32 MEN I HAVE FISHED WITH. 



sang weird songs, the bats flapped about, the frogs sung 

 and the owls hooted. Surely this beat Robinson Crusoe 

 all hollow, for he was all alone for a while. This was life 

 of an ideal kind. Sunday night, when a reckoning might 

 be made, seemed too far off for consideration. The pres- 

 ent life was perfect ! 



We made explorations across the bottom lands and up 

 the wooded hills, saw wild pigeons, and John wished for 

 a gun; chipmunks, squirrels, birds of kinds new to most 

 of us, but which John could name, and a rabbit! Here 

 was big game indeed, and when John oracularly said, 

 "School is a fool to this place," there was no dissenting 

 voice, and all regretted when the time came to depart. 

 We had more fish than we could carry, and only took the 

 freshest and best, and toiled wearily homeward, one in 

 the party at least dreading the arrival. What mother said 

 over the torn clothes and spoiled shoes we will not repeat, 

 but when father invited me to a conference in the wood- 

 shed she said: "Joseph, I have punished him severely, and 

 he has promised never to go off again without permission; 

 and he should not be punished twice for the same of- 

 fence." A look of disappointment crossed father's face; 

 he evidently missed something that he had mentally 

 promised himself and me, but, as I told John Atwood 

 next day: "Mother spanked hard with her slipper, but it 

 was nothing to what she saved me from ;" and John agreed 

 that it happened just right. "But," said he, "we are going 

 there next Friday for three days more of it; will you go?" 



"No, I can't; I must go to school." 



"Ask yer mother; she'll let you." 



"Not now; father would object; wait a little later, and 

 I'll join you there on some Saturday." And I often did. 



As near as memory serves, I was about eleven years 

 old when John proposed that I join him and another boy 



