EverymonthhesentHomeallhecouldpossiblyspareforhiswife——
　　andforanotherreasonwhichwasexpectedtoexplainitselfshortlyandwouldrequiremoremoney。
　　Aboutthistime，Dickywasovertakenwiththenervous，hauntingfearthatbesetsmarriedmenwhentheyareoutofsortsHehadnopensiontolooktoWhatifheshoulddiesuddenly，andleavehiswifeunprovidedfor？Thethoughtusedtolayholdofhiminthestill，hotnightsontheroof，tilltheshakingofhisheartmadehimthinkthathewasgoingtodiethenandthereofheart-disease。
　　NowthisisaframeofmindwhichnoboyhasarighttoknowItisastrongman’strouble；but，comingwhenitdid，itnearlydrovepoorpunkah-less，perspiringDickyHattmadHecouldtellnooneaboutit。
　　Acertainamountof“screw“isasnecessaryforamanasforabilliard-ballItmakesthembothdowonderfulthingsDickyneededmoneybadly，andheworkedforitlikeahorseBut，naturally，themenwhoownedhimknewthataboycanliveverycomfortablyonacertainincome——payinIndiaisamatterofage，notmerit，yousee，andiftheirparticularboywishedtoworkliketwoboys，Businessforbidthattheyshouldstophim！ButBusinessforbidthattheyshouldgivehimanincreaseofpayathispresentridiculouslyimmatureage！SoDickywoncertainrisesofsalary——
　　ampleforaboy——notenoughforawifeandchild——certainlytoolittlefortheseven-hundred-rupeepassagethatheandMrsHatthaddiscussedsolightlyonceuponatimeAndwiththishewasforcedtobecontent。
　　Somehow，allhismoneyseemedtofadeawayinHomedraftsandthecrushingExchange，andthetoneoftheHomeletterschangedandgrewquerulous“Whywouldn’tDickyhavehiswifeandthebabyout？
　　Surelyhehadasalary——afinesalary——anditwastoobadofhimtoenjoyhimselfinIndiaButwouldhe——couldhe——makethenextdraftalittlemoreelastic？”Herefollowedalistofbaby’skit，aslongasaParsee’sbillThenDicky，whoseheartyearnedtohiswifeandthelittlesonhehadneverseen——which，again，isafeelingnoboyisentitledto——enlargedthedraftandwrotequeerhalf-boy，half-
　　manletters，sayingthatlifewasnotsoenjoyableafterallandwouldthelittlewifewaityetalittlelonger？Butthelittlewife，howevermuchsheapprovedofmoney，objectedtowaiting，andtherewasastrange，hardsortofringinherlettersthatDickydidn’tunderstandHowcouldhe，poorboy？
　　Lateronstill——justasDickyhadbeentold——aproposofanotheryoungsterwhohad“madeafoolofhimself。”asthesayingis——thatmatrimonywouldnotonlyruinhisfurtherchancesofadvancement，butwouldlosehimhispresentappointment——camethenewsthatthebaby，hisownlittle，littleson，haddied，and，behindthis，fortylinesofanangrywoman’sscrawl，sayingthatdeathmighthavebeenavertedifcertainthings，allcostingmoney，hadbeendone，orifthemotherandthebabyhadbeenwithDickyTheletterstruckatDicky’snakedheart；but，notbeingofficiallyentitledtoababy，hecouldshownosignoftrouble。
　　HowDickywonthroughthenextfourmonths，andwhathopehekeptalighttoforcehimintohiswork，noonedaresayHepoundedon，theseven-hundred-rupeepassageasfarawayasever，andhisstyleoflivingunchanged，exceptwhenhelaunchedintoanewfilter。
　　Therewasthestrainofhisoffice-work，andthestrainofhisremittances，andtheknowledgeofhisboy’sdeath，whichtouchedtheboymore，perhaps，thanitwouldhavetouchedaman；and，beyondall，theenduringstrainofhisdailylifeGray-headedseniors，whoapprovedofhisthriftandhisfashionofdenyinghimselfeverythingpleasant，remindedhimoftheoldsawthatsays：
　　“Ifayouthwouldbedistinguishedinhisart，art，art，Hemustkeepthegirlsawayfromhisheart，heart，heart。”
　　AndDicky，whofanciedhehadbeenthrougheverytroublethatamanispermittedtoknow，hadtolaughandagree；withthelastlineofhisbalancedBank-bookjinglinginhisheaddayandnight。
　　ButhehadonemoresorrowtodigestbeforetheendTherearrivedaletterfromthelittlewife——thenaturalsequenceoftheothersifDickyhadonlyknownit——andtheburdenofthatletterwas“gonewithahandsomermanthanyou。”Itwasarathercuriousproduction，withoutstops，somethinglikethis：——“ShewasnotgoingtowaitforeverandthebabywasdeadandDickywasonlyaboyandhewouldneverseteyesonheragainandwhyhadn’thewavedhishandkerchieftoherwhenheleftGravesendandGodwasherjudgeshewasawickedwomanbutDickywasworseenjoyinghimselfinIndiaandthisothermanlovedthegroundshetrodonandwouldDickyeverforgiveherforshewouldneverforgiveDicky；andtherewasnoaddresstowriteto。”
　　Insteadofthankinghisluckystarsthathewasfree，Dickydiscoveredexactlyhowaninjuredhusbandfeels——again，notatalltheknowledgetowhichaboyisentitled——forhismindwentbacktohiswifeasherememberedherinthethirty-shilling“suite“inMontpelierSquare，whenthedawnofhislastmorninginEnglandwasbreaking，andshewascryinginthebedWhereatherolledaboutonhisbedandbithisfingersHeneverstoppedtothinkwhether，ifhehadmetMrsHattafterthosetwoyears，hewouldhavediscoveredthatheandshehadgrownquitedifferentandnewpersonsThis，theoretically，heoughttohavedoneHespentthenightaftertheEnglishMailcameinratherseverepain。
　　Nextmorning，DickyHattfeltdisinclinedtoworkHearguedthathehadmissedthepleasureofyouthHewastired，andhehadtastedallthesorrowinlifebeforethree-and-twentyHisHonorwasgone——thatwastheman；andnowhe，too，wouldgototheDevil——
　　thatwastheboyinhimSoheputhisheaddownonthegreenoil-
　　clothtable-cover，andweptbeforeresigninghispost，andallitoffered。
　　ButtherewardofhisservicescameHewasgiventhreedaystoreconsiderhimself，andtheHeadoftheestablishment，aftersometelegraphings，saidthatitwasamostunusualstep，but，inviewoftheabilitythatMrHatthaddisplayedatsuchandsuchatime，atsuchandsuchjunctures，hewasinapositiontoofferhimaninfinitelysuperiorpost——firstonprobation，andlater，inthenaturalcourseofthings，onconfirmation“Andhowmuchdoesthepostcarry？”saidDicky“Sixhundredandfiftyrupees。”saidtheHeadslowly，expectingtoseetheyoungmansinkwithgratitudeandjoy。
　　Anditcamethen！Thesevenhundredrupeepassage，andenoughtohavesavedthewife，andthelittleson，andtohaveallowedofassuredandopenmarriage，camethenDickyburstintoaroaroflaughter——laughterhecouldnotcheck——nasty，janglingmerrimentthatseemedasifitwouldgoonforeverWhenhehadrecoveredhimselfhesaid，quiteseriously：——“I’mtiredofworkI’manoldmannowIt’sabouttimeIretiredAndIwill。”
　　“Theboy’smad！”saidtheHead。
　　Ithinkhewasright；butDickyHattneverreappearedtosettlethequestion。
　　PIG。
　　Go，stalkthereddeero’ertheheatherRide，followthefoxifyoucan！
　　But，forpleasureandprofittogether，AllowmethehuntingofMan，——
　　ThechaseoftheHuman，thesearchfortheSoulToitsruin，——thehuntingofMan。
　　TheOldShikarri。
　　Ibelievethedifferencebeganinthematterofahorse，withatwistinhistemper，whomPinecoffinsoldtoNaffertonandbywhomNaffertonwasnearlyslainTheremayhavebeenothercausesofoffence；thehorsewastheofficialstalking-horseNaffertonwasveryangry；butPinecoffinlaughedandsaidthathehadneverguaranteedthebeast’smannersNaffertonlaughed，too，thoughhevowedthathewouldwriteoffhisfallagainstPinecoffinifhewaitedfiveyearsNow，aDalesmanfrombeyondSkiptonwillforgiveaninjurywhentheStridletsamanlive；butaSouthDevonmanisassoftasaDartmoorbogYoucanseefromtheirnamesthatNaffertonhadtherace-advantageofPinecoffinHewasapeculiarman，andhisnotionsofhumorwerecruelHetaughtmeanewandfascinatingformofshikarHehoundedPinecoffinfromMithankottoJagadri，andfromGurgaontoAbbottabadupandacrossthePunjab，alargeprovinceandinplacesremarkablydryHesaidthathehadnointentionofallowingAssistantCommissionersto“sellhimpups。”
　　intheshapeoframping，screamingcountrybreds，withoutmakingtheirlivesaburdentothem。
　　MostAssistantCommissionersdevelopabentforsomespecialworkaftertheirfirsthotweatherinthecountryTheboyswithdigestionshopetowritetheirnameslargeontheFrontierandstrugglefordrearyplaceslikeBannuandKohatThebiliousonesclimbintotheSecretariatWhichisverybadfortheliver。
　　OthersarebittenwithamaniaforDistrictwork，GhuznividecoinsorPersianpoetry；whilesome，whocomeoffarmers’stock，findthatthesmelloftheEarthaftertheRainsgetsintotheirblood，andcallsthemto“developtheresourcesoftheProvince。”ThesemenareenthusiastsPinecoffinbelongedtotheirclassHeknewagreatmanyfactsbearingonthecostofbullocksandtemporarywells，andopium-scrapers，andwhathappensifyouburntoomuchrubbishonafield，inthehopeofenrichingused-upsoilAllthePinecoffinscomeofalandholdingbreed，andsothelandonlytookbackherownagainUnfortunately——mostunfortunatelyforPinecoffin——hewasaCivilian，aswellasafarmerNaffertonwatchedhim，andthoughtaboutthehorseNaffertonsaid：——“Seemechasethatboytillhedrops！”Isaid：——“Youcan’tgetyourknifeintoanAssistantCommissioner。”NaffertontoldmethatIdidnotunderstandtheadministrationoftheProvince。
　　OurGovernmentisratherpeculiarItgushesontheagriculturalandgeneralinformationside，andwillsupplyamoderatelyrespectablemanwithallsortsof“economicstatistics。”ifhespeakstoitprettilyForinstance，youareinterestedingold-
　　washinginthesandsoftheSutlejYoupullthestring，andfindthatitwakesuphalfadozenDepartments，andfinallycommunicates，say，withafriendofyoursintheTelegraph，whooncewrotesomenotesonthecustomsofthegold-washerswhenhewasonconstruction-workintheirpartoftheEmpireHemayormaynotbepleasedatbeingorderedtowriteouteverythingheknowsforyourbenefitThisdependsonhistemperamentThebiggermanyouare，themoreinformationandthegreatertroublecanyouraise。
　　Naffertonwasnotabigman；buthehadthereputationofbeingveryearnest。”An“earnest“mancandomuchwithaGovernment。
　　TherewasanearnestmanwhooncenearlywreckedbutallIndiaknowsTHATstoryIamnotsurewhatreal“earnestness“isAveryfairimitationcanbemanufacturedbyneglectingtodressdecently，bymooningaboutinadreamy，mistysortofway，bytakingoffice-workhomeafterstayinginofficetillseven，andbyreceivingcrowdsofnativegentlemenonSundaysThatisonesortof“earnestness。”
　　Naffertoncastaboutforapegwhereontohanghisearnestness，andforastringthatwouldcommunicatewithPinecoffinHefoundboth。
　　TheywerePigNaffertonbecameanearnestinquirerafterPig。
　　HeinformedtheGovernmentthathehadaschemewherebyaverylargepercentageoftheBritishArmyinIndiacouldbefed，ataverylargesaving，onPigThenhehintedthatPinecoffinmightsupplyhimwiththe“variedinformationnecessarytotheproperinceptionofthescheme。”SotheGovernmentwroteonthebackoftheletter：——
　　“InstructMrPinecoffintofurnishMrNaffertonwithanyinformationinhispower。”Governmentisverypronetowritingthingsonthebacksofletterswhich，later，leadtotroubleandconfusion。
　　NaffertonhadnotthefaintestinterestinPig，butheknewthatPinecoffinwouldflounceintothetrapPinecoffinwasdelightedatbeingconsultedaboutPigTheIndianPigisnotexactlyanimportantfactorinagriculturallife；butNaffertonexplainedtoPinecoffinthattherewasroomforimprovement，andcorrespondeddirectwiththatyoungman。
　　YoumaythinkthatthereisnotmuchtobeevolvedfromPigItalldependshowyousettoworkPinecoffinbeingaCivilianandwishingtodothingsthoroughly，beganwithanessayonthePrimitivePig，theMythologyofthePig，andtheDravidianPig。
　　Naffertonfiledthatinformation——twenty-sevenfoolscapsheets——andwantedtoknowaboutthedistributionofthePiginthePunjab，andhowitstoodthePlainsinthehotweatherFromthispointonwards，rememberthatIamgivingyouonlythebarestoutlinesoftheaffair——theguy-ropes，asitwere，ofthewebthatNaffertonspunroundPinecoffin。
　　PinecoffinmadeacoloredPig-populationmap，andcollectedobservationsonthecomparativelongevityofthePigainthesub-
　　montanetractsoftheHimalayas，andbintheRechnaDoab。
　　Naffertonfiledthat，andaskedwhatsortofpeoplelookedafterPigThisstartedanethnologicalexcursusonswineherds，anddrewfromPinecoffinlongtablesshowingtheproportionperthousandofthecasteintheDerajatNaffertonfiledthatbundle，andexplainedthatthefigureswhichhewantedreferredtotheCis-