_Interpreter_--"He says he wouldn't think so judging from your horse and buggy." _Smith_--"Well, I'll bet five hundred dollars you haven't a horse on your cussed old farm that can trot with her." _Farmer_--"Who said anything about a horse, you lunatic?" _Interpreter_--"He says if you have so much money you'd better pay your debts." _Smith_--"You uncultivated denizen of this God-forsaken country, I want you to distinctly understand I _do_ pay my debts and I dare say that is more than _you_ do." _Farmer_--"Well, you are absolutely the crankiest old fool I ever saw." _Interpreter_--"He says you don't bear that reputation." _Smith_--"The dickens I don't. I don't owe you nor any other man a cent that I can't pay in five seconds." _Farmer_--to his wife--"Great Heavens! What do you suppose ails that 'ere man?" _Interpreter_--"He says he knows you, and you can't swindle him." _Smith_ (driving off)--"I think you are a crazy old liar anyhow, and I'll bet you never owned a sheep in your life." The reader will be able to form a better idea of the ridiculousness of this controversy as it sounded to me, by simply reading the conversation between Smith and the farmer, omitting what I had to say. The need of capital would of course have prevented me from going into the live stock business, and the very thought of my being compelled to work for and under some one else in learning a trade or business, was enough to destroy all pleasure or satisfaction in doing business. This caused my mother much anxiety, as it was a question what course I would pursue. CHAPTER III SELLING AND TRADING OFF MY FLOCK OF SHEEP--CO-PARTNERSHIP FORMED WITH A NEIGHBOR BOY--OUR DISSOLUTION--MY CONTINUANCE IN BUSINESS--COLLAPSE OF A CHICKEN DEAL--DESTRUCTION OF A WAGON LOAD OF EGGS--ARRESTED AND FINED MY LAST DOLLAR--ARRIVED HOME "BROKE." I became very anxious to sell my sheep in order to invest the money in business of some kind, but could not find a buyer for more than twenty-five head. This sale brought me seventy-five dollars in cash, and I traded thirty-five head for a horse and wagon. Thus equipped, I concluded to engage in buying and selling butter, eggs, chickens and sheep pelts. Not quite satisfied that I would succeed alone, I decided to take in one of our neighbor boys as a partner. He furnished a horse to drive with mine, and we started out, each having the utmost confidence in the other's ability, but very little confidence in himself. We made a two weeks' trip, and after selling out entirely and counting our cash, found we had eighteen cents more than when we started. We had each succeeded in ruining our only respectable suit of clothes, and our team looked as if it had been through a six months' war campaign. My partner said he didn't think there was any money in the business, so we dissolved partnership.