"They seemed to be the best I could do without money.

I located the maple and the black walnut myself, in a little corner that had been overlooked between the river and the ditch.
They didn't seem to belong to any one so I just took them.

Uncle Wesley said it was all right, and he cut and hauled them for me.

I gave the mill half of each tree for sawing and curing the remainder.

Then I gave the wood-carver half of that for making my frames.