It was level as a floor with a slight rise in one corner, and on it were five or six settlers.

Here fortune favored me, for here I found a man whom I knew, who once lived in Michigan, and was one of our neighbors there for some time.

His name was Nelson Cornish.

I rested here a few days, and made a bargain to work for him two or three days every week for my board as long as I wished to stay.

As I got acquainted I found some work to do and many of my leisure hours I spent in the woods with my gun, killing some deer, some of the meat of which I sold.