“He’s balky, Sing,” observed Blunt, tipping a humorous wink at the other lads. “You’ve got the rope around the wrong end of that pig. If you had it hitched in front, you know, you could pull him along.”
“In flont?” cried the Chinaman, in horror. “Me no gettee in flont of pig fo’ hunnerd dol’. It plenty bad to tlavel behind, where China boy makee watch pig do his devil tlicks. P’laps pig makee move if China boy givee kick.”
With that, Sing hauled off with the foot which still wore a sandal. In less than a second the Chinaman’s foot and the pig had a rear-end collision. The pig let out an angry squeal, and started—but not in the right direction. Instead of striking out along the trail on the way to Ophir, the pig began running circles around Sing.
In just two rounds the Chinaman’s feet were neatly lashed together by two coils of rope. Another round, and the pull on the rope jerked the bound feet out from under their owner, and he sat down in the trail with more haste than grace.
By that time, the pig evidently came to the conclusion that he had done enough circling, and started off on the straightaway. He did not head toward Ophir, however, but away from the town and in the direction of Bitter Root Cañon.
For possibly two yards he dragged the helpless Chinaman after him, then the Chinaman’s weight, pulling against the loop around the pig’s leg, caused the rope to slip off, and the unmanageable little porker found himself free to travel where he pleased.
Frank and his friends had been attempting to do something to relieve the Chinaman’s distress. Woo Sing was sputtering like a package of firecrackers, however, and the situation was so funny that the boys had to laugh in spite of themselves. Their enjoyment interfered with their efforts to aid, and they had barely surrounded the pig and the Chinaman when the pig broke loose.
Ballard, as it happened, was right in the pig’s way. Without taking the trouble to go around Ballard, the pig charged for his legs, and knocked them out from under him. For about a second Ballard was standing on his head.
“Me losee fi’ dol’, him gettee ’way!” wailed Woo Sing, untangling himself from the rope and jumping to his feet. “Whoa, pig! Come, pig; come, pig!”
The Chinaman was flying at speed after the escaped porker.