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！\"
