SHADOW & SCYTHE BENEATH SWORD 3 1 1 



horses are subject in the, generally speaking, health- 

 giving and health-preserving condition of life on 

 the prairie — swamp-fever. I noticed him flinch at 

 weight, and shrink back from his work one day when 

 he was called upon to take fourth place on the disc, 

 and it was obvious that he couldn't pull. I told 

 Patrick to take him off and put him in the pasture. 



*' Ye canna get through without the disc, and 

 three horses canna draw it. Dick can pull if he 

 chooses," said Pat. 



" Take him off," I repeated. " I must get 

 another." 



My neighbour Richard Ryan the elder was break- 

 ing with two bronchos and an old horse on his side 

 of the west fence. He had a fine way with horses, 

 and was always gentle and careful and kind. These 

 old-timers seem to get through quite as much work 

 as the modern hustlers, and they are nearly always 

 gentle and clever with horses. I admired the man 

 and his work immensely, and especially the patient 

 way he walked so quietly through a run of bad luck 

 till the gods cried " Enough ! " and he slept in the 

 acre on the hill. He gave me a day's trial of the 

 old gelding, whom he strongly recommended and 

 on the point of whose age he was perfectly frank. 

 The price was a hundred and fifty dollars cash, and 

 I was glad to think that if I had to part with a 

 hundred and fifty dollars just then, it would be to 

 him. The manager of the Union Bank at South 

 Qu'Appelle advanced me the money in spite of his 

 pessimism over the weather ; and nearly all bank 

 loans depend on the weather between June and 

 September i. Ricky went into the pasture, and 

 from that day did no more work except that now 



