THE EAR 



383 



could only be truly appreciated by a very tired 

 person. 



Every year the Agricultural Show is held at 

 Fort Qu'Appelle. It is quite an event because the 

 very smallest excuse is always sufficient to summon 

 the whole world and his wife to the town between 

 the lovely lakes. I was intending to show Nancy 

 and Jupiter. Mr. Ray Dale and Kelsdon were to 

 be my guests overnight. Mr. Ray Dale is one of 

 the men to whom quite a wide area of Saskatchewan 

 owes an uncommon debt. A great lover of horses 

 he gave all his time and energy and every cent he 

 earned to the improvement of horse-breeding in 

 the Qu'Appelle neighbourhood. His horse Kelsdon 

 had taken medals and prizes and championships 

 from coast to coast. I made the best preparations 

 possible for my distinguished guest. We cleaned 

 out the coolest and lightest end of the log-stable 

 and got up a load of the mintiest hay, but Kelsdon 

 brought his own oats and seemed quite pleased and 

 content with his surroundings. The next day he 

 and Nancy and little Jupiter were brushed and 

 polished, and prepared for the show-ring. Of course 

 Kelsdon carried off everything that lay in his way, 

 but Jupiter to my surprise and delight took off 

 first prize in both the classes in which he was shown 

 and a kind word and compliment from the judge 

 to boot. No pen can paint the pleasure for which 

 those two first-prize certificates stand. 



Meantime the ears of wheat arrived to share the 

 outlook, and the centres and east-end acres of 

 growing grain fanned the inextinguishable spark of 

 hope. There was a very little smut in the stubble 

 crop, but the wheat itself was buoyant in spite of 



