The hogs squealed. They, too, were
cold as well as hungry, and toward morning they quarreled, bit one
another and made piercing outcries.
"Oh, don't I wish 'twas morning!" Willis exclaimed again and again.
Fortunately, the Shakers were early risers, and long before sunrise
three of them, clad in gray homespun frocks and broad-brimmed hats,
appeared. They greeted us solemnly.
"Thee has met with trouble," said one of them, who was the elder of the
village. "But I think we can give thee aid."
They proved to be past masters at handling hogs. From one of the halters
they contrived a muzzle to prevent the hogs from biting us, and then
with their help we caught and muzzled the hogs one by one and boosted
them into the wagon. The good men stayed by us till the horses were
hitched up and we were out of the woods and on the highway again. I had
a little money with me and offered to pay them for their kind services,
but the elder said:
"Nay, friend, thee has had trouble enough already with the lion." And at
parting all three said "Fare thee well" very gravely.
We fared on, but not altogether well, for those hungry hogs were now
making a terrible uproar.
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