nted their request. It was next decided to build an
estray pound. A meeting was called and it was agreed that each
man should build fence in proportion to the amount of stock he
owned, and that the public corral should be used for the estray
pound. But no stock was to be put into the pound until all the
fencing was done and the gates set up. I at once completed my
fencing, but the grumblers had no time to work; they were too
busy finding fault. The whole thing was a subterfuge, and was
meant to bother me. There was no need of a pound, as our cattle
were herded in daytime and corralled at night. But I submitted,
for I knew I could live by their laws as well as they.

One evening, as my cattle were being driven up for the night, one
of the oxen broke through a brush fence and got into a patch of
corn. The herdsman ran him out in a moment. Instead of holding
the herder responsible for the damage, or coming to me to make a
complaint and demand pay for the wrong, they took my ox out of
the corral, and, contrary to the vote of the people, tied him up
in Wm. Pace's private corral. I was the only man who had made his
fence, as ordered by the meeting. I did not know that they had my
ox tied up (for work had not been done to justify putting any
stock in the pound).

Next morning I sent one of my boys to yoke up my oxen; he
returned and informed me that one of my oxen was missing. I soon
found the ox, and demanded its release. I was told I must pay
twenty dollars before I could have the ox, and pay it in money. I
saw this was done to worry me, and sent word that I would pay in
any kind of property I had.

They refused everything but money or butter. I had neither to
spare, and they well knew it. I was still weak from my recent
sickness, but I walked over and had a talk with Wm. Pace and
tried to reason with him, but to no purpose. I told him he ought
to take pay for damage done by stock in the kind of property that
the stock had injured, but no, I must pay money or butter, or
lose my ox. I reflected a moment and concluded that forbearance
had ceased to be a virtue; that unless I defended my rights I
would soon be without anything worth protecting. I then walked
into the yard, untied the ox, and told my boy to drive him home.
Pace stood by the gate with a large cane, but made no resistance;
in fact, he was not a bad man, but was being misled by evil
company.

Kennedy, Busby, Dunn, and others were a little way off. They saw