Book excerpt: This story is based on stories that were passed down from my grandpa Leonard aBilla Slone to my mom and her sisters and brothers and later passed on to me and my brothers. I always felt it was a story that needed to be told. As a child I found them to be exciting and adventurous. As an adult I later came to realize what tremendous hurdles my grandpa overcame to become the strong and loving adult he later became. While telling his stories he would remind his children that he was not proud of some of the things he did. He had a wild streak that showed through even after he had settled down and started his family. However, in the end he was one of the most loving husbands and fathers you could ever ask a man to be.