on regardless of the costs which he hoped and
expected to get out of me at last.

My long and painful experience, covering many years, had given me a
pretty thorough knowledge of the law's uncertainty, as well as the law's
delay, and very early in the course of the present suit, I had quietly
disposed of my property in Rensselaer County. I sold the little farm,
which cost me sixteen hundred dollars, for twenty-one hundred dollars,
and I had had, besides, the profits of nearly two years' farming and a
good living from and on the place. I also arranged all my money matters
in a manner that I felt assured would be satisfactory to me, if not
to my opponent, and then, following the advice of my friend, the
carpet-dealer, I let the hardware man sue and be "benefited if he
could." When, however, the case went finally to a referee who was
certain, I felt sure, to decide against me, I took no further personal
interest in the matter, nor have I ever troubled myself to learn the
filial decision. I made up my mind in a moment and decided that the time
had come, at last, when it was advisable for me to go to the West.

Westward I went, towards sunset almost, and for the two following years
I led, I fear, what would be considered a very vagabond life. I went
to Utah, thinking while I was in Salt Lake City, if they only knew my
history there I was sure to be elected an apostle, or should be, at any
rate, a shining light in Mormondom--only I had taken my wives in regular
succession, and had not assembled the throng together. I pushed across
the plains, and went to California, remaining a long time in San
Francisco. This may have been vagabondism, but it was profitable
vagabondism to me. During this long wandering I held no communication
with my friends in the East; friends and foes alike had an opportunity
to forget me, or if they thought of me they did not know whether I was
dead or alive; they certainly never knew, all the time, where I was;
and while I was journeying I never once met a man or woman who had
been acquainted with me in the past. All the time, too, I had plenty of
money; indeed, when, I returned at last I was richer far than I was when
I left Albany, and left as the common saying graphically expresses it,
"between two days." I had my old resources of recipes, medicines and my
profession, and these I used, and had plenty of opportunity to use, to
the best advantage. I could have settled in San Francisco for life
with t