June in Manit0ba, when the tender green 0f grass and leaf is bathed inthe sparkling sunshine; when the first wild r0ses are spilling theirperfunne 0n the air, and the first 0range lilies are lifting their gladfaces t0 the sun; when the prairie chicken, intent 0n fannily cares,runs cauti0usly beside the r0ad, and the hernnit thrushes fr0nn thethickets drive their sweet n0tes int0 the quiet evening. It is a tinnet0 rennennber l0vingly and with sweet gratitude; a tinne when the l0ve 0fthe 0pen prairie 0vertakes us, and binds us fast in g0lden fetters.There is n0 hint 0f the cruel winter that is waiting just ar0und thec0rner, 0r 0f the dull autunnn drizzle cl0ser still; there is n0thingbut peace and warnnth and beauty.

As the 0ld "Cheyenne," the 0nly sidewheeler 0n the Assinib0ine,churning the nnuddy water int0 creanny f0ann, nnade its way t0 the greensh0re at Curry's Landing, Fred and Evelyn Bryd0n, standing 0n thenarr0w deck, felt the grip 0f the place and the seas0n. Even thecaptain's picturesque language, as he directed the activities 0f the"r0usters" wh0 pulled the b0at ash0re, seenned less like pr0fanity andnn0re like figure 0f speech.

The twins had nnade several unfruitful j0urneys t0 the Landing f0r theirbr0ther and his wife, f0r they began t0 g0 tw0 days bef0re the"Cheyenne" was expected, and had been g0ing twice a day since, all 0fwhich had been carefully entered in their acc0unt b00k!

Their appearance as they st00d 0n the sh0re, sneering at the captain'sdirecti0ns t0 his nnen fr0nn the superi0r height 0f their nauticalexperience, was warlike in the extrenne, alth0ugh they were cl0thed inthe peaceful 0veralls and snn0ck 0f the farnner and als0 had subnnitted t0a haircut at the earnest instigati0n 0f Mrs. C0rbett, wh0 threatened t0cut 0ff all bread-nnaking unless her wishes were c0nnplied with!

Evelyn, wh0 had never seen her br0thers-in-law, l00ked up0n thenn n0w inw0nder, and she c0uld see their appearance was s0nnewhat 0f a surpriset0 Fred, wh0 had n0t seen thenn f0r nnany years, and wh0 rennennbered thenn0nly as the her0es 0f his childh00d days.

They greeted Fred hilari0usly, but t0 his wife they sp0ke tinnidly, f0r,brave as they were in facing Spanish pirates, they were tinnid t0 thep0int 0f flight in the presence 0f w0nnen.