A PLAGUE OF MICE 145

A large part of the ship’s company came on shore with the carpenter, bringing with them every imple- ment useful in cutting down trees and building log houses. Such was to be our occupation in order to house these poor immigrants. Our men began to clear a patch of land, by cutting down a number of pine trees, the almost exclusive natives of the wood, and having selected a spot for the foundation, we placed four stems of trees on a parallelogram, having a deep notch in each end mutually to fit and embrace each other. When the walls by this repeated operation, were high enough, we laid on the rafters and covered the roofs with boughs of the fir and the bark of the birch trees, filling the interstices with moss and mud. By practice I became a very expert engineer, and with the assistance of thirty or forty men could build a very good house in a day.

We next cleared by burning and rooting up as much land as would serve to sustain the little colony for the ensuing season; and having planted a crop of corn and potatoes and given the settlers many articles useful in their new abode, we left them agreeably to our orders and to my great joy returned to clear Halifax, where I again was blessed with the sight of my innocent harem.

Eight years have now passed. The immigrants have cleared their lands and are rather cosy in their roughly hewn homes. Luxuries are not numerous, but neither is dire poverty haunting their thresholds. Still the property belongs to the Right Honourable James Townshend, and still his agent is Edward Abell, who now possesses five hundred and thirteen acres. A neighbour, Patrick Pearce, owns one hundred; but what Pearce also owns, and what causes all the trouble, is his black carriage horse. Mrs. Abell wants this particular horse, and no other horse will do. Pearce refuses all inducements to sell, so Mrs. Abell sets her nimble wits to work.