noon
His back ached and ached . No matter . He had chosen , and he would show them he had a man 's spirit inside a boy 's breast . At noon the ache had worn away and he felt a sense of joy in conquering the pain . He ate his dinner in silence and wondered what Polly was thinking about at school . Girl-like , she had cried and begged him to go back . With a cheerful wave of his hand to his mother , he returned to the field before the negroes , strapped the bag on his shoulder and bent again to his task .