River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-09-12

4 4
thing but run about at fairs, and earn
a sixpence where he could
!" What did you never hear of Da.
vid Gaur and the pig-tax !"
" No, infect
" Then you don't know half the
traditions OF your country. Wby.
Jones, |, whom half an Englishman'
and have followed the colors half over
the world, I'm better Welshman than
You are. Why, / thought everybody
knew about David Gaur and the pigs. =
+" Tell it to us, Captain tell MS the
story" '''o
+" You know" said the Captain. hem.
I ming and stroking his moustache
meditatively, "that David Gaur had
a peculiar gift. How he acquired it.
nobody ever knew it was said he was
taught it by old Morris Morris, who
lived TO be hundred and twenty. and
that Morris's father had it from tbe
fairies. But how ever he got it doesn't
matter he had it and as he never
impaired the secret, it died with him.
| offered him sovereign once to show
me how he did it, and swore most
solemnly I'd keep it profound secret.
But no. | wish I'd bid higher how
it would have been something to fall
back upon in ones old age-somethinp
that Lawyer Jones couldn't lay his
claw upon.
=" But what was it, Captain What
was the secret he had 4"
. 1t was the art of frighteningp pigs. y
sand the captain solemnly. "Ah, now
don't go away with the idea that that
that's nothing. don't mean stdrtliq0
EN- any fool with an umbrella car
cry Shoe shoe |" and do that. But
what | mean is downright frightening
them, injecting their very souls with
fear making them mad, so that theynl
Jump out of their very skins with ter.
ror. Now, you know. they're very
imaginative beasts are, pigs, and Mt the
same time they're very cunning
They're not to be taken in and if Won
were to make all the horrible noises
You could put your tongue to, they'd
quietly whisk their tails and cock their
eyes, and think you a fool for your
pains. But this was how David went
to work. You know that Penlyn Nav
fair is tremendous fair for pigs. They
all come IRON the north side of the
county, aud must cross the bridge over
the Dulas to get there at all, and when
they're crossed the river there's a long
straight piece of road, with grass on
each side of it, and high stone walls
beyond the grass. Well, here it was
David would take his stand. or seat
rather, for he squatted himself down
IN the grass, and then he made himself
a round hole, like basin a foot deep.
at the side OF the road ; and there he'd |
sit from early daylight collecting his
tax on the pigs. III there were less
than ten he charged penny, and so
on, penny for every half.score That
was Daylds tax and a very good tax
gathered he made. He wasn't always /
altering it, moving it up and pulling it
down but be put on reasonable fig I
ure, and stuck to it,"
But suppose the people wouldn't
pay it,"
That's just what they made mn
their minds to, one fair-day. The |
principal pig proprietors held meet. /
ing ON Llanfer Green, and came to |
resolution that they wouldn't pay Da-
vid Gqur any more. You see, his re-
| putatlon was traditional only they'd
zone of them seen his powers exer-
clsei {; and these modern views of
yours, Jones, had got into their heads. |
| suppose. Anyhow, thay came to the
reolution, and stuck to it, with fear
an, trembling. Everybody remarked
nos beautifully the pigs marched that
| dg from Llanfer Green. There was
rood body of them together, and
You'd have expected they'd have given
some trouble but no, they walked as
orcerly MS so many Christians, as if
they'll made up their minds to show
hog pigs could behave for once. Well. |
/ the bridge was crossed, and the adj |
vaice guard of pigs came in front of
/ Daid's redoubt-the hole he'd dug in |
the ground David held out his hat. /
as Usual, for the toll. The master of
the pigs shook his head. Dim tdlly. !
Nopay to-day for pig. David under
stOd the thing in a moment, saw
Though the plan of the revolt. Down
wet his head into tine hole. Gentle. /
men, it's impossible to describe
nose. III you can imagine the most
AA'bulttA yin IA AdtAAts anu ilcn MAKE
it wioc as bad, you'll have faint idea
of he roar that came out Of the hole /
III ihe ground
Where were the pigsl You must
i Imagine whirlwind of pigs, simeon
Of pigs, a tornado of pigs Little .
pigs, big pigs, blue pigs, white pigs,
! fling about like skyrockets in every I
direction. Tnoy flew over the stone 1
wills, they dashed over the parpet of I
tle bridge away they went away
east, west, north, south. In few mo- /
ments the country about for miles was
spotted with flying pigs And their
masters, David and Morris, and Rich /
ard and John, and all the rest of them,
where were they Flying, too, across
the country bursting out their best T
trousers, barking their shins, aud spoil .
ing their CATERS over the stone walls. 1
And what was the use of it Did You
ever try to catch couple Of hundred .
mad pigs careering across the country .
The fair was pretty near a failure, .
can tell you. Only the few people .
who'd stopped behind, and paid David
his toll, and brought their pigs in