them into the wagon。 Inside the room Flannery； with' his coat and vest
off； was shoveling guinea…pigs into bushel baskets with a coal scoop。 He
was winding up the guinea…pig episode。
He looked up at the inspector with a snort of anger。
〃Wan wagonload more an； I'll be quit of thim； an' niver will ye catch
Flannery wid no more foreign pigs on his hands。 No； sur！ They near was the
death o' me。 Nixt toime I'll know that pigs of whaiver nationality is
domistic petsan' go at the lowest rate。 〃
He began shoveling again rapidly； speaking quickly between breaths。
〃Rules may be rules； but you can't fool Mike Flannery twice wid the same
thrickwhin ut comes to live stock； dang the rules。 So long as Flannery
runs this expriss officepigs is petsan' cows is petsan' horses is
petsan' lions an' tigers an' Rocky Mountain goats is petsan' the rate
on thim is twinty…foive cints。〃
He paused long enough to let one of the boys put an empty basket in the
place of the one he had just filled。 There were only a few guinea…pigs
left。 As he noted their limited number his natural habit of looking on the
bright side returned。
〃Well； annyhow；〃 he said cheerfully； 〃'tis not so bad as ut might be。
What if thim dago pigs had been elephants！〃
End