STONING THE LAND 189 



not putting it on just to hide the weakness of which 

 they are really conscious. 



He wanted to go back to. the Creegans, but I 

 suggested he should put in the month doing odd 

 and light jobs such as whitewashing and painting, 

 and give himself a chance of growing physically 

 stronger before he abandoned the idea of life on the 

 land. 



He started on the roof. I always helped him on 

 to the veranda, and about every fifteen minutes he 

 used to call me to pass my opinion on his work 

 with all the manner of a portrait- painter. When we 

 were not yet through one-half the roof the paint 

 gave out, so I said I would send for some more, and 

 he could go on with the work in the house whilst 

 we were waiting for it. He painted the kitchen 

 ceiling, and did it well, but spoilt my pleasure in it 

 entirely by insisting on mixing that wretched 

 pigment which produces putty colour instead of 

 white. He also distempered two of the bedrooms. 



" What do you think of it all, Mac ? " he demanded 

 of Roddy McMahon with the pride which at least 

 made no pretence to ape humility. 



" I guess it takes a mortal long time," was the 

 withering answer. " If my work took me so long 

 time as yours, guess we should be seeding when the 

 wheat was ready for the binder ! " 



" I guess that feller ain't feeling good," he told 

 me after. " He was offering Bert Mazey a dollar a 

 week to come and milk the hard cow. His sort is 

 best back in the Old Country." 



It was early one morning that he flatly refused to 

 continue distempering, but the climax came on a 

 day when I drove off to South Qu'Appelle directly 



