family had the
time of their lives, Joe could hardly conceal the dread which racked his
conscience when he thought how pitifully different would be their
homeward trip.

The outward journey ended at Edmonton, the hustling "Gate City to the
Arctic", and then they commenced their return trip, stopping at
Saskatoon, the beautiful "Hub City of the Saskatchewan"; at Regina, that
stately "Queen City of the North West;" at Calgary, the "Gem City of the
Rockies", and travelled from the latter to Winnipeg, the "Chicago of
Canada."

They intended that Winnipeg should be their last stop, as from there
they meant to return via Rugby to their Colorado ranch.

While viewing the sights of cosmopolitan Winnipeg with its wide streets
and beautiful avenues, their progress was stopped in front of the City
Hall by policemen, who held back a curious crowd, while they were
unloading several patrol wagons filled with oddly dressed foreigners.
Joe pushed himself close to one of the policemen and inquired the reason
of their arrest, and the obliging guardian of the peace explained to him
that they were "Doukhobors", a religious sect that on account of
persecution had left Russia, and although they made first-class
settlers, some of them had been arrested on account of queer practices
which conflicted with the laws of Canada, and which, despite repeated
warnings, they refused to discontinue.

By this time the prisoners had been transferred into the city hall, and
the officer volunteered to see to it that Joe and his friends would find
a good vantage point from where they could watch a Canadian court trial.
Joe accepted the officer's kind offer, and the latter opened a path
through the densely crowded court room for the McDonalds, who were soon
standing at the railing that separated the prisoners from the public.

Amongst the more than a score of prisoners were several women, all of
whom were old hags with the exception of one, who was really good
looking considering that she wore the same homely, gray homespun dress
and black shawl that did service for headwear, worn by all the women of
her sect.

All noise subsided when the judge entered the court room. He was a
stern-faced gentleman, and wore a white wig and a black robe, which,
although they gave him the appearance of a patriarch, also added greatly
to the austerity of his exalted office.

It was against the tenets of the Doukhobors to employ legal counsel to
defend them, and so the