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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