.. in the morning one of them was dead and the other two were
foundered....
* * * * *
The cramps bothered me no more.
The boss came up to me and slapped me on the back.
"--thought you'd sag under," but, putting his hand on my back, "you've
got powerful back muscles, though your arms and legs are like beanpoles
... a fellow never can tell about a man, till he's tried out."
* * * * *
After nearly a month of the work, Bonton began acting glum toward me....
"Gregory, I'm going to pay you off to-day!"
"--pay me off to-day?"
"Yes."
"What's the matter? ain't I working hard enough?"
"I've no fault to find with your work ... you're a better worker than
most of the men ... in fact they complain that you set too hard a pace
at the separator....
"But you argue too much ... keep the men up o' nights debating about
things they never even considered before. And it upsets them so, what
with the arguing and the sleep they lose, that they ain't up to the
notch, next day.
"No, that's the only fault I have to find in you," he continued, as he
counted out sixty dollars into my hand ... "but," and he walked with me,
disquieted to the road, "but if you'll wait around till this afternoon,
I'll drive you back to town."
"No. It's not over ten miles. I'll walk."
I was glad to be paid off.
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