Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-08-27

that-that Portland cement" says he.
Give me some" he says, holding a
half dollar to the Teller behind the oil
cloth counter. The man chiseled off
enough for fairs sized tombstone and
handed 1t out. Hartley passed It to
the boy He bit of hunk that made
him look lilko he had the humps all
on one side, and commenced to
crunch It.
There" says I. That's proof
enough, amt it?"
But he want satisfied. Wait a
minute" says he. II want to see what
II does to him"
Well, II didn't do nothing. apparent
ly. except to make the little shavers
Jaws sound like rock crusher. so we
went on. BY and by we como to the
fence alongside Of the place where
they had the races. The sack race
was on, half dozen fellers hopping
around tied up in meal bags, and we
see that. Then Hartley was for going
home again. but | managed to hold
him. The creased pig was the next
number on the dance order and l
wanted TO sec II.
Maj. Philander phinney. he's chair
man Of the F,astwich sclectmcn and
pretty nigh half "a big as he thinks
he is; he stood on tlp.tOe on the
judges stand and bellered that the
creased pig contest was open to boys
'.ot hn hot ropuNt
the pig and hung on to II would get
five dollars. In less than three shakes
OF O herring's mind leg there was boys
enough on that field to start q reform
school. They ranged all the way from
little chaps who ought TO have been
home cutting their milk teeth to
"noys" that had yellow fuzz on their
chins and a plug of chewing tobacco
In their pants pocket. They fetched
in the pig shut up In box with laths
over the TOP. lie Was little and black
and ell shining with grease. Then
they stretched rope across one end
of the race field and lined mp the pig
chasers behind It.
Hello" says Hartley, there's our
Portland cement youngster. He'll
never run with that marble quarry In
side OF him
Sure enough. there was the boy that
had tackled the candy | could see
his red head blazing Ike lightning
bug ALONGSIDE OF six.foot infant with
overalls and promising crop Of side
tel, ko
s:arter-lssachar Tiddit. 'twas-ho
opens the lid to the pig box and hol-
lers Co"
The lire dropped That little lone
pig see 20 ode pair Of hands shooting
towards him. and he fetched yell
like a tugboat whistle and put down
the field, with the whole crew behind
him. The crowd got on tiptoe and
stretched their necks TO see. Every
body hollcrch and hurrahed aud "haw
hawed."
Now I've been calling the place
where they haG the races and so on
q field. Well, want really a field, but
Just part Of the course where they had
trotting matches on cattle show days
There was fence on each side of It
and across the ends Of the section
they was using there was ropes
stretched. Back Of the fences was the
crowd on foot, and back Of the ropes
was mere of EN-, but behind these
ropes likewise was lots OF horses and
wagons and carry-alls and such. Ever
wagon was piled full of people. and
amongst EN- | could see the Barry
coach. with the four gray steppers
prancing up and down In front of II
and old Commodore Barry and his son
on the front scat, with the women
folks behind.
Well. when that pig started he
made a straight course fer the lower
end Of the field, but the sight of the
horses and all scared him, ! guess, and
he jibed and back he come again. Halt
q dozen Of the p!g-chascrs--them that
was nearest to him when he come
up In a heap. squirming like an eel
pot. They got up in jiffy and
started over again. meeting the gang
that was coming back on the second
lap.
BY the time that pig had made
three laps round that course he was
candidate for the hogs Mnatic asy
lum. Twice he'd been grabbed, once
by the ears and once by a leg, but his
liveliness and the grease had got him
clear. About half the boys had given
up the job, and was making for harbor
behind the fence, covered with sand
and grease, they was, and red and
ashamed. The crowd was pretty nigh
as crazy az the pig, only with Joy
Even Hartley vas laughing out loud
first time Id ever heard him.
That little chap with the rcd hair
had been right up with the mourners
TIL the third round; then he was stood
on his head in the scufle and left be-
hind down by the ropes In front OF
whore the 8arrys was. The rest OF
the chasers were scattered around the
other end Of the field, with the pig do
ing the grand right and left in and
out amongst their legs. One OF the
boys-that big lanky one whose
checks needed mow!ns-made a flying
Jump and dove head tlrst right on top
of the critters shiny black back. In
shake he was the underpinning. so
to speak, of sort Of monument of
boys, all lighting like dogs over a
woodchuck.
Next thing knew the pig shot out
from underneath the pile same as II
he's been fired out Of a cannon. He