economy of his working moments, he succeeded in covering almost two
weeks in the labor of putting his house into order. His bedroom was
next to the barricade that separated the long stone excavation from
the bottomless abyss. Divided from the bedroom by an imaginary
line, was the store-room of provisions. The cans and boxes were
arranged along the floor with methodical exactitude. Different
varieties of fruit and preserves were interspersed in such fashion
that none was repeated until every variety had been passed.

"I begins with this can of peaches," said Willock, laying his finger
upon the beginning of the row--"then comes apples, pears, plums;
then peaches, apples, pears, plums; then peaches, apples, pears,
plums; then peaches--blest if I don't feel myself getting sick of
'em already.... And now my meats: bacon, ham. My breadstuffs:
loaves, crackers. My fillers: sardines, more sardines, more
sardines, likewise canned tomatoes. Let me see--is it too much to
say that I eats a can of preserves in two days? Maybe three. That
is, till I sickens. I begins with peach-day. This is Monday. Say
Thursday begins my apple-days. I judge I can worm myself down
through the list by this time next month. One thing I am sot on:
not to save nothing if I can bring my stomach to carry the burden
with a willing hand. I'll eat mild and calm, but steadfast. Brick
Willock he says, 'Better starve all at once, when there's nothing
left, than starve a little every day,' says Brick. 'When it's a
matter of agony,' says he, 'take the short cut.'"

In arranging his retreat, he had left undisturbed the wagon-tongue,
since removing it from the end of the floor for a more secure
barricade; it had stood with several of the sideboards against the
wall, as if Brick meditated using them for a special purpose. Such