A Farmer Called Valance 1

Working the land ain’t easy. The days are long, progress is slow and every new furrow brings more sweat and blisters. Some doubted me, I know, but I’m a changed man. Give me a sack of seeds and a field to plow, and I’m happy little sodbuster. Course that ain’t strictly true but if say it often enough, I might get to believe it. Leastways I’m trying hard. I just wish I didn’t have to break my back hauling buckets of water from the creek.

 

I got the mules from Ike Mason. Forty cents a day for the pair seemed fair, till I saw how much they ate. I never saw two mules get through so much feed, and staring at their back ends all day, well, ain’t no wonder I’ve named them April and JJ. Anyhow, while there’s daylight to spare, I’ve no time for jawing. I gotta get back to work.