I BUY MY PIGS 17 



tidy 's a barn-loft, but that don't make any differ, 

 ye can't keep pigs in the compact part of the 

 taown, leastwise not 's long es we fellers is on the 

 Board." 



"Why, damn it all, gentlemen, do you seri- 

 ously mean to forbid me from keeping pigs by 

 calling up a law that is only made to regulate 

 abuses, like the five-miles-an-hour law, and fifty 

 other such laws that I could name ?" I de- 

 manded, with pardonable heat, but highly ques- 

 tionable emphasis. 



"That 's the law, squire, and this is the abuse 

 it's made to regilate, an' we're here to regilate it. 

 Naow what yer goin' tew dew 'baout it?" 



I reflected a moment. They were right, such 

 was the law, and I certainly ought to be the first to 

 recognize their right to enforce it, although it was 

 an extreme view to take of it, and sorely disap- 

 pointing after my earnest and well-meant efforts 

 to benefit and improve the art of keeping pigs. 



" Well, gentlemen," I replied at length, "I con- 

 sider that you are taking an extreme view of 

 the law, but I shall yield. The pigs will go to- 

 night, that is, if you gentlemen will be good enough 

 to give me until then to get rid of them." 



"All right, squire," replied the chairman 

 cheerfully. " Ye can have 'til to-morrer mawnin', 

 and if ye '11 sell 'em right, I'll buy 'em," he con- 

 tinued, eyeing me with a business air. 



