the mule drop and he said. “Yes, and that s gwine to kill my mu e. 
T assured him that if it did that I would huv him another one, an( 
began to remove the poles which supported the mule, and as we did 
this, allowed the hind part of the animal to go down first, and as it 
was only about ten feet, taking in the length of the mule, the mule had 
to drop actually about four feet, and as we pulled out the pole, down 
went the mule into the mud about four feet deep. As the mule landed 
he sat up in the mud. and had the appearance of an Arkansas judge. 
We went to the assistant of the mule, and by pulling with ropes and 
the bridle, the mule made a desperate effort and released himself 
from the mud, and we led him out. We then unloaded the wagon, 
pulled it over the bridge by hand, reloaded and then hitched the mules 
arid drove on. 
We arrived where I had decided to make my first camp. Tents 
were stretched and everything was made ship-shape for camping. 
Uncle Adam camped with us. We allowed Uncle Adam a tent all to 
himself. Next morning after Uncle Adam had hitched his mules to 
his wagon, and had shaken hands goodbye with George and myself, he 
said. “I ain’t gwine back that swamp way. I’m gwine back by Grady, 
it’s ten miles out of the way, but I ain’t gwine through that swamp.” 
t gave Uncle Adam a dollar extra, and told him that that would get 
him a quart when he reached Grady. This made Uncle Adam show the 
whites of his eyes. 1,1 Goodbye, Gentlemen, be good to yourselves. Get 
up mules, am a-goin’.” 
George and I proceeded to make some board stretchers and hoops 
on which to stretch beaver, which was my principal catch. In the 
afternoon we went hunting and l killed a deer. The next day I began 
to set traps. George would cut stakes while I made the sets. The 
next morning our catch was good—all that we could skin and stretch. 
This we kept up all the winter, not stopping for Christmas. In the 
spring we found that we had done well. T paid George off and left 
my outfit with a farmer by the name of Cagwell and had learned by 
that time that the fur market at Little Rock was only a dead fall for 
green trappers, and I decided to take my furs to New York, as it was 
the fur market at that time. An old friend of mine by the name of 
John Lit ell. had been to New York and could give me some good advice 
on the subject. I hired a negro to haul my furs to Grady, about twenty 
miles distant. There I met the old bunch, but did not tarry with them 
but for a few minutes, as I had to buy a ticket and ship my furs. I 
will never forget when I arrived at the Grand Central Depot, and 
started for a Broadway street car. I met a bunch as I left the depot, 
just on the edge of the walk, bawling. Cab! Cab! Cab! As I could 
not understand what their mission was, I stopped to listen, and that 
attracted their attention, and they began to motion to me. As I 
reached their line, two or three grabbed me, and my grip, and I had to 
knock and kick until I released myself. I then made for a Broadway 
car and stopped at the Grand Central. 1 had previosly received price 
lists from some of the furriers in New York, and had this information 
at hand, and proceeded to see some of them. Pence & Clawson, at 
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