MILKING 169 



really fine experience from one of the finest workers 

 in Canada. He took my advice, Guy Mazey hired 

 him, and I let him go at once. He remained there 

 three months, giving satisfaction and learning 

 much, and within quite a short time he went on to 

 his own land and did well. He was quite perturbed 

 about who would buck the wood and milk for me. 

 I didn't mind about the wood as I had learned to 

 do it myself, but I was in a dilemma about the 

 milking and not at all sure that Roddy McMahon 

 would help me over the difficulty, when I remem- 

 bered the occasion on which I had heard Hardwick 

 ask him to milk the hard cow. 



" Milking, wood-bucking, water-hauling, and the 

 biggest part of stable-cleaning is chore-boy's work," 

 he had answered. " I wouldn't do chore-boy's 

 work for forty dollars a month." 



On the morning after Hardwick's departure he 

 stood in the doorway : " Guess you want me to 

 milk them cattle," he said, on the note of 

 accusation. 



" I don't know who, if not," I replied. " You 

 know that I can't milk." 



" Well, I guess I'll milk till a new chore-boy comes 

 along. But if a man needs to get through his ten 

 hours a day on the land he ain't got no time for 

 chores." 



But on Saturday nights he always returned to 

 the Fort to the bosom of his family, and on Sunday 

 morning I attacked the business of milking. Hard- 

 wick had given me one lesson, but I was so thoroughly 

 helpless on that occasion that I thought it would be 

 wiser to wait and worry it out alone, and on that 

 Sunday morning I sat through two hours pulling 



