The pig was too heavy to carry, so the old man got a wheelbarrow in which they trundled the captured animal back to its pen.
“That watering tank is good and clean,” suggested the old man. “Why don’t you jump in, clothes and all and get some of that mud off?”
After enjoying himself splashing in the cool water for a few minutes, Jim emerged much cleaner and in a better frame of mind. He wiped the mud off Ticktock’s hind quarters and prepared to leave.
“Thanks, son,” said the old man, his eyes twinkling. “Here’s two dollars—one for catching that pesky animal and one for the entertainment.”
Jim grinned and thanked his benefactor. It had been a profitable day; although he hoped he could sneak in the house without his mother seeing his clothes.
The money earned by delivering circulars and catching the pig proved to be only a teaser to Jim. Now that it had been demonstrated that he and Ticktock had the capacity to earn money together, his ambition knew no bounds. He worried and fretted over his inactivity. Surely there must be numerous jobs that he and his pony could undertake. He considered going from door to door in Springdale, offering his services, but it seemed a tedious method of obtaining work. Then Robert Morgan gave him a better idea.
“How’s the Farmer’s Co-operative doing?” asked Jim when he chanced to meet the young lawyer on the street.
“Splendid!” said Morgan warmly. “You did a wonderful job delivering those bills. From what I hear you must have been going at a mad gallop the entire time. How did Ticktock stand the pace?”
“We just galloped while we were being watched,” explained Jim, with a grin. “The rest of the time we went at a slow walk.”
“Smart work,” said Morgan. “We got a great deal of publicity out of that. Publicity is what you need, Jim, when you are trying to start something new. You have to create interest.”