第3章
Flanneryspentadayherdinghischargesthroughanarrowopeningintheircagesothathemightcountthem。
"AuditDept。"hewrote，whenhehadfinishedthecount，"youarewayofftheremaybewasonehundredandsixtydagopigsonce，butwakeupdon"tbeabacknumber。I"vegoteveneighthundred，nowshallIcollectforeighthundredorwhat，howaboutsixty-fourdollarsIpaidoutforcabbages。"
ItrequiredagreatmanylettersbackandforthbeforetheAuditDepartmentwasabletounderstandwhytheerrorhadbeenmadeofbillingonehundredandsixtyinsteadofeighthundred，andstillmoretimeforittogetthemeaningofthe"cabbages。"
Flannerywascrowdedintoafewfeetattheextremefrontoftheoffice。
Thepigshadalltherestoftheroomandtwoboyswereemployedconstantlyattendingtothem。ThedayafterFlanneryhadcountedtheguinea-pigstherewereeightmoreaddedtohisdrove，andbythetimetheAuditDepartmentgavehimauthoritytocollectforeighthundredFlanneryhadgivenupallattemptstoattendtothereceiptorthedeliveryofgoods。Hewashastilybuildinggalleriesaroundtheexpressoffice，tierabovetier。Hehadfourthousandandsixty-fourguinea-pigstocarefor！
Morewerearrivingdaily。
ImmediatelyfollowingitsauthorizationtheAuditDepartmentsentanotherletter，butFlannerywastoobusytoopenit。Theywroteanotherandthentheytelegraphed：
"Erroringuinea-pigbill。Collectfortwoguinea-pigs，fiftycents。
Deliveralltoconsignee。"
Flanneryreadthetelegramandcheeredup。HewroteoutabillasrapidlyashispencilcouldtraveloverpaperandranallthewaytotheMorehousehome。Atthegatehestoppedsuddenly。Thehousestaredathimwithvacanteyes。Thewindowswerebareofcurtainsandhecouldseeintotheemptyrooms。Asignontheporchsaid，"ToLet。"Mr。Morehousehadmoved！
Flanneryranallthewaybacktotheexpressoffice。Sixty-nineguinea-pigshadbeenbornduringhisabsence。Heranoutagainandmadefeverishinquiriesinthevillage。Mr。Morehousehadnotonlymoved，buthehadleftWestcote。Flanneryreturnedtotheexpressofficeandfoundthattwohundredandsixguinea-pigshadenteredtheworldsinceheleftit。HewroteatelegramtotheAuditDepartment。
"Can"tcollectfiftycentsfortwodagopigsconsigneehaslefttownaddressunknownwhatshallIdo？Flannery。"
ThetelegramwashandedtooneoftheclerksintheAuditDepartment，andashereadithelaughed。
"Flannerymustbecrazy。Heoughttoknowthatthethingtodoistoreturntheconsignmenthere，"saidtheclerk。HetelegraphedFlannerytosendthepigstothemainofficeofthecompanyatFranklin。
WhenFlanneryreceivedthetelegramhesettowork。Thesixboysbehadengagedtohelphimalsosettowork。Theyworkedwiththehasteofdesperatemen，makingcagesoutofsoapboxes，crackerboxes，andallkindsofboxes，andasfastasthecageswerecompletedtheyfilledthemwithguinea-pigsandexpressedthemtoFranklin。DayafterdaythecagesofguineapigsflowedinasteadystreamfromWestcotetoFranklin，andstillFlanneryandhissixhelpersrippedandnailedandpacked——relentlesslyandfeverishly。Attheendoftheweektheyhadshippedtwohundredandeightycasesofguinea-pigs，andtherewereintheexpressofficesevenhundredandfourmorepigsthanwhentheybeganpackingthem。
"Stopsendingpigs。Warehousefull，"cameatelegramtoFlannery。Hestoppedpackingonlylongenoughtowireback，"Can"tstop，"andkeptonsendingthem。OnthenexttrainupfromFranklincameoneofthecompany"sinspectors。Hehadinstructionstostopthestreamofguinea-pigsatallhazards。AshistraindrewupatWestcotestationhesawacattlecarstandingontheexpresscompany"ssiding。Whenhereachedtheexpressofficehesawtheexpresswagonbackeduptothedoor。Sixboyswerecarryingbushelbasketsfullofguinea-pigsfromtheofficeanddumpingthemintothewagon。InsidetheroomFlannery，with"hiscoatandvestoff，wasshovelingguinea-pigsintobushelbasketswithacoalscoop。Hewaswindinguptheguinea-pigepisode。
Helookedupattheinspectorwithasnortofanger。
"Wanwagonloadmorean，I"llbequitofthim，an"niverwillyecatchFlannerywidnomoreforeignpigsonhishands。No，sur！Theynearwasthedeatho"me。NixttoimeI"llknowthatpigsofwhaivernationalityisdomisticpets——an"goatthelowestrate。"
Hebeganshovelingagainrapidly，speakingquicklybetweenbreaths。
"Rulesmayberules，butyoucan"tfoolMikeFlannerytwicewidthesamethrick——whinutcomestolivestock，dangtherules。SolongasFlanneryrunsthisexprissoffice——pigsispets——an"cowsispets——an"horsesispets——an"lionsan"tigersan"RockyMountaingoatsispets——an"therateonthimistwinty-foivecints。"
Hepausedlongenoughtoletoneoftheboysputanemptybasketintheplaceoftheonehehadjustfilled。Therewereonlyafewguinea-pigsleft。Ashenotedtheirlimitednumberhisnaturalhabitoflookingonthebrightsidereturned。
"Well，annyhow，"hesaidcheerfully，""tisnotsobadasutmightbe。
Whatifthimdagopigshadbeenelephants！"