108 TOM’S EXPERIENCE 
had been ‘“ down,” for some years, and had grown 
discouraged. He needed some bracing up, and the 
revival of his hopefulness and courage—he needed 
suecess for awhile to give him self-confidence. When 
he gets these he can, if he wishes, go out and use his 
homestead and pre-emption rights and get more land. 
The money invested in the railroad land, and the 
work he puts on it, will not be lost by any means, for 
he will be able to sell, if he should ever wish to, at a 
handsome advance on the cost of the land and what- 
ever improvements he may make on it. Personally 
I felt in a measure responsible for his success, and 
therefore wanted to have him near me so [ could ren- 
der him some assistance if that should become neces- 
sary. 
“ Well, what was the result?” I presume a great 
many readers will ask, and I may as well finish James 
Hardy’s story here us anywhere else. | 
HOW IT TURNED OUT. 
[t was onlv last January (1883) that these events 
occurred. On my return home I bought the quarter- 
section of railroad land referred to—eighty acres for 
Hardy and eighty for myself. He came out about 
the middle of April, and was anxious to go immedi- 
ately to work, but not much could be done at that 
time except to get ready for the spring work. On 
my advice he bought a good yoke of oxen, and in a 
few days had a very comfortable stable for them’ 
made of posts planted in the ground, poles laid across 
