SUMMER DIVERSION 319 



" Quite so, but not so silly ! " 



" It was Pat's fault, he got quarrelsome. We was 

 all comfortable in the bar, and I said, ' Pat, I'll go 

 and get the mare and hitch up, and we can get 

 back easy like.' Says he : ' All right, Thomas, I'll 

 wait here.' I found Dolly and put her in the 

 buggy, but when I got back, Pat he had taken more. 

 * Be damned to you ! ' he says. (Excuse me, miss.) 

 ' I'll fight you ! ' 



" ' Pat,' says I, ' you're drunk, man. Come on 

 home now, and I give you my word I'll fight you in 

 the morning.' 



" ' It's drunk I am ! ' says he. ' I'll fight any 

 man in the room ! ' But nobody offered. ' I'll 

 fight any man in the Dominion ! ' said he, encouraged 

 like. And the half-breed he started up and there 

 was no stopping them. I came out of it all and 

 sat on the side-walk to think what was best, and 

 the police-sergeant took me for doing nothing. And 

 it cost a lot. 



" This morning Mr. Dennison came and bailed 

 us out, and we started to come home with Dolly, 

 and just as we got to John McLeay's gate she bolted. 

 Pat jumped out of the back of the buggy, but I sat 

 tight until she started to jump the fence. Then I 

 fell out. The mare's cut herself mortal bad and 

 the buggy is in splints, and you bet Pat's afraid to 

 come back ! " 



In the afternoon Mr. Macdonald's little daughter 

 came to see me, and I left the plough to get some 

 tea. My neighbour had been staying with her 

 people for the fair, and she knew all about the 

 escapade. 



" Shall you keep Pat, or send him away ? " she 



