The girls, who were nearest the end of the lake, watched Patrick and the old hog in amazement. The boys came down from the far end with a chorus of yells and laughter.
For the Irishman, leaping up with his feet apart, descended on the back of the charging animal, with his face toward her tail!
The porker grunted her displeasure, and Patrick did some grunting, too; but he was not easily scared—nor would he be shaken off. He locked his arms tightly around the animal’s body and hugged her neck with his legs, so that she could not bite him.
The creature kept up a deafening squealing, while out of the bush rushed Dandy, the farmer’s dog. The boys came sweeping in from the lake to join in the sport—sport to everybody but the pig and Patrick! But Dandy got into the scrimmage first.
True to his instinct, the dog attempted to seize the hog by the ear, but miscalculated and caught Patrick by the calf of the leg!
“Moses and all the children of Israel!” bawled the Irishman. “’Tis not fair to set two bastes onto wan! Call off yer dawg, Otto, or it’s the death of him I’ll be when I git rid of the hog.”
But just then the poor hog got rid of him. She lay down and Patrick tumbled off, kicking at the dog. Dandy seemed much surprised to discover that he had locked his teeth on the wrong individual!
The boys were convulsed with laughter; but the girls were afraid that the Irishman had been seriously hurt. And, from the squealing of the hog, they were positive that _she_ was suffering.
However, Mr. Sitz and Otto appeared, and tied the legs of the struggling beast, and so bore her away. They had already trapped her litter of young ones, and Patrick limped after his master and Otto, vowing vengeance against both the hog and the dog.
So the boys took turns in keeping up the fire on the shore, for although it was a clear day, the wind continued cold and blew hard. They were all glad to hover around the blaze, now and then; and especially so when they ate their luncheons.
Eve had prepared a great can of chocolate and the girls had all brought well-filled lunch boxes. Bobby was hovering about Laura’s as soon as it was opened.
“Mammy Jinny’s made you something nice, I know,” she said. “Dear me, I’m so hungry! I wish I was like the Mississippi River.”