such pleasure from the anticipation," Herzer said lightly. "But soon it will be all gone!" He picked up his spoon then set it back down and lifted the bowl to his lips, sucking down the mixture. There was a small, very small, piece of pork in the bowl and he worried that for a few moments then wiped out the bowl with his cornbread. When that was gone he was done.
He contemplated licking the bowl out but finally convinced himself not to. Instead he carried it over to the stack of dirty dishes and got a large dipper of water from a barrel.
"Herzer, here," Jody said, coming up behind him with a large bowl of cornmeal mush. Herzer could see some bits of mystery meat embedded in it.
"Hey!" Earnon shouted. "I didn't get any lunch, neither! Why the hell does he get extra?!"
"Because he didn't sit on his ass all afternoon," Jody answered to a chorus of chuckles. "If you don't have something to eat, you'll be useless in the morning. And you deserve it."
"Thank you," Herzer said, taking the bowl carefully. After a moment he shrugged and sucked it down just as fast as the beans.
Jody chuckled and set the bowl on the pile with the rest. "Don't worry about it; the cooks will clean up."
"Okay, folks, here's the deal," Jody said, striding over to where most of the cutting crew was finishing eating. "You can walk back to Raven's Mill or you can stay over on this side of the river. If you stay here, I'll show you some ways to make a shelter. Either way, breakfast is before dawn tomorrow. So if you stay over there you'd better get somebody to wake you up and walk back or you'll miss it."
"What's for breakfast?" Earnon asked. "And why can't we just eat over there?"
"Because you don't get chits for meals, yet," Jody said. "We're feeding you for your work. And this is where we're feeding you. Any other questions?"
"How do I get out of this chicken-shit outfit?" Cleo Ronson asked with a bitter laugh.
"Any time you want you can walk away," Jody said. "And if I hear enough complaints you will be out of this outfit. Any more questions?"
"Same thing on the agenda tomorrow?" Mike asked.
"Pretty much," Jody said. "We need to clear a large area by a couple of weeks from
He contemplated licking the bowl out but finally convinced himself not to. Instead he carried it over to the stack of dirty dishes and got a large dipper of water from a barrel.
"Herzer, here," Jody said, coming up behind him with a large bowl of cornmeal mush. Herzer could see some bits of mystery meat embedded in it.
"Hey!" Earnon shouted. "I didn't get any lunch, neither! Why the hell does he get extra?!"
"Because he didn't sit on his ass all afternoon," Jody answered to a chorus of chuckles. "If you don't have something to eat, you'll be useless in the morning. And you deserve it."
"Thank you," Herzer said, taking the bowl carefully. After a moment he shrugged and sucked it down just as fast as the beans.
Jody chuckled and set the bowl on the pile with the rest. "Don't worry about it; the cooks will clean up."
"Okay, folks, here's the deal," Jody said, striding over to where most of the cutting crew was finishing eating. "You can walk back to Raven's Mill or you can stay over on this side of the river. If you stay here, I'll show you some ways to make a shelter. Either way, breakfast is before dawn tomorrow. So if you stay over there you'd better get somebody to wake you up and walk back or you'll miss it."
"What's for breakfast?" Earnon asked. "And why can't we just eat over there?"
"Because you don't get chits for meals, yet," Jody said. "We're feeding you for your work. And this is where we're feeding you. Any other questions?"
"How do I get out of this chicken-shit outfit?" Cleo Ronson asked with a bitter laugh.
"Any time you want you can walk away," Jody said. "And if I hear enough complaints you will be out of this outfit. Any more questions?"
"Same thing on the agenda tomorrow?" Mike asked.
"Pretty much," Jody said. "We need to clear a large area by a couple of weeks from