THE LAND AND THE MAN 285 



common law had paid its penalty, he stands among 

 his fellow men a really free man — free to live and 

 love and work as any other man. But the Canadian 

 was silent, only the suspicion in the eye said far 

 more plainly than words, " Birds of a feather." 



As we drove through the beautiful grain-lands 

 of the Indian Head trail the comments of Adam 

 were altogether inspiring to his new employer. 



" My, that's as pretty a piece of breaking as 

 ever I see down East ! But I don't care to see so 

 many stones. Those fellows should be cleared I 

 guess. And that land is too much on the ridge 

 like. Boys Alive ! Give me breaking turned right 

 flat on to its back." 



Just as we turned into the bluff and slough land 

 of my own neighbourhood Dick cut off across an old 

 trail that we had used in the early spring, and the 

 farmer came out to us in great wrath for driving 

 over his newly sown breaking. 



Canadians are most casual about such matters 

 as a rule, and I have never been called to order 

 before or since on this point, and was rather ridiculed 

 by Mr. Grigg for picking my road most carefully 

 round his b'g crops before the road between us 

 was graded. However I apologized most sincerely, 

 and explained that I was a farmer too, and wouldn't 

 do mischief for worlds ; and in the end I was 

 graciously permitted to continue on my way across the 

 new breaking instead of being compelled to turn back. 

 Adam worked well the next day harrowing with 

 three sections behind the seeder, but on the morning 

 after I had said good-bye for that season to Roddy 

 McMahon I nearly lost his successor. 



I think he felt lonely, and on second thoughts 



