SHADOW & SCYTHE BENEATH SWORD 303 



Patrick O'Hara crossed the field with me, and 

 that afternoon the yard was indescribably neat and 

 tidy, and all the mangers were well filled for the 

 incoming of the horses ; ^^and the next day he 

 started sodding the stable roof. In the afternoon 

 he requested me to come to his aid in order that 

 he might make quicker progress. I had seen some- 

 thing of sod-work in the summer I had spent 

 among Hungarian settlers in my brother's home- 

 stead, but then I had only collected the turf and 

 looked on ; on this occasion I pitched sods from 

 the wagon, and Patrick O'Hara caught them on his 

 fork on the roof, until some gigantic sods fell by 

 the wayside, and I followed them in sheer exhaustion. 



I am afraid that the " all things to all men " 

 trait was very strong in Patrick O'Hara, but un- 

 doubtedly he was a good man on the land or any- 

 where else when he chose to work. Mr. Oliver 

 called hirii into all the difficulties in the matter of 

 ploughing v^th excellent result, and long before 

 the month of trial had expired Patrick was fluttering 

 his eyelids and murmuring much of his loyal and 

 unwavering intention of fulfilling his contract, while 

 he mourned the absurd inadequacy of a salary of 

 fifteen dollars a month to the need and merit of a 

 brilliant Irishman. 



Just at this time my attention was drawn to 

 certain portions of the ploughed land which the 

 plough had barely scraped in its passing. But long 

 before that, and in many ways, I had realized that 

 both Mr. Oliver and I had exaggerated the value 

 of his experience in Manitoba. He was looking ill 

 and worn. The very early hours, which are so 

 healthful to the strong, are more than trying to 



