dress and went on my way,
filled with happy thoughts as the result of my bargain. I resolved to be
very saving this month and I became very impatient for my month to end
and was continually asking Mr. Brooks if my month was not soon over. He
would laugh and say "yes, soon." But it seemed to me that was the
longest month I ever knew. When at last the month was over he gave me
fifty cents, claiming I had drawn my wages during the month. I knew that
was not so. I also knew I had a balance coming to me and told him so.
But he denied it and the result was that we had a fight. I hit him in
the head with a rock and nearly killed him after which I felt better.
Then going to Mr. Graves the storekeeper, I told him the whole trouble.
He expressed sympathy for me and said to give him the fifty cents and
take the bonnet and dress, and we will call it square. And you can
imagine my feelings as I took the things home to mother, and she was
more pleased with them than any queen with her silks and satins. There
being plenty of work to do at home, I did not again look for other
work. The only thing that worried me was that the little ones were still
without shoes, but on my promise to soon get them some they were
satisfied. It was here I got my first lessons in self-dependence and
life's struggles. I learned true usefulness and acquired the habit of
helping others which I carried with me all through my after life and
that trait perhaps more than any other endeared me to my companions on
the range and all with whom I have had dealings.

CHAPTER IV.

BOYHOOD SPORTS. MORE DEVILMENT. THE ROCK BATTLES. I HUNT RABBITS IN MY
SHIRT TAIL. MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN ROUGH RIDING. A QUESTION OF BREAKING
THE HORSE OR, BREAKING MY NECK.

In those days it was more the custom, than now, to work six days and
rest on the seventh, accordingly us boys always had our Sundays free.
And we never lost an opportunity to put in motion some devilment to make
the time pass in what we thought was the most pleasant way. Anything to
have a great time. Our chief means of having fun for a while was the
rock battles. We boys of the entire neighborhood would get together,
then divide in equal numbers on a side, then after gathering all the
available rocks from the landscape, we would proceed to have a pitched
battle, throwing the rocks at each other as hard as we could, and with a
grim intent to commit battery. As a rational consequence the bravest
would force the