mpbell, the miller."

The soldiers had now been at work for more than two months; a large
portion of the wood had been felled and cleared away. With what had
been cleared by Alfred, and Martin, and Henry the year before, they now
had more than forty acres of corn-land. The rails for the snake-fence
had also been split, and the fence was almost complete round the whole
of the prairie and cleared land, when it was time for the grass to be
cut down and the hay made and gathered up. This had scarcely been
finished when the corn was ready for the sickle and gathered in, a barn
had been raised close to the sheep-fold, as well as the lodge for
Malachi, Martin, and his wife. For six weeks all was bustle and hard
work, but the weather was fine, and everything was got in safe. The
services of the soldiers were now no longer required, and Mr Campbell
having settled his accounts, they returned to the fort.

"Who would think," said Henry to Alfred, as he cast his eyes over the
buildings, the stacks of corn and hay, and the prairie stocked with
cattle, "that we had only been here so short a time?"

"Many hands make light work," replied Alfred; "we have done with the
help from the fort what it would have taken us six years to do with our
own resources. My father's money has been well laid out, and will bring
in a good return."

"You have heard of the proposal of Colonel Foster, about the cattle at
the fort?"

"No; what is it?"

"He wrote to my father yesterday, saying, as he had only the means of
feeding the cows necessary for the officers of the garrison, that he
would sell all the oxen at present at the fort at a very moderate
price."

"But even if we have fodder enough for them during the winter, what are
we to do with them?"

"Sell them again to the fort for the supply of the troops," replied
Henry, "and thereby gain good profit. The Commandant says that it will
be cheaper to government in the end than being compelled to feed them."

"That it will, I have no doubt, now that they have nothing to give them;
they trusted to our prairie for hay, and if they had not had such a
quantity in store, they could not have fed them last winter."

"My father will consent, I know; indeed, he would be very foolish not to
do so, for most of them will be killed when the winter sets in, and will
only cost us the grazing."

"We are fortunate in finding such friends as we have done," replied
Alfred. "All this assistance would not