the yard, where she stood, sun-bonneted to
shelter her face from the burning attentions of the summer sun,
leaning idly against a water barrel standing at the corner of the
barn, she watched the farmyard comedy which was rapidly threatening to
disturb the general peace. A large hen with a late-hatched brood of
chicks, whose colors suggested the polygamous conditions under which
her matrimonial affairs were carried on, with feathers ruffled and
comb flaming, with head lowered and beak agape, was angrily defying an
absurd-looking pig which had scarcely passed its sucking age.

They had met quite suddenly round the corner of the implement shed.
For the moment they stood disconcerted, while the agitated hen clucked
alarm at her offspring. The pig, squealing in a high treble, was
standing with snout twitching and front feet apart, a picture of
idiotic confusion. Perhaps the hen, with the superior feminine
knowledge of her age, understood something of the situation, and
appreciated the young porker's inability. Anyway, she took the
initiative in aggression, and, vainly struggling to cover her rather
riotous brood with outspread wings, cackled furiously and prepared for
the onslaught which secretly she knew was not forthcoming.

The porker's mind seemed to be in a whirl of doubt, for he looked
vainly from side to side to find some adequate means of escape. His
sense did not carry him sufficiently far to prompt him to turn tail
and bolt for safety. He just stood there and continued his helpless
baby squealing. This was all the old hen needed to drive her to
extremities. Realizing his weakness she gave one fluttering spring,
scattering her chicks in all directions, pecked the pig's nose
violently, turned something like a somersault as she landed on the
ground, gathered herself together, and incontinently fled, leaving
her brood to care for themselves. Thus the pig was left looking after
her with an expression in its silly eyes that suggested to the girl
nothing so much as an amazed wonder as to what the fuss was all about.

Joan stood convulsed with laughter. The pig interested her vastly more
than the hen, and she waited the further working of its stupid mind.
But she was disappointed. Its momentary confusion had passed, and,
lowering its pink snout, it groveled on in search of offal, the
delights of which its young mind was just awakening to.

She had moved away to pass on toward the house when she was startled
by the soun