We found that Mr. Woolsey and William had gone on towards Smoking Lake, and we followed and came up with them late at night, and I began my service with Mr. Woolsey; but it took days of constant change to lift from my mind the shadow of my disappointment in missing father.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
William goes to the plains—I begin work at Victoria—Make hay—Plough—Hunt—Storm.
Father had suggested two plans for immediate action: One was to send William out to the plains to trade some provisions; the other was to send me to the site of the new mission, and have me make some hay and plough some land ready for next spring, and thus take up the ground.
Mr. Woolsey decided to act on both. The former was very necessary, for we were living on duck, rabbits, etc., and the supply was precarious.
William took an Indian as his companion, and I a white man, by the name of Gladstone, as mine.
We travelled together as far as the river. This time we took a skiff Mr. Woolsey had on Smoking Lake.
We took this as far as we could by water and then loaded it on to a cart, and when we reached the river we took William's carts apart and crossed them over, and he and his companion started out to look for provisions, while Gladstone and myself to put up hay and plough land.
For the former we had two scythes, and for the latter a coulterless plough; but we had a tremendously big yoke of oxen.