was in, so Dad. took him for a recruiting officer as that is the way Pratt's letters have been addressed to me. However when I identified him Dad. showed him the sheep & horses and was friendly enough. Bill had hired a team and two seater sleigh from Faulkner and six of us went up, Nellie, Essie & Marj. Bill, Roy Dell & myself. I was appointed driver and so was in the front seat with Bill & Nellie. The nigh mare, Maud (which I think is the same mare Al. got from Walt McCall and which is widely known to be a devil) got started to go in a canter as soon as we started out and before we got to the head of Main St. my arm was just about all in trying in vain to bring her down to a trot. Once we got on the Gravel she lengthened out into a full run and there seemed to be no way of holding her. I stood up and see-sawed and at last Bill took them till I got my gloves off to get a better grip but he couldn't hold them at all and then we each took a line, all this time poor Nellie was getting more frightened, this method of driving of canter had its disadvantages and Maude got into the ditch and nearly upset us once and Bill had to get over in the middle to rest his arm so I was sitting on the arm of the seat and came within an ace of falling out, however when we got up about to Barwell's place we struck some loose ground and then Maude came down to a walk perforce and used all her energy to draw and from Bill Robert's corner to the halfway house we went at a stately walk, as I didn't want to get them sarted again till we turned the corner anyway and the girls were very well satisfied with the gait. Nellie was very nervous and Essie was inclined to be although she was in the back seat but I don't think Marj. cared a cent. They went at a delightful trot all the way into Simcoe and we certainly had a very enjoyable time at the rink, the band was there and the ice in lovely shape, afterwards we all went into Leas and had oyster soup, Bill standing treat for everything Roy didn't come home with us as he being in the 133rd Batt. band is practised in Simcoe and has to be on hand in the morning for church parade I suppose. The team acted fine coming home and we had a fine drive back. We started off with the three girls in the back seat but when we got down on the Dover Gravel Bill got me to stop and he changed places with Marj. and he and Esse nearly froze poor Nellie with their actions, Essie pretended to resist strongly but she enjoyed herself just the same Nellie didn't like it so well. I took the team to the barn after letting them all out at the Bagley's corner and I was about half dead when I got home about one o'clock. Dick came in half an hour later. It has been cold all day but milder to-night.