Pete walked over to the bucket of water, grabbed the ladle and took a big swig to rinse out his mouth. “ Why didn’t you stop me? That stuff is nasty! When will the real food be ready; I’m starved!”

  Earl said, “It is yore turn to cook, Petey. What are you cookin tonite?”

  “I ain’t cookin nothin. That’s women folks’ work.” Pete was quick to reply.

  “Well, I guess we will have to go without tonight. Carl and I are goin to be too busy tannin the animals’ hides to cook. You probably need to get yore meat cut up and hung in the tree afore some critter comes to eat it. And if you want to take home the deerskin to Donna, you’d best be tannin yore hide too!” Earl told him.

  Pete walked off murmuring to hisself, “This ain’t goin the way this trip was supposed to. They ain’t helpin with the still and they want me to do women’s work. Why, if it wasn’t fur that mash soakin, I would just go home. I can just taste that fine shine! Lordy, I’m so hungry. Ok, I kin cook this once. Gotta keep up my energy, sose I have energy to make the shine.” He wandered back and said, “I reckon I kin help out this time. What should I cook?”

  Carl said, “How about some of that deer you shot this morning? We got some green beans you kin warm up too and some potatoes you kin put in the fire. The potatoes will taste fine with the butter we brought.”

  “That deer is to take home to Donna. Besides, I ain't cut it up yet. How about some of yore meat. You hunted twice and have a lot more meat than I do,“ Pete explained.

  Earl rolled his eyes and looked over at Carl. “I’m about ready to cut this huntin trip short. How would you feel about one more trip down to the pond and then after wrappin things up, we head home tomorrow evening? “

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  “I say yes! I can’t take much more of Pete’s selfishness,” Carl replied.

  Pete had walked inside the cabin while they were talking. Carl went after him and found him sawing logs. He went back outside, disgusted. “Pa, can we leave tonight after gettin the skins finished? That man is hopeless!”

  Earl talked Carl into waiting till morning. Carl got the water on early for coffee and oatmeal. He heard his stomach rumbling loud enough to wake the dead! He went over to the food box and said, “Where’s the oats?”

  Pete came out of the cabin and stretched real big. “When’s breakfast? I’m hungry enough to eat a horse!”

  Carl asked, “Pete, do you know where the oats are? I’m fixin breakfast, but can’t find the food!!”

  “Oh, you were goin to cook them oats? I done hauled them up to the still and patched the holes with it. It’s goin to make a fine still,” Pete confessed.

  Carl was so mad he could’ve spit nails! “You lazy good-fur-nuthin excuse fur a man! Do you ever think of anyone but yourself? You are stayin at the house we built, eatin the food we hunted and cooked, you rode in our car and so far you have stayed at Donna’s house DRUNK on the moonshine we made! I’ve had it with you! Pa, let’s go home and eat with Ma! I’ll load up the meat; you put the skins under the lean-to so they don’t get wet.

  “Wait, you are leaving? What about me? I gotta run the still,” Pete whined.

  Earl said, “Pete we are leaving fur home. You can ride with us to Donna’s house or you kin stay here. It’s yore decision. And by the way, that oatmeal mixture is good for seams, but for big patchin up, it’s not likely to hold and you are goin to have a big explosion.”

  “But Earl, It’s gonna take me a week or so. You gotta stay and help me,” Pete said.

  “That’s where you are wrong, Petey-boy. Climb in Carl. Are you comin, Petey?” Earl asked.

  “No, I am stayin right here, Earl,” Pete stubbornly said.

  “Suit yourself,“ Earl said and they drove off, leavin Petey with his mouth hangin open!