollars when I offered it, and I 

 haven't any real excuse to offer for the wretched 

 price except that the iron had entered into my soul 

 over one or two other little deals where I had no 

 doubt most easily earned the gibe of " English 

 greenhorn." I had a strong desire to offer to 

 advance the sale-price and let him redeem Nancy 

 when things mended, and an honest impulse to 

 offer at least seventy-five dollars. But he was 

 in a tight place, and he took my offer because he 

 knew Nancy's well-being would be in safe keeping. 



" Will she go in harness ? " I inquired. 



" I have never tried her," he answered. " She 

 was the best cattle pony I ever rode in my life, 

 and you can see by her brands what they thought 

 of her in the Mounted Police. I had hoped never 

 to part with her. The day you rode her I knew 



