The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-12

parted and let the pig into the field, and
thence a wide swath in the ripening grain
lay on the other side, into which he
escaped. There he defied all search to
discover him, traitorously lying low, and
casting gloom abroad that even the bombs
bursting in air and the rockets red glare
which gave proof in the evening that the
celebration was still there did not serve to
dispel.
"'The second day after the unpatriotic
pig had shown his heels to the disappointed
village. an unsuspecting shepherd was
driving a flock Of sheep along road two
miles from town, when loud snort startled
him, and from puddle AT the roadside
pig jumped suddenly into view and as sud
denly rushed out of view again into the
woods. The snort and the appearance OF
the pig stampeded the sheep: The leader
of the flock turned and leaped over fence
into wheat field and after the leader
vauted all the rest, as matter Of course.
"They left the field an almost barren
waste. Then the scampering sheep leaped
the fence on the other side. and moved down
an adjoining field of corn in their course
At the further end of the cornfeld they
stopped, and when the painting shepherd
had come UP with them and succ eeded
in rounding them up he could not help
but note that they had surely anticipated
the owner Of the wheat and corn in the har-
vesting Of a good share of his crops.
The news Of this disastrous appearance
Of the recalcitrant shoat started up the
hunt for him again. but. like Hamilcar
Of Carthage pursued by the Barbarian
hosts when the hunters thought they had
him they hadn't, and the next thing they
knew he would be heard Of somewhere
else, feasting in a cornfied here, and in
a garden patch there, until he came to be
looked upon as an evil compared with which
the dry rot, the weevil. the potato bug,
drought and the tax collector were but
trifles
Certain pessimistic tillers OF the soil
prophesied famine unless that porcine
outlaw could be run down without delay.
And SO il went on until the middle Of the
following month, when, the shoat having
been heard from as levying tribute on
the products of farm In the northern
part of the town. force. estimated at
seventy men, marched out, determined
on either capturing the devastating pig or
driving him to some other bailiwlck On
that day either success had made the pig
overconfident, or the corn on the farm
where he was reported to be foraginG
was part icularly succulent and TO his taste,
for the hunters surprised him at his feast.
They came upon him while he fed. he
broke for cover. His pursuers scattered
in all directions to head him on, from the
manner in which he made his way through
and over fences and, when surrounded.
broke through the ranks OF his eager plr-
suers. il seemed to them that he was one
of that ancient herd that once upon Time
ran down into the sea, and that ne was
still possessed of his share Of the Individual
who prompted them TO their undoing.
The hunters might have slain the Pig
but his owner needed him for the fall killing,
and they respected the owners needs;
notwithstanding their extremity Around
and across five large farms the chase con,
linued until at last the shoat was cornered
and he turned at bay One venturesome
Young farmer, Job Staner by name, sprang
upon him. Job shouldn't have done 1t,
for the pig fought like fury and in mar
velously quick time the rash husbandman
was as completely bereft Of clothing as was
AT one time that pioneer in agriculture inc
original Adam. 49,.
But might at last prevailed ana the
lonp-defianf and tradition busting Porker
was overpowered, bound and carted BACK
10 his sty from which he had emerged
Ave weeks before TO become a perpetuator
Of memories. n patriotic mission which
supine posterity had permitted him 10
scorn. although there was " IN hin' ne
sides a pot Of money up in bets
$50 we took a vote right there ana tnen,
said nv fellow citizen, who told me tnIS,
that when we celebrated the ever
and never to-be-forgotten birthday OF
American independence after that we
would sacrifice ourselves so far as to leave
the 9reased pig out OF the programme.
So We amt going TO have no greaeed pig
no more, John, said he,
.pisappointedP Well, rather! And will