the handbill which caused my arrest in Troy, where he knew I was
going. Next, as appeared when he came up to Troy to prosecute the
suit against me, he forged a bill of sale. The case was tried and
decided in my favor. Benson appealed, and again it was decided that
the horse belonged to me. I then had him indicted for perjury and
forgery, and he was put under bonds of fourteen hundred dollars in
each case to appear for trial. Some how or other he never appeared,
and whether he forfeited his bonds, or otherwise slipped through the
"meshes of the law," I never learned, nor have I ever seen him since
he attempted to swindle me. But these proceedings kept me in Troy
more than a month, and to pay my lawyer and other expenses, I
actually sold the horse and buggy the scoundrel tried to steal from
me.

Taking my boy to Sidney and putting him under the care of my half
sister, I went to Boston, where I met two friends of mine who were
about going to Meredith Bridge, N.H., to fish through the ice on
Lake Winnipiseogee. It was early in January, 1853, and good, clear,
cold weather. They represented the sport to be capital, and said
that plenty of superb lake trout and pickerel could be taken every
day, and urged me to go with them. As I had nothing special to do
for a few days, I went. When we reached Meredith we stopped at a
tavern near the lake, kept by one of the oddest landlords I have
ever met. After a good supper, as we were sitting in the barroom,
the landlord came up to me and at once opened conversation in the
following manner:

"Waal, where do you come from, anyhow?"

"From Boston," I replied.