us, and she a
Plymouth Rock."

"Isn't it Plymouth Sister?"

"Maybe; but I think there's a rock in it somewhere. Anyway we agreed when
we married to keep our purses in the same drawer, and mine's bulging."

"You are a brave man, Uncle Billy. What about the day she will want to see
your pigs?"

"A thought that wakes me at night. We keep 'em out in the country, I'd have
you know. There, why take a fence before you come to it? There'll be wisdom
given."

Apparently there was, but the address from which the wisdom came was
indistinct.

"Willum," said Mrs. Pugsley one day, "to-morrow I'm coming to see they pigs
of yours; bless their fat sides!"

"You shall, my tender dear," said Uncle Billy. "Yes, to-morrow noon you'll
see the blessed things."

Almost at dawn he presented himself at Farmer Dodge's and astonished that
good man by asking to be allowed to hire a few pigs for the day.

Farmer Dodge scratched his head.

"Well, I've been asked to loan out most things in my time, but never pigs
before. Where be taking them?"

"Home."

"That's a matter of better than two miles. Have 'ee thought of the wear and
tear and the loss of good lard? No, Uncle Billy, I won't fly against the
will of Heaven. If pigs had been meant to go for walks they'd have had legs
according. Their legs hain't for walking; they'm for hams."

Uncle Billy drew near and explained. Farmer Dodge grinned.

"To do down your missus? Well, I like a jest as well as any, and to put
females in their place is meat and taties to me; but 'tis a luxury, and
luxury is what you like but can do without."

In the end Uncle Billy drove a bargain by which he secured the use of six
pigs for a few hours and paid three shillings per pig. For three-and-six he
also hired the help of a boy to drive them; as he remarked, he could have
had more than another pig for that money, but it would be warm work for him
alone.

The inhabitants of the houses on the terrace of the little sea-side town
where the Pugsleys lived were thrilled at noon by the arrival of a small
herd of swine. The animals looked rather tired but settled down contentedly
in the front-garden of No. 3.

Mrs. Pugsley, hearing their voices, came to the door.

"Why, Willum, I was just making ready to come out with you to go and see
them."

"My tender dear," he said with emotion, "would I let you be taken miles in
this heat to see the finest pigs ever littered? No. 'Tis not for my wife to
go to see pigs,