hitched them to a tree and removed the rocks from in under the 
wheels and away it went, down the hill at break-neck speed. The 
drunken fellow woke up and stuck his head out of the back of the 
wagon and bawled at the top of his voice, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” 
The wagon stayed to the road a little ways, then it turned short 
left the road and continued its course down the hill into the timber 
where it struck a tree and came to a stop. The racket brought all 
the other campers out of their beds and we hastily jumped into ours, 
pretending to be asleep. They could not imagine what had happened 
so they started to investigate. They soon found the cause and pro¬ 
ceeded to see what damage was done. The drunken man's wagon was 
in a pretty bad condition, the tongue was broken and the wheels 
smashed, but outside of being frightened and somewhat sobered, it 
did not hurt the drunken lad. Upon further investigation the camp¬ 
ers found the mules tied to the tree and knew someone had purposely 
started the wagon, so they started asking questions. Of course we 
kept mum, so they finally let suspicion rest on a couple of farmer boys 
who had visited our camp that night and who lived close by, and we 
got by without suspicion, at least none that we knew of. 
The next morning Babe and I pulled out for Nashville. Babe 
drew on that old jug quite regularly and I, not wishing to be outdone, 
would take a part with him each time, thinking I could gauge the 
kick, but at times my calculations were not good and I would find 
myself pretty hilarious. 
We arrived in Nashville that night and put our teams up in a 
wagon yard which was most convenient for farmers that brought their 
produce to Nashville. 
The next morning Babe was up bright and early and the first 
thing to be introduced was his jug, next feed our teams, make coffee, 
fry eggs and bacon in the camp house which was furnished by the 
wagon yard man. This done, we went to sell our produce. Babe 
with a sample of his peanuts and I with samples of my two bales of 
cotton. At intervals all through the day Babe, and sometimes I, 
would return for a swig from the old jug. 
Babe sold his peanuts and I my cotton. I remember it brought 
$127.00. When night came we set out to take in the town. The first 
thing we hit for was Buffalo Bill’s show. This was Bill’s first, which 
consisted of a few Indians and cowboys on bucking ponies, but never¬ 
theless it was a good show, and although I was a little dazed from 
the contents of Babe’s jug, there was something about that show that 
touched a spot which meant home in my soul, and that night I made 
up my mind that I would not go to Louisville to school, as my father 
had planned, in order that I might become a surgeon, but rather I 
would stick to the great open. 
Babe and I remained in Nashville two weeks, took in the whole 
town and spent every dollar. We even had to stand off the wagon 
yard man, and all I had to show for my two bales of cotton was a 
shabby suit of cashmere, ■ which got all matted up when wet and 
smelled like a wet dog. When I arrived home there were but few 
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