304 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



the men and women of weaker physical stamina ; and 

 my horses, with but half their work of the season half 

 done, were all looking wretched — harassed and spirit- 

 less and worn as I had never seen them look before. 

 " I am sure you are not strong enough for the 

 work," I told Mr. Oliver, " but I can't take chances 

 over the ploughing. Better stay on as my guest for a 

 while and rest. I'm sorry, but Patrick must take over 

 the plough and the care of the team from to-day." 



Patrick had agreed to remain with me through 

 the season for twenty-six dollars a month, and 

 harvest wages through harvest days. On the depar- 

 ture of Mr. Oliver his wages were raised to thirty- 

 five dollars, of course on the understanding of 

 remaining to the end of the working year, and that 

 there would be no other man. Winter terms we 

 had not discussed, but it was understood that his 

 wife and child would come out ; and meanwhile I 

 had at his request instructed an agent to pay her 

 ten dollars a month on account of his wages. 



Mr. Oliver stayed on for a day or so, and shortly 

 after he left he returned to tell me he had found 

 work which suited him ever so much better — brick- 

 laying on the new cathedral at South Qu'Appelle. 

 '' Two and a half dollars a day," he said ; " but 

 of course I have to find my own board. But 

 presently we are going to build a big house for a 

 rich farmer in the neighbourhood, and then we 

 shall get our board thrown in. It is quite near the 

 Fort, and I shall try and get down for tennis on 

 Saturday afternoons." 



He was the son of an English clergyman, the 

 patron of whose living had secured for his son an 

 opening in one of the most important shipping 



