8 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



" What a supreme greenhorn old McLeay must 

 think you ! " remarked my brother in a reflective 

 friendly tone one morning as we halted by the 

 slough that Charles Edward might take good breath 

 before proceeding with the load. 



" Why me in particular ? " I inquired. 



"To buy a farm with its crops at the highest 

 price on record, and then to present him with the 

 hay crop. A nice fix you'll be in next spring, and 

 I haven't the smallest intention of remaining in 

 this country, so I shan't be here to help you out. 

 There are only five acres of oats, and it is all very 

 well for him to say that he has left us plenty of 

 hay ; but half the goodness of prairie grass passes 

 out when it arrives at the seeding phase, and all 

 the rest is knocked out with the first frost, which 

 may come at any day now. If you want to save 

 any winter's feed at all you had better get a second 

 team at once ; and Dick McGusty says that you 

 can have that mower and rake standing by the 

 granary for fifty dollars. They belong to the last 

 chap that bought the place, but he didn't pay for 

 anything ; and as he hardly used them, they are in 

 good order and will save you several dollars." 



" I got a draft for three hundred and fifty pounds 

 yesterday," I answered. " I thought I would just 

 pay the old man the two hundred pounds initial 

 payment due on the land ; then Johnson and 

 Creamer should be paid the three hundred and sixty- 

 five dollars due on the team, and their harness, 

 thirty-seven dollars. Mr. McGusty asked me to 

 settle your note for the buggy and pony harness, 

 ninety dollars, the wagon, eighty-six, and for the 

 binder I have arranged to pay one hundred and fifty 



