"This is the way."

"And this is the way you make hams, sugar-cured hams?"

"This is the way."

"And this is the way you make--shoulders?"

"This is the way."

David had found an answer, and he was going to abide by it while
strength and daylight lasted.

The young lady seemed to perceive that this was his intention.

"Let me see you HANG one," she said desperately. "I have never seen
bacon hanged--or hung. I suppose as I teach grammar, I must use
both participles."

David caught up the huge middling by the string and swung it around
in front of him, whereupon it slipped out of his nerveless fingers
and fell over in the ashes. It did not break the middling, but it
broke the ice.

"Can I help you?"

Those torturing, blistering words! David's face got as red as
though it had been rubbed with red pepper and saltpetre both. The
flame of it seemed to kindle some faint spark of spirit in him. He