"Why, Tom," remonstrated Cornelia Mary, "it's three miles farther the road you've started on!"
"Want to give your school a chance to see the country," was the response. "Geddap, geddap!"
"This spring air won't hurt anybody," Sally put in. "Oh, Hannah, isn't it lovely? Aren't you ever going to talk again, Hannah?"
Not a word from Hannah. Stubbins was the first to find his voice. "Oh, pigth, pigth, thop the horthe!" he cried. "Thay, boy, I want to thee the pigth!"
"Whoa!" said Tom. "Didn't you ever see pigs before, Stubbins?"
"Yeth, but I never thaw pigth in the country, did I?"
"Do you like pigs?"
"I geth I do! Are they pigth where we are going?"
"Giddap," repeated Tom, pulling at the reins, and then turning so that he could look at Stubbins he said this:
"Pigs? Why, I should say yes! Look here, Stubbins, there are so many pigs in the country they run wild—wild, I say, and if any little kid is a pig catcher all he's got to do is catch a pig and keep it if he can. You can even take pigs to school here, ride 'em right into the schoolhouse if the door's open."