300 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



the sole sustenance of half a loaf of bread given 

 him by my brother. That he was really half 

 starved his phenomenal increase in size within the 

 conditions of peace and plenty which fell to his 

 lot proved indisputably. It was the day of Pearl 

 Mazey's weekly visit, and we gave him the best 

 meal we could collect, and Pearl said that never 

 within all the years of her recollection of the annual 

 visit of threshers had she seen a man so hungry. 

 I sent for my neighbour, who was looking for a 

 man who could cook and look after the house, and 

 who could be left in full charge during his occasional 

 absence. 



" Adam can work splendidly, as we both know," 

 I said, " but his cooking would be dire, and I don't 

 think it would be wise to leave him. This man 

 looks sensible and comes off a bad time. Why not 

 give him a trial ? " 



" Si Booth is round doing some more breaking," 

 he said, " and it's a cook and house-help I am 

 wanting. It takes a great deal too much of my 

 time. I'll give him a month's trial." 



So Thomas departed in my neighbour's wake 

 engaged as hired man at twenty dollars a month. 



Such numbers came off the trail to call on me 

 after this that I left off meals and gave advice 

 instead ; and also I began to make pointed inquiries 

 as to how much of their contract for fare they had 

 settled before deserting their post, and not in one 

 single case did I find that the game had been played 

 out to the end. 



In defence they pleaded that the hardships had 

 been unbearable : irregular work, poor food. But 

 in their eyes the cruellest wrong of all was the 



