EARLY LIFE 25 



fruit and the others stand guard and give a sig- 

 nal on the least appearance of danger. Dark 

 nights were selected for our operations, and as 

 the streets were poorly illuminated, (there were 

 no electric lights in those days), the chances of 

 escape were in our favor. Lots were always 

 drawn as to who should lead in these raids, and 

 I believe the wily little "city chaps" took advan- 

 tage of my being a "tender foot" at their game 

 to arrange it so that the lot fell on me of tener than 

 was my turn. 



It was in September and the melons were ripen- 

 ing, when it was agreed that we should take a 

 look around and find out where the best could be 

 got. After due deliberation the Rev. Dr. Wood's 

 patch was chosen, but the place was surrounded 

 with difficulties in the shape of a high stone wall, 

 surmounted by a piece of wood into which a row 

 of long and sharp iron nails had been driven. 

 The Rectory formed the southern portion of the 

 square, and some of its windows faced the gar- 

 den. About fifteen feet from the house, on the 

 inside of the wall, and quite close to it, there was 

 a large walnut tree, the heavy branches of which 

 extended over the wall and part of the street. 

 This was where my experience in boating and the 

 handling of ropes came in handy. Sufficient rope 

 was procured to make a sort of ladder with knots, 

 one end of which we threw over the limb by at- 

 taching a stone. Once on the heavy branch it was 



