The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Homesteaders, by Robert J. C. Stead

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Title: The Homesteaders
A Novel of the Canadian West

Author: Robert J. C. Stead

Release Date: April 20, 2009 [EBook #28579]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HOMESTEADERS ***

Produced by Marlo Dianne

THE HOMESTEADERS

A NOVEL OF THE CANADIAN WEST

by

Robert J. C. Stead

Author of "Kitchener and Other Poems," "Songs of the Prairie," "The
Cow Puncher," ETC

The Musson Book Company Limited
Publishers Toronto

FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1916.

CONTENTS

PRELUDE
I. THE BECK OF FORTUNE
II. INTO THE WILDERNESS
III. PRAIRIE LAND
IV. ROUGHING IT
V. THE SHORES OF THE INFINITE
VI. IN THE SPELL OF THE MIRAGE
VII. THE CALL OF THE FARTHER WEST
VIII. INTO THE NIGHT
IX. CRUMBLING CASTLES
X. INTO THE FARTHER WEST
XI. THE PRICE OF "SUCCESS"
XII. A WHIFF OF NEW ATMOSPHERE
XIII. SETTING THE TRAP
XIV. THE GAMBLERS
XV. THE LURE OF EASY MONEY
XVI. THE HONOUR OF THIEVES
XVII. THE FIGHT IN THE FOOTHILLS
XVIII. CONVERGING TRAILS
XIX. PRISONERS OF FATE
XX. AN INQUEST--AND SOME EXPLANATIONS

THE HOMESTEADERS

PRELUDE

Six little slates clattered into place, and six little figures stood
erect between their benches.

"Right! Turn!" said the master. "March! School is dismissed"; and six
pairs of bare little legs twinkled along the aisle, across the
well-worn threshold, down the big stone step, and into the dusty
road, warm with the rays of the Indian summer sun.

The master watched them from the open window until they vanished
behind a ridge of beech trees that cut his vision from the
concession. While they remained within sight a smile played upon the
features of his strong, sun-burned face, but as the last little
calico dress was swallowed by the wood the smile died down, and for a
moment he stood, a grave and thoughtful statue framed within the
white pine casings of the sash. His sober grey eyes stared unseeing
into the forest, while the light wind that stirred the golden maple
leaves toyed gently with his unruly locks.

His brown study lasted only