that were in store for us. Mr. Willard and his wife had taken along what
furniture they owned, a few eatables and five dollars and fifty cents in
cash, which was all that we possessed of the goods of this world. But
who cares for money at that age? Mr. Willard was twenty-five years old,
my sister twenty-three, and I twenty, all hale and hearty, and never for
a moment doubting our success, no matter what we should undertake.

Our first work was wood chopping, for which we were less fit than almost
anything else. We had to go to a place about three miles above Red Wing,
where a man had made a contract to bank up fifteen hundred cords of wood
for the Mississippi steamers. There was an old wood chopper's cabin
which we repaired by thatching it with hay and earth, putting in a door,
a small window, and a few rough planks for a floor. In a few days we
were duly installed, baby and all, in the little hut which was only
twelve by sixteen feet, but to us as dear as a palace to a king.

We began to chop wood at once. The trees were tall, soft maples and ash,
and our pay was fifty-five cents a cord for soft and sixty-five cents
for hard wood. At first both of us could not chop over a cord a day
together; but within a week we could chop a cord apiece, and before the
winter was over we often chopped three cords together in a day. After a
few days we were joined by four Norwegian wood choppers for whom we put
up a new cabin to sleep in; but my sister cooked for us all, and the
others paid for their board to Mr. Willard and myself, who had all
things in common. Those four men were better workmen than we, and one of
them, Albert Olson, often chopped three cords a day. They were quiet,
industrious, and generous fellows, so that we soon became attached to
each other, and we were all very fond of the little Zelma. My sister
managed our household affairs so well and kept the little house so neat
and tidy that when spring came we were all loth to leave.

The weather being fine and the sleighing good in the beginning of
January, we hired John Day to take us with his team to our claims while
there was yet snow, so that we might chop and haul out logs for the
house which Mr. Willard and I intended to put up in the spring. My
sister remained in the cabin, but Albert went with us for the sake of
company. We put some lumber on the sled, and provided ourselves with hay
and food enough to last a few days, and plenty of quilts and blankets
for our