When we'd finally saved enough to get started we located homesteads close together back there in the Valley, an' as soon as we could get some sort of shacks built we married the girls and set up housekeepin'.

Our stock ranged together, of course, but John sort of took care of the east side of the meadows an' I kept more to the west.
When the children came along--John an' Mary had three before Phil, but only Phil lived--an' the stock had increased an' we'd built some decent houses, things seemed to be about as fine as possible.

Then John went on a note for a man in Prescott.

I tried my best to keep him out of it, but, shucks! he just laughed at me.

You see, he was one of the best hearted men that ever lived--one of those men, you know, that just naturally believes in everybody.
"Well, it wound up after a-while by John losin' mighty nigh everything.
We managed to save the homestead, but practically all the stock had to go.