II 



THE CUSTOM OF DEFERRED PAYMENT 

 A PRAIRIE STORM 



ON the following morning I started for Fort 

 Qu'Appelle very early in order to avoid driving in 

 the intense heat of midday. But Charles Edward 

 was in his most grudging mood, and we arrived in 

 sight of the Lake of the Woods Elevator just in 

 time to see every one going to twelve o'clock dinner. 

 Charles Edward settled himself to a bunch of sweet- 

 smelling hay in one of the narrow stalls of the 

 spacious livery barn, after nodding his head with 

 angry but vain intelligence towards the bag contain- 

 ing the oats which I gave to the ostler to be given 

 him later. At the hotel one was offered the usual 

 midday fare of soup, a choice of roast and boiled 

 meats with vegetables, sweets, and a cup of tea or 

 coffee in a cool, clean dining-room for the modest 

 sum of twenty-five cents. Afterwards I wrote 

 letters in the " Woman's Parlour " by way of killing 

 the time which I knew must intervene before I 

 could hope to find the bank manager, the butcher, 

 or the harness-maker in the place of my several 

 needs. " Do your business before dinner, or get 

 home when you may " is another unwritten law of 

 life on the prairie. 



My drafts had been made payable through the 



15 



