THE OLD TIME FARM-HAND 341 



fuller one, and it served its use. I know what 

 tired legs and back mean, and I know that one 

 need not have them always if he will use the 

 ordinary sense which God gives. Genius, or 

 special cleverness, is not necessary to get a man 

 out of the rut of hard manual labor. Just plain, 

 everyday sense will do. But before I had se- 

 cured the three men for whom I was in search, 

 I began to feel that this common sense of which 

 we speak so glibly is a rare commodity under 

 the working-man's hat. I advertised, sent to 

 agencies and intelligence offices, interviewed and 

 inspected, consulted friends and enemies, and so 

 generally harrowed my life that I was fit to give 

 up the whole business and retire into a cave. 



By actual count, I saw more than one hundred 

 men, of all ages, sizes, and colors. Eight of these 

 were tried, of whom five were found wanting. 

 Early in February I had settled upon three sober 

 men to add to our colony. As none of these 

 lasted the year out, I may be forgiven for not 

 introducing them to the reader. They served 

 their purpose, and mine too, and chen drifted on. 



