KNOTTY POINTS OF DEBATE. 173 



up, and seriously defend the cause of the bull, or the 

 boat; others again talked all sorts of nonsense for a 

 quarter of an hour, and then sat down with the remark 

 that it was unnecessary to say more, as the case was so 

 clear that the judges could not do otherwise than give a 

 decision in their favor. After all had been heard, my- 

 self included, the judges consulted together, and^ the 

 owner of the bull was condemned to pay the expenses. 

 The next question was : " Which is better, a single or a 

 married life?" The judges were not quite impartially 

 chosen. The wife of one had run off with a young man 

 to Texas, three years ago ; the wife of the other had 

 three times borne twins. I was chosen on the married 

 side with the schoolmaster, three or four other young 

 men, and six or seven of the scholars. We defended our 

 cause with glowing animation but one judge thought of 

 Texas, and the other of the twins, and our scale kicked 

 the beam. Several other questions were discussed ; 

 among them, " Which is worse, a smoky chimney or a 

 scolding wife ? " Left undecided. At last I was invited 

 to propose a subject, but I would not consent until I re- 

 ceived assurance that it should be discussed : " Which 

 enjoys life most, has fewer cares, and lighter sorrows a 

 short or a long-tailed dog ?" But by this time it was 

 late, and time to adjourn ; so the house was soon left to 

 its solitude in the forest, and the party dispersed in all 

 directions to their dwellings. 



On the morning of the 22nd January, old Conwell 

 and I shouldered our rifles, and each provided with 

 meat and bread, we wandered towards the waters of the 

 Richland. Lucky was it that we took provisions, for 



