to her tail. When the basket hit against her heels she went wild with fright. She struck out for the woods at a mad race; the bell on her neck made a great noise and there was general alarm. I was as much alarmed as the cattle. In desperation I overtook the fleeing cow and got the basket off her tail. She would surely have hurt herself in the woods if let go with the basket. That invention worked too severely. It was like the injection a man got a doctor to administer to his stub- born mule to make it start; the smart of the injection sent the mule off at such a mad pace the man asked the doctor how much he would charge to give him something to stop him. Boys and girls often start movements they cannot control, and get themselves into much trouble. Counting the cost, or calculating the consequences of our actions, would be wise and save us from these mistakes. Using Robert Burns’ words “It wod fra monie a blunder free us.”

On a Sinking Raft

There was a pond near one of the herding fields; it was a muddy frog pond, but we liked to paddle in it. I made a raft, and launched it out on this pond. One day I was about the middle of it catching frogs with a hook made out of a pin. This was poor sport, but float- ing about on the raft was pleasant. The craft was not strongly built and when at the greatest depth of water it parted at the bottom and I dropped through to my arms. I could not get out under it and I could not climb on top of it. There I was like a rat in a trap, ex- cept that it was not hurting me. The other boys could not come to my rescue. By paddling with my feet I got the raft near enough to shore to reach bottom and get out of my trap. I got a good soaking in the black muddy water. I got it into my head that was punishment for catching the innocent frogs, so I quit frog-fishing. But I had many accidents and hurts after that. These boyhood experiences are good teachers. There are many lessons we will only learn in the school of

“hard knocks.” The Snake F arm

Father bought a second farm, about two miles from the old home- stead, in a district called The Indian Marsh.” We pronounced it “Injun Marsh.” He got it for a wood lot. As the wood was cut he

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