etty good in here," he said, and then surveying the room in
surprise added, "What on earth be you churnin' for? Ain't you got enough
t' do, child?"

Elizabeth stooped to gather Jack into her arms and made no reply.

"It's as hot as th' devil in here," Nathan said, taking his coat off.
"Here let me have a turn at that churn. You ought t' be in bed. That's
where Sue'd put you if she was here."

He took the dasher into his own hand and began a brave onslaught on the
over-sour cream. The butter gave signs of coming, but would not gather. He
churned, and the sweat of his brow had to be wiped frequently to keep it
from where he would literally have it to eat; it ran down inside his
prickly blue flannel shirt, it stood out on his hair, hands and arms like
dew on the morning grass, and the old man looked out to the wheezing
corn-sheller and envied the men working in the cool breeze where life and
courage could be sustained while one laboured.

"I wouldn't be a woman for fifty dollars a day," he announced with grim
conviction. "It'd make a devil out of anybody t' work in this hell-hole.
No wonder you're s' peeked, child."

* * * * *

John came back to the house almost immediately after leaving it to go to
work in the afternoon.

"You'll have to bake more pies, Elizabeth. The men have been put back by a
breakdown. They won't be able to get through before five or half-past," he
said, coming into the kitchen to investigate the larder.

"They can't?" Elizabeth exclaimed, longing for the rest she had planned to
get after the dinner work was finished.

"No. It's too bad, but it can't be helped. Now you get the oven going and
I'll come in and help you about beating the eggs. You'll have to make
custard pie, I guess, for there ain't enough fruit to make any more.
Hurry, and I'll be in in a few minutes."

"I'm not going to make any more pies to-day," Elizabeth replied.

"You'll have to. Men like pies better than anything you could put on the
table. How are you off for meat? Have you chicken enough left or shall I
bring up a ham?"

Elizabeth faced this second meal with a dread she could not have
expressed; she was so tired that she could scarcely stand; her back ached,
and there was a strange pain pulling at her vitals.

"I'll attend to the supper. Go right on out of here. I am not going to
bake any more pies. You crowded that churning on me this morning and you'd
make my work doub