"Then what ? " I demanded.

And I was informed that I was sent directly to
bed. " Call you at half after five in the mornin', an
you get up an take a sluice if there s any soap.
Then breakfast, same as supper, three parts o skilly
an a six-ounce loaf."

"Tisn t always six ounces," corrected the Carter.

"Tisn t, no; an often that sour you can arclly
eat it. When first I started I couldn t eat the
skilly nor the bread, but now I can eat my own an
another man s portion."

"I could eat three other men s portions," said the
Carter. " I aven t ad a bit this blessed day."

"Then what?"

"Then you ve got to do your task, pick four
pounds of oakum, or clean an scrub, or break ten
to eleven hundredweight o stones. I don t ave to
break stones; I m past sixty, you see. They ll
make you do it, though. You re young an strong."

"What I don t like," grumbled the Carter, " is to
be locked up in a cell to pick oakum. It s too
much like prison."

"But suppose, after you ve had your night s
sleep, you refuse to pick oakum, or break stones, or
do any work at all ? " I asked.

"No fear you ll refuse the second time; they ll
run you in," answered the Carpenter. " Wouldn t
advise you to try it on, my lad."

[[82]]

p081 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p082w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p083

v?