JUNE RAINS— HAYING— HARVEST 207 



to me to get out and walk, but an appeal to her 

 vanity in the form of a compliment always saves 

 the situation. My brother wouldn't condescend to 

 cajolery, and occasionally there was a scene. He 

 grew a little bitter, and I am afraid so did I. Nancy 

 was one with the beautiful bits of the prairie. 



August came : one walked in shimmering, friendly, 

 gossiping green oats up to one's eyes. The green of 

 the stately and more self-possessed wheat was turning 

 to pale gold at the tips, and in places deepening to 

 the hue of amber, so that one might have dreamed 

 it full harvest time but for the wind which waved it 

 here and there to prove to the watching, waiting 

 farmer that the surface of gold was still flecked and 

 lined with lingering green. A hayrick weighing 

 about fifteen tons, taller than is usual on the 

 prairie, but not particularly orthodox in form and 

 altogether unthatched, graced the stackyard. It is 

 claimed in this land of heavy work and scarce labour 

 that the winter veil of snow provides all protection 

 necessary for hay ; but much is wasted through 

 rot caused by autumn and spring rain, and now 

 that the dawn of the day of commercial farming is 

 really come to the prairie, and all farm produce is 

 consequently on the ascending scale of value, it is 

 probable that much more labour will be expended 

 on the cultivation of grass and protection of hay. 



We saw much of our neighbour John McLeay, 

 whom we all liked well, and who told us plain, 

 unvarnished tales of the rebellion ; of the good 

 money that was made by the land settlers through 

 the hire of their wagons and teams to bring in the 

 stores and ammunition for General Middleton's 

 forces. He showed us the repeater with which 



