nth or more, and if they were not of
the right stamp, both as to character and capabilities, the oversight of
them became a trouble to the grandfather, and that, of course, troubled
them all. No choice could be exercised in the matter. They were
usually men who came along from the French country, either before or
after their own narrow fields were cut, in order to make a little money
by helping their English-speaking neighbours, and those who hired them
must take their chance.

As a general thing the men were good workers, and did well when their
employers worked with them. But they were for the most part
eye-servants, who took things easy when it might be done, and with
eye-service Mr Fleming had less patience than with most things.

But the "good luck" that had followed Davie and his doings on the farm
all the summer, followed him still. One night there came to Ythan a
stranger, who introduced himself as Ira Hemmenway, an American, sole
agent in Canada for the celebrated Eureka mowing-machine, and he
"claimed the privilege" of introducing this wonderful invention to the
notice of the discriminating and intelligent farmers of Gershom. He
asked nothing better for his own share of profit than a chance to show
what he could do with it on some of the smooth fields of Ythan.

If he had been aware of Mr Fleming's distaste for all things untried,
or "new-fangled," it is likely he would have carried his request
elsewhere. But, greatly to Davie's surprise, his grandfather listened
to the proposition of Mr Hemmenway with no special signs of disfavour,
and he could only hope that the wonderful eloquence of their Yankee
friend might not hinder rather than help his cause.

"With a fair start in the morning we calculate, with a middlin' span of
horses, to get over by noon as much ground as six men would get over, if
they worked from sunrise to sundown, if they didn't have to stop to eat
or drink or take a resting-spell. We cut clean and even. There'll be a
little clipping, maybe, round the stumps and stone piles, but you don't
seem to have many of them. You just see me go once round your big field
there with my team, and you'll never want to touch a scythe again. Only
give me the chance. The first day sha'n't cost you nothing but my
victuals and good feed of oats for my team. Now come, what do you say?"

Mr Fleming listened with patience and with some amusement, Davie
thought.

"That is cheap enough surely," said h