uch; "we c-came to sell our
p-p-p-pigs."

"And we can't," put in Gabriel rather mournfully from his basket.

The squire's eyes twinkled, though his face was perfectly grave.

"Pigs, eh?" he said. "Whose pigs are they?"

"Our pigs," said Gabriel; "and if we sell them, we've got a plan."

The squire stood planted squarely in front of them with his hands in his
pockets, looking down at the serious little figures without speaking.

"Tiring work marketing, eh?" he said at last.

"G-Gabriel _is_ a little tired," replied Roger glancing at his younger
brother, whose face was white with fatigue.

"Well, now," continued Squire Dale, "it's an odd thing, but I just
happened to be walking through the market to see if I could find some
likely pigs for myself. But," with a glance at the dusky occupants of
the pen, "they _must_ be black."

Gabriel forgot that he was tired.

"They're beautiful black pigs," he cried, jumping up eagerly, "as black
as they can be. Berkshire pigs. Look at them."

So the squire looked at them; and not only looked at them, but asked the
price and bought them, putting the money into a very large
weather-beaten purse of Roger's; and presently the two happy boys were
seated opposite to him in the parlour of the "Blue Boar" enjoying a
substantial tea.

With renewed spirits they chatted away to their kind host, whose jolly
brown face beamed with interest and good-humour as he listened. At last
Gabriel put down his tea-cup with a deep-drawn sigh of contentment, and
said to his brother mysteriously:

"Shall we tell about the plan?"

Roger nodded. He could not speak just then, for he was in the act of
taking a large mouthful of bread and jam.

"Shall I tell it," said Gabriel, "or you?"

"You," said Roger huskily.

"You see," began Gabriel, turning to the squire confidentially, "it is a
coperative plan."

"A what?" interrupted the squire.

"That's not the right word," said Roger; "he means co-co-co--"

"Oh yes, I know, co-operative. Isn't that it?"

"Yes, that's it, of course," continued Gabriel, speaking very quickly
for fear that Roger should take the matter out of his hands. "We're
going to put our money together, and Ben is going to put some money in
too, and then we shall buy a pig; and when it has a litter we shall sell
them, and perhaps buy a calf, and so we shall get some live stock, and
have a farm, and share the profits."

Gabriel sat very upright while he spoke, with a de