One day, still on the road to Mississippi, the wagon slushed through a muddy swamp. The boys, who were walking in chains behind the wagon, thought it would be nice to walk through water to cool of their burning, bruised and bleeding legs. Since it was very muddy, it was not so refreshing. They were forced to walk slower than usual as a cause of the mud. Lester tugged at the dragging boys. Helping them was hard enough without his own pain. The fat man didn't appreciate the lagging of Sam and Adam. He slashed them in the back with his whip.