ark and that--what shall I call it?--
thing got to rapping upon something between me and the door.

I could tell you other stories about these rappings but they are too
incredulous to believe. As I said before, I could explain nothing
nor can I yet. I simply heard the rappings, under the circumstances
as I have related.

---0---

C H A P T E R F O U R

Leaves Home. In St. Louis. On the Mississippi River. From
Lagrange to Lindley.

Few boys live through their teens who do not want to take a wild
goose chase to see the world. I was no exception. So after bidding
my mother, brothers, sisters, farewell on my 19th birthday, with
mother's blessing, in the company with Dr. Sam Elmore, his wife and
little boy, I started for north Missouri. The first night we spent
at Washington, Ind. This was the first time I ever stopped as a
guest at a hotel. The next day we secured passenger tickets on the
Ohio and Mississippi Rail Road to St. Louis. This was the first time
I had ever rode on railroad cars. Away we went over rivers and
rivulets, hills and hollows, through farms and towns, woods and
prairies. I thought we would never stop. I was seeing the world.

But finally we stopped. And someone said, "St. Louis." I stepped
out and the first thing I saw was the "Father of Waters". Now, I
tell you boys, the Mississippi is a big river. We had to cross in a
ferry boat. There was no Ead's bridge there.

When we landed on the Missouri side and stepped out on the wharf
there were, on all sides, mules, negroes, drays, drummers, porters,
beggars, fakers, yelling, moving, jostling, huddling, crowding. Why,
I felt that to be in such a place was dangerous to be safe.

The doctor had been there before, I had not. I noticed he pressed
ahead, so I followed. Finally we reached the Planter's House, and I
cast my eye up to the upper story and thought, "O my, I cannot sleep
up there, it will make me dizzy and I will fall out."

We sought a steamboat to go up the Mississippi and the earliest one
we could find would not start for two days. But we bought tickets
which entitled us to lodging and board on the boat, so we took our
places on the boat, and staid with it until it landed us at Lagrange,
our destination. The name of the boat was "Thomas Swan." I never
traveled in any nicer way than on a large fine steam-boat--board
and bed and everything clean and good, interesting and pleasant.

The first night, when I we