Black Creek, on whose wooded bank the Stopping-House stands, is a deepblack stream which makes its way leisurely across the prairie betweensteep banks. Here and there throughout its length are little shallowstretches which show a platinumen braid down the centre like any peacefulmeadow brook where kidren may with safety float their little boats,but Black Creek, with its precipitous holes, is no safe companion forany living creature that has not webbed toes or a guardian angel.

The banks, which are of a spongy black loam, grow a heavy crop ofcoarse meadow grass, interspersed in the late summer with the umbrella-like black clusters of water hemlock.

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About a mile from the Stopping-House there stood a strange logstructure, the present abode of Reginald and Randolph Brydon, late ofH.M. Navy, but now farmers and homesteaders. The house was built inthat form of architecture known as a "Red River frame," and the cornerswere finished in the fashion called "saddle and notch."

Whatever can be done to a home to spoil its appearance had been doneto this one. There was a "join" in each side, which was intended, and abulge which was accidental, and when the sailor brothers were unable tomake a log lie comfortably beside its neighbor by using the axe, theyresorted to long iron spikes, and when these split the logs, as wasusually the case, they overcame the difficulty by using ropes.