ce he literally tore them from my legs, but fortunately did not
touch my flesh. I got away with the apples, however, by tumbling over to
the opposite side of the fence with them.

It was at LeClair that I acquired my first experience as an equestrian.
Somehow or other I had managed to corner a horse near a fence, and had
climbed upon his back. The next moment the horse got his back up and
hoisted me into the air, I fell violently to the ground, striking upon my
side in such a way as to severely wrench and strain my arm, from the
effects of which I did not recover for some time. I abandoned the art of
horsemanship for a while, and was induced after considerable persuasion
to turn my attention to letters--my A, B, C's--which were taught me at
the village school.

My father at this time was running a stage line, between Chicago and
Davenport, no railroads then having been built west of Chicago. In 1849
he got the California fever and made up his mind to cross the great
plains--which were then and for years afterwards called the American
Desert--to the Pacific coast. He got ready a complete outfit and started
with quite a party. After proceeding a few miles, all but my father, and
greatly to his disappointment, changed their minds for some reason and
abandoned the enterprise. They all returned home, and soon afterwards
father moved his family out to Walnut Grove Farm, in Scott county.

[Illustration: YOUTHFUL ADVENTURES.]

While living there I was sent to school, more for the purpose of being
kept out of mischief than to learn anything. Much of my time was spent in
trapping quails, which were very plentiful. I greatly enjoyed studying
the habits of the little birds, and in devising traps to take them in. I
was most successful with the common figure "4" trap which I could build
myself. Thus I think it was that I acquired my love for hunting. I
visited the quail traps twice a day, morning and evening, and as I had
now become quite a good rider I was allowed to have one of the farm
horses to carry me over my route. Many a jolly ride I had and many a
boyish prank was perpetrated after getting well away from and out of the
sight of home with the horse.

There was one event which occurred in my childhood, which I cannot recall
without a feeling of sadness. It was the death of my brother Samuel, who
was accidentally killed in his twelfth year.

My father at the time, being considerable of a politician as well as a
farmer, wa