ds and started for Fife Lake. I
had no intention of seeing my folks but in Fife Lake was another
attraction which I will come to later. I had to get home about fifty
miles to cover. the way was beset with tangled forests, swollen streams,
melting snows not a blaze to mark the way. I had lived on mushrat for
forty days and the first day out I shot a doe, and added about ten
pounds to my load, this meat was quite an improvement on rat. the
evening of the third day I camped on Hopkins creek under an old hemlock
tree. My dogs kept me awake nearly all night with their barks and
growls, once I was awakened by a twig falling in my face, in the morning
I was at once attracted by a sliding noise which I soon discovered to be
a Lynx bracing to leap, I slung my gun to my shoulder and the lynx was
past danger instantly, I afterward learned this Lynx had killed a boy in
the neighborhood by the name of Harrison.

Adding another pelt to my pack I reached Fife Lake just before Sundown
and waited for dark before entering town. After dark I went straight to
the home of My old friend who was not so aged as I.W.O. Clark. his
mother had died meanwhile the only thing which had restrained him from
joining me the year before. I did not wish to show up in Northtown so
Willie sold my fur for me and we equiped ourselves for the Lewis and
Clark Expedition. In august of that same year after our money was all
gone but eleven cents: and I had not been seen by anybody who knew me
Clark and I walked over to Kingsley ten miles away carrying our only
possessions in the world, we had decided to go westward where we might
hunt trap and enjoy ourselves unmolested, the evening found us waiting
for a freight train which we were to take; hoping to hobo our way to
Denver Colorado.

Westward Bound

It is a long way from Kingsley Michigan to Denver Colorado. But we
covered the ground in three weeks. We took slideing door palace cars all
the way, and slept nights covered with an evening news, begged handouts
at back doors; and ate our meals with the widow green. I was coming
eleven Clark was just past seven, two old and experienced duffers to go
west for freedom.

Before leaving Michigan I formed the acquaintance of Waterloo chief of
the Potowatimies. He had taught me many things which were to be of great
service in the west. When we arrived in Denver we were not hailed as
some great individuals are but we overlooked that--(since then We have
been wel