30 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



a number of applicants secured one man. Sam 

 Jones was a sturdy-looking fellow of middle age, 

 with a suspiciously red nose. He had been bred 

 on a farm, had learned the carpenter's trade, and 

 was especially good at taking care of chickens. 

 His ambition was to own and run a chicken 

 plant. I hired him on the same terms as the 

 others, but with misgivings on account of the 

 florid nose. This was on the 19th or 20th of 

 July, and there were still ten days before I could 

 enter into possession. The men were told to 

 report for duty the last day of the month. 



