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-