hose
attention was absorbed with trying to hold a squealing, squirming pig.
The result was disastrous to all concerned. Pig No. 1 tripped her up
neatly and she sat down hastily and unexpectedly upon Pig No. 2, who
gave one agonized squeal, in which the pig in her arms joined.
Fortunately, her victim did not get her whole weight or there would have
been one pig the less in this vale of tears. Chicken Little squashed him
down gently into some two inches of oozy mud and water. It splashed in
all directions, baptizing Katy and Gertie and the fleeing pig as well as
completing the ruin of Jane's pink gingham frock, fresh that morning.

The sight of her amazed and disgusted face generously decorated with
mud, was too much for Katy. She giggled till the tears stood in her
eyes. Chicken Little was indignant.

"I guess you wouldn't think it was so funny, if it was you," she replied
with dignity. Dignity did not become her tout ensemble. Katy went off
into fresh screams of mirth. Chicken Little had stood about all she
could that afternoon. Her face flamed with wrath, and, gathering up the
struggling pig in her arms, she hurled it at Katy, as the only missile
within reach. Piggy just missed Katy's head, tumbling harmlessly into
the ooze. Chicken Little was instantly remorseful, not on Katy's account
but on Piggy's.

Katy was furious. She didn't say a word, but walked deliberately over to
the coop, deposited her pig very gently and started toward the house.

Gertie tried to stop her, but she shook her off. Chicken Little, too
angry to care what happened, relieved herself of the rest of her
ill-temper.

"Go off and be hateful if you want to--a lot I care, Miss Katy Halford.
I should think you'd be ashamed to act so when you are most fifteen."

A swift retort rose to Katy's lips, but she decided it would be more
impressive to remain dignifiedly silent. She stalked on. Gertie
hesitated as to which of the belligerents she should follow, but finally
decided in favor of the one who needed her worst. She put her pig in the
coop and came to help Jane up. The latter was already ashamed of her
outburst, but was far from being ready to acknowledge it. The other
three pigs had not gone far and they soon had them safely in the coop.
They were debating as to whether they should give up hunting for the
others, when a hail from the road brought aid and comfort. Katy had met
Dr. Morton coming from the field on an errand and had told him what t