36 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST. 



that it was not clifRcult to get a farm on lease there — 

 a lease in the American sense of the word, where the 

 farmer obtains a piece of cleared land, with the neces- 

 sary buildings, for Avhich he gives the proprietor, who 

 also finds most of the farming implements, one third of 

 the produce. At the same time, he assured me th"at 

 two men could easily manage sixty acres. But he sup- 

 pressed the fact that these two must be well acquainted 

 with the American system of fanning. 



All sorts of plans came under my consideration, 

 without my coming to any determination — and time 

 shpped by. 



One Sunday morning I wished to go to church. 

 An acquaintance offered to accompany me. "\Ye went 

 to the German reformed church. We were rather late, 

 and I was astonished at the excitement and disorder 

 which prevailed. I was soon to be still more surprised. 

 The preacher, a robust, powerful man, was very red in 

 the face, spoke with great vehemence and considerable 

 ability. He paused every now and then to take a 

 drink. Suddenly, as the confusion was somewhat sub- 

 siding, and the preacher was commenting on the text, 

 a lady stood up, and began to speak very loud. At 

 first I could not understand what she wanted. "With 

 surprise, I recognized her to be my landlady, and heard 

 such words as " shame — insufferable — insolence — 

 men — turn out of the pulpit," &c. As I was reflecting 

 on what this could mean, the disturbance broke out 

 afresh. " DoAvn w^ith him out of the pulpit ! " " Kick 

 him out ! " " Cane him well ! " Such were the sounds 

 that filled the church. The congregation attempted to 

 get the preacher out of the pulpit, but this was not so 



