Nightly she debated with Melanie the

advisability of sending Pork abroad onthe horse with some greenbacks to try to buy food. But the fear that the horse might be capturedand the money taken from Pork

deterred them. They did not know where the Yankees were. Theymight be a thousand miles away or only across the river. Once, Scarlett, in desperation, started toride

out herself to search for food, but the hysterical outbursts of the whole family fearful of theYankees made her abandon the plan.
Pork foraged far, at times not coming home all night, and Scarlett did not ask him where hewent. Sometimes he returned with game, sometimes with a few ears of corn,

a bag of dried peas.
Once he brought home a rooster which he said he found in the woods. The family ate it with relishbut a sense of guilt, knowing very well Pork had stolen it, as he

had stolen the peas and corn. One night soon after this, he tapped on Scarlett’s door long after the house was asleep and sheepishlyexhibited a leg peppered with

small shot. As she bandaged it for him, he explained to get into a hen coop at Fayetteville, he had been discovered. Scarlett did not

askwhose hen coop but patted Pork’s shoulder gently, tears in her eyes. Negroes were provokingsometimes and stupid and lazy, but there was loyalty in them that

money couldn’t buy, a feeling ofoneness with their white folks which made them risk their lives to keep food on the table.
In other days Pork’s pilferings would a police shieldcould hold me upside down and drainmy gutschange your mind have been serious matter, probably calling for a whipping.Inotherdaysshewouldhavebeenforcedatl(a) east to reprimand him

severely. “Alwaysremember, dear,” Ellen had said, “you are responsible for the moral as well as the physical welfareof the darkies God has entrusted to your care.

You must realize that they are like children and mustbe guarded from themselves like children, and you must always set them a good example.”
But now, Scarlett pushed that admonition into the back of her mind. That she was encouragingtheft, and perhaps theft from people worse off than she, was no longer a

matter for conscience. Infact the morals of the affair weighed lightly upon her. Instead of punishment or reproof, she onlyregretted he had been shot.
“You must be more careful, Pork. We don’t want to lose you. What would we do without you?
You’ve been mighty good and faithful and when we get some money again, I’m going to buy you abig gold watch and engrave on it something out of the Bible. ‘Well

done, good and faithfulservant.’ ”