WILD SWINE 



kitchen. Calling the maid, I asked her if she would take 

 charge of this little outcast, telling her, at the same time, 

 if she treated him kindly and kept him alive for one month 

 I would give her a sovereign. 



"The girl, pleased at the offer, took poor 'Dick,' for 

 that was at once his adopted name, and placed him in a 

 basket with a warm blanket near the fire. All went well 

 with ' Dick ' from this moment. Warm food and dainty 

 morsels were ' Dick's ' frequent allowance. 



" He was soon allowed to walk about the house, and, un- 

 like most other swine, was the cleanest of animals. , Few 

 dogs or cats could equal him in cleanliness in the house, 

 and thus ' Dick ' became a universal favourite ; he, after a 

 while, made his appearance regularly in the dining-room 

 at dinner-time and had a plate to himself before the fire. 

 He was the most good-tempered and well-behaved 

 creature that can be imagined. His playfulness would 

 sometimes frighten strangers, and as he increased rapidly 

 in size he found it difiicult to run under the chairs, and 

 these he now and then turned over in his endeavour to 

 rub his back or sides against them. In the early morning, 

 before the Gardens were open to the public, ' Dick ' would 

 follow me on my rounds like a pet dog, stopping oc- 

 casionally to grub up with his snout a few earthworms, of 

 which he was very fond, and while so engaged he would 

 lose sight of me, but the moment he did so he would rush 

 off like a mad fellow until he overtook me ; he always 

 seemed to be in fear of being left behind. 



" He was very fond of being played with, and a birch- 

 broom afforded him great sport. When held to him he 

 would charge at it with his tusks, small as they were at 

 the time, and spin round in a most extraordinary way, 

 dashing off to some distance, then returning to the 

 charge. 



117 



