HOW TO MANAGE A PIG.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1526, 9 April 1886, Page 4

HOW TO MANAGE A PIG.

As we were passing nlong the road we came upon two or three men surrounding an immense black pig, with a stiff upright mane, and one of the curliest tails we ever saw- The pig had just been taken out of the stye, which from early piglinghood bad been its home, and the men were trying to get it into a larger and roomier place some score of yards distant, in order, aa they informed us, that it might be killed. The animal pig-like, would not budge, nor move in the desired direction. They coaxed and fondled it by scratching its flanks and ears, and endeavoured to entice it towards the open door of the place of slaughter by holding a dish with food in it just in front of its nose, but the pig only stuck out its legs all the more rigidly and half grunted, half squealed a decided negative, a non pouumiu which it was evident there was no overcoming by any such means. A rougher style of persuasion was therefore adoptw. One of the men laid hold of the large, flapping ears, one in each hand, and another man seized one of the animal's forelegs, and they began to pull with might and main, while the third man proceeded to twist the pigV tail just as you have seen a seaman do with the ends of two pieces of three-stranded rope before proceeding to splice them together. Stubborn and obdurate, the pig wouldn't move an inch—that is, in the right direction it rather gained a little in a retrogr ide motion styewards, yelling the while loud enough to be heard by the periwinkle gatherers the shores of Appin and Kingerloch. The man at the tail at last got mad, and, taking up a long hasel, belaboured the pig with all his might, but to no purpose. Move in the desired direction she wtald not; and the men, panting and terribly riled at the brute's obstinacy were at their wits end, when, fortunately, a man from a neighbouring district happening to pass that way at the time came to the rescue. " What in the world are you doing with the pig ?" exclaimed the new-comer in excellent Gselic. M With the pig ?" replied one of the men. as he wiped the perspiration from hiq brow with his sleeve. ".What are we doing with the pig, is it ? Why we are trying to get her (perverse daughter of an ugly father!) into yonder o en shed, and, as you see we .are likely to be beaten in the attempt" "Leave her to me," ssid the itrsnger, a strapping young fellow " and I undertake to put her quietly and quickly into the shed by myself, unaided V " There's no roan in Lochaber can do it," growled another of the worsted pig-figbters- " Perhaps not," quietly replied the young man, with an incipient smile playing about his eyes and the corners of his mouth. " I am not a Locbaber man, but a Lismore man, and I think I can manage the pig if you let me try." " Try awayr exclaimed the man, "in the name of the legion, let us see what you can do." Keep away then," cried the stranger, aa he slipt behind the pig, and quickly and cleverly catching her by her hind legs, one in either hand, lifted her up as one would a wheel- - barrow. The pig waa now reating on her fore-feet, win her snout cloee to the ground, and, to our surprise, perfectly quiet Giving her a alight push kit as one would a heanlv-laden tarow, he trundled bar piguip, to

alum Bii command aim W, once or twice backward? and forwards on the road with the greatest ease, and finally steering her in the right direction, he let her go in the farthest corner of the open shed. —Nether Lockabcr.