here our profits were twenty-two
dollars. Our fourth and last sale was made at Warsaw, where we were
having excellent success, when a large, portly gentleman (whom I
afterwards learned was Mr. Wood, the prosecuting attorney), came up to
our stand, and after listening awhile and watching the results, went
away, and in a few moments returned with the city marshal, who placed me
under arrest for violating a new law just passed, to prohibit the
running of gift enterprises. They took me before the Mayor, who read the
charges against me, and asked what I had to say.

I informed him I had taken out city license, which I supposed entitled
me to the privilege of selling.

He then read the new law to me, I plead ignorance, and asked the Mayor
to be lenient. He imposed a fine of twenty-five dollars and costs, which
altogether amounted to thirty-two dollars and fifty cents, which we
paid.

The prosecuting attorney then explained to me, that such a law had
recently been passed in almost every State.

This satisfied me that there was absolutely no money in the soap
business. My partner and I divided up what little money we had left and
there separated. He returned to Ohio and I visited a daughter of Mr.
Keefer's, who had married a wealthy farmer, Smith by name, and was
residing in Branch County, Michigan.

CHAPTER VII.

ELEVEN DAYS ON A FARM--HOW I FOOLED THE FARMER--ARRIVED AT
CHICAGO--RUNNING A FRUIT STAND--COLLAPSED--MY RETURN HOME--BROKE
AGAIN--A LUCKY TRADE.

I was anxious to go to Chicago, but was a "little short" financially,
and asked Mr. Smith to give me a job on the farm. He asked if I could
plow. I assured him that I was a practical farmer, and he then hired me
at one dollar per day.

[Illustration: ELEVEN DAYS FOR ELEVEN DOLLARS.--PAGE 81.]

He had a sixty acre field, in which his men had been plowing, and after
hitching up a pair of mules instructed me to go over in the field and go
to "back furrowing."

I wondered what the difference could be between back furrowing or any
other furrowing, but rather than expose my ignorance, said nothing,
preferring to trust to luck and the "mules." As there was no fault
found, I must have struck it right.

Mr. Smith made a practice of visiting his men and inspecting their
work, always once and often twice a day.

He gave me orders to go to breaking up a new piece of ground, which he
had recently finished clearing, and which of course was a hard task.

One day