the advertisement of a lot of
carriages to be sold at auction that very day. I called on the owner and
told him I needed a carriage, and asked what the terms of the sale would
be.

He said a note payable in one year, would be acceptable from responsible
parties, and then asked my name. I said: "I am J. P. Johnston, the
agricultural man."

"What! the man with the big sign across the street?"

I replied: "The same."

"O, well," he said, "your note is good."

I bid in a fine carriage, giving my note, which, by the way, was paid in
less than six months. I then borrowed a harness and began a general raid
on the farmers, and succeeded fairly well.

The only unpleasantness I experienced in the sale of implements was
that of a check-row corn-planter, which was new to the farmers in that
section as well as to myself. I, of course, assumed to know all about
it, when in fact, I was unable to in the least comprehend the method of
operating it, even after studying the directions carefully, and
committing them to memory so as to give a glowing description of it and
its great advantages.

One day a farmer came driving up to my "office" in a great hurry and
informed me of his intention to buy a corn-planter, and stated that he
had a piece of ground all prepared, and asked me to go and show him "how
the thing worked." Of course there was nothing else for me to do but to
go. So we loaded one on to the wagon and started.

[Illustration: A DUSTY JOB A SURE SALE.]

Arriving at the farm we hitched one of the old mares on and started for
the field, when I very soon learned that the farmer had a much better
idea of the "machine" than I did. But in order to make him conscious of
my importance it was necessary for me to oppose him in many things, some
of which were no doubt injurious to the job.

[Illustration: "AS YE SOW SO SHALL YE REAP."--PAGE 140.]

After he had set the stakes and drawn the line across the field, we
were ready for a start. I was to hold the "machine," and he to drive the
horse. As we were about to start he suggested that I had better take off
my coat, vest, boots and stockings, and roll up my pants. I did so.

The wisdom of this move will be seen later. The old mare started on a
gait equal to that of the "deaf drover" over the rough roads. I held
tight to the handles, making lofty jumps from one step to another,
sinking into the plowed ground almost to my knees each time. Before we
were half through the field