and pepper, sugar, a piece of fat salt pork and two table knives
and forks.

He raked a smooth bed in the glowing coals, sliced the pork thin,
laid some slices in the pan and set that upon the coals, where
the pork began to sputter almost at once.

The water in the kettle was boiling and he made the coffee. Then
he laid the trout upon the pan with three slices of pork upon
each, and sat back upon his haunches beside Henry enjoying the
delicious odor in anticipation of the more solid delights of
breakfast.

They had hard crackers and with these, and drinking the coffee
from the kettle itself, when it was cool enough, the two boys
feasted like monarchs.

"By Jo!" exclaimed Henry. "This beats maw's soda biscuit and fat
meat gravy!"

But as he ate, Hiram's gaze traveled again and again across
the scrub-grown meadow. The lay of the land pleased him.
The richness of the soil had been revealed when they dug the
earthworm.

For thousands of years the riches of yonder hillside had been
washing down upon the bottom, and this alluvial was rich beyond
computation.

Here were several acres, the young farmer knew, which, however