PREPARING SEED-GRAIN 257 



kind about taking in my letters. Half-way across 

 the field I met Roddy McMahon. 



" I guess you'll likely let me have a couple of 

 loads of oat-straw in trade for a load of wood," said 

 he. " I'm right clean out of hay for my horses, 

 and I know you got lots, and more oat-straw I 

 guess than you'll get through. I'll bring along a 

 good load of wood in a day or two." 



I closed the deal eagerly and thankfully, and told 

 him of my difficulty in getting the wood out of the 

 snow. 



" It's a nasty job that anyhow. The snow is good 

 and deep all right in the bluffs. There's quite a 

 few of us got a permit to get down wood on the 

 other side the valley. I'll be along with a load by 

 time you're ready I guess, an' I'll just get along 

 with the sleigh and haul in what you got ready 

 before I load up the straw-rack. Just show me 

 where to find it." 



I posted my mail, and when I got back there was 

 the wood of my gathering piled in the vicinity of 

 the kitchen door. Roddy McMahon had bucked 

 about as much in five minutes as I could get through 

 in an hour ; so that night Pax and I and the frost- 

 bitten cat who had adopted us kept royal cheer by 

 the hearth. 



January's last day but one brought a terrible 

 blizzard. I had great difficulty in watering and 

 getting sufficient hay for the night's feed, and for 

 the last feed of all I had to fall back on the inspira- 

 tion of Caesar and the Rubicon in order to climb on 

 to the stable roof and gather my sheaves in the howl 

 of the storm ; but by morning the weather had 

 cleared. Mabel Mazey came over and brought me 



R 



