They had rounded the bend in the road when they saw an elderly man approaching, carrying with difficulty a rough box upon his shoulder.
"Why, it’s Zeb Burns!" Abner exclaimed. "What in the world is he up to now? Hello, Zeb," he accosted, as he pulled up his horse. "Not movin’, are ye?"
"What de ye think I’m doin’, then?" was the retort. "Do I look as if I’ve been settin’ under the shade of an apple tree all the mornin’?"
Zeb thumped the box down upon the ground, pulled forth a big red pocket-handkerchief, and mopped his perspiring face. As the box touched mother earth, a piercing squeal sounded forth, followed by several protesting grunts.
"Oh, it’s a pig ye’ve got!" and Abner leaned over to obtain a better view. "One of the Chosen Tribes, I s’pose, ha, ha."
"No, it’s not; it’s the devil in pig’s clothin’; that’s what it is. It’s been cussin’ an’ squealin’ an’ kickin’ ever since I started from home. Guess it must be one of your ancient ancestors, Abner, shut up in this critter, by the way it acts."
"Where did ye git the thing, anyway?" Abner enquired. "Didn’t raise it, did ye?"
"It’s a Society pig, ye see," was the reply. "I only got it yesterday, an’ sold it at once to Joe Sanders. That’s where I’m takin’ it now."
"Must be some class to that animal, Zeb. Society pig, eh? I s’pose it has all the marks of high life?"
"It ought to have. It was riz by the Agricultural Society, and they generally turn out good stuff. But this darn critter is certainly an exception by the way it acts."
"Why don’t ye try Social Service methods on it, then?"
"Social Service methods!" Zeb exclaimed in surprise.
"Sure. Reform the thing; elevate it, of course."
"Elevate the devil!" was the disgusted retort.
"That’s what Social Service is fer, though; to elevate the divil, accordin’ to what Jess has been tellin’ me."
"But, de ye think ye could elevate a pig?" Zeb savagely asked.
"Don’t know. Never tried, except to elevate it by the hind legs after it was killed. But Social Service might work wonders with it, though. As it is a Society pig, it’s had a good start, so the rest should be easy."
"Ump!" Zeb snorted. "All the Social Service methods in the world couldn’t do more than elevate a pig into a hog."
"Ho, ho, I guess ye’r right, Zeb. G’long, Jerry."