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Chapter 10
Wateraboutready?"
"Jus’about,"saidMa.
"Awright.Noah,youan’Toman’Alcomealong.I’llcarrythelight.We’llslaughterdowntherean’bring’emuphere."
Noahtookhisknife,andAltheax,andthefourmenmoveddownonthesty,theirlegsflickeringinthelanternlight.RuthieandWinfieldskitteredalong,hoppingovertheground.AtthestyPaleanedoverthefenceholdingthelantern.Thesleepyyoungpigsstruggledtotheirfeet,gruntingsuspiciously.UncleJohnandthepreacherwalkeddowntohelp.
"Allright,"saidPa."Stick’em,an’we’llrun’emupandbleedan’scaldatthehouse."NoahandTomsteppedoverthefence.Theyslaughteredquicklyandefficiently.Tomstrucktwicewiththebluntheadoftheax;andNoah,leaningoverthefelledpigs,foundthegreatarterywithhiscurvingknifeandreleasedthepulsingstreamsofblood.Thenoverthefencewiththesquealingpigs.ThepreacherandUncleJohndraggedonebythehindlegs,andTomandNoahtheother.Pawalkedalongwiththelantern,andtheblackbloodmadetwotrailsinthedust.
Atthehouse,Noahslippedhisknifebetweentendonandboneofthehindlegs;thepointedsticksheldthelegsapart,andthecarcasseswerehungfromthetwo-by-fourraftersthatstuckoutfromthehouse.Thenthemencarriedtheboilingwaterandpoureditovertheblackbodies.Noahslitthebodiesfromendtoendanddroppedtheentrailsoutontheground.
