504 



FOX-HOUND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE. 



selves half blinded by the spray they thus created, and, rushing 

 forward into the sea, with none of the advantages of a steep 

 place to tilt them over, found themselves face to face with the 

 floating platform at the boatside. Gladly they scrambled into 

 the dry sty awaiting them. All but one. He was a pig of 

 independent spirit. He would have been an agitator, but that 

 he had missed his opportunity, and his followers were now 

 safely confined to barracks. But he was still a wild, irrespon- 

 sible rover, pork O'Brien, bent upon opposing to the utmost the 

 tyrants armed with authority ; and, if he could not fight in 

 concert, he would fight alone. So with snort and squeal he 

 headed for land, dived between the legs of his nearest oppressor, 

 the latter, instinctively closing his legs to field him as he would 

 a cricket ball, being tumbled flat into the briny. Foam and 

 fury flew heavenward ; the other drover in no way mending 

 matters by laughing uproariously, while the little pig trotted 

 off for the landing-stage, grunting complacently as he went. 



But the fun was not nearly finished. He was soon overtaken, 

 but it was quite a different thing from getting him near the 

 boat again. For an hour he dodged his pursuers up and down 

 the beach, slipping round and between them even as they 



