red a reserve supply which was cached during the week and secretly
enjoyed on fast day. Fish were plentiful in all the streams and they
sometimes sneaked away to the river and after enjoying the sport, cooked
their catch on the banks of the stream.

Groups of ministers--30 to 40--then traveled from one plantation to
another spreading the gospel, and were entertained as they traveled. On
one occasion the group arrived at the Cody estate on fast day. The boys
having been on one of their secret fishing trips had caught so many
perch that they were not able to consume them on the banks, so had
smuggled them to the kitchen, coaxed the cook to promise to prepare
them, and had also sworn her to absolute secrecy regarding their origin.
Although the kitchen was not directly connected with the "big house",
the guests soon detected the aroma of fresh fish and requested that
they be allowed to partake of this delicacy. When the boys, as well as
the servants, heard this, they became panicky for they feared the wrath
of the master. But the catch was so heartily relished that instead of
the expected punishment, they were commended and allowed to fish on the
next day of fasting.

As was characteristic of many others, the planter's home was near the
center of a vast estate and in this instance had a tall lookout on the
roof from which the watchman might see for miles around. The "quarters"
were nearby and the care-free children who played in the large yard were
closely watched as they were often stolen by speculators and later sold
at auctions far away. The land was divided into many fields each of
which was used to cultivate a particular product. Each field had its
special crew and overseer.

Cody's father was [HW: one of the] feeders [HW: who] arose at least two
hours before sunrise, to feed the stock. A large number of horses and
more than two hundred head of cattle had to be fed by sunrise when they
were to be turned into the pastures or driven to the field to begin the
day's work. After sunrise, his father's duty [HW: as] foreman for
plowers began. Other workers were hoe hands, additional foremen, cooks,
weavers, spinners, seamstresses, tailors, shoemakers, etc. As everything
used was grown and made on the estate there was plenty of work for all
and in many instances [HW: slaves] learned trades which they liked and
which furnished a livelihood when they were set free.

[HW: When he entered his teens] Cody's first duties began [H