Page:While the Billy Boils, 1913.djvu/257

 side as well as the men's. I suppose I can get a bit of rations?'

'Ye―yes. (Shortly)―Wot d'yer want?'

' Well, let's see; we want a bit of meat and flour―I think that's all. Got enough tea and sugar to carry us on.'

'All right. Cook! have you got any meat?'

'No!'

To Mitchell: 'Can you kill a sheep?'

'Rather!'

To the cook: 'Give this man a cloth and knife and steel, and let him go up to the yard and kill a sheep? (To Mitchell): 'You can take a fore-quarter and get a bit of flour.'

Half-an-hour later Mitchell came back with the carcase wrapped in the cloth.

'Here yer are; here's your sheep,' he said to the cook.

'That's all right; hang it in there. Did you take a fore-quarter?'

'No.'

'Well, why didn't you? The boss told you to.'

'I didn't want a fore-quarter. I don't like it. I took a hind-quarter.'

So he had.

The cook scratched his head; he seemed to have nothing to say. He thought about trying to think, perhaps, but gave it best. It was too hot and he was out of practice.

'Here, fill these up, will you,' said Mitchell, 'that's the tea-bag, and that's the sugar-bag, and that's the flour-bag.'