Read the excerpt from The Land. Willie Thomas hauled off and slapped Mitchell across the face with the back of his hand. "Don't ya get smart wit' me!" Mitchell turned his head at the impact, but he didn't fall back. It was as if he had already braced himself for the attack. "You done had somethin' t' do wit' this here stallion bein' cut up, I knows it!" Willie raved on. "You had somethin' t' do wit' it, I gets the blame, and I lose my good job! Tell me what ya done!"