Read Billy Whiskers: The Autobiography of a Goat Page 13

  _What Billy Did on Monday_

  All day Sunday the circus people worked to get their tents up andeverything in shape for the Monday's performances, and when atnight they went to look over the animals to see if all were therethey missed Billy and Betty.

  "Now there will be the dickens to pay," said the animal keeper,"if that goat can't be found for he has been the means ofbringing more children to the circus than anything else we havehad for them."

  "I will eat my shirt off if I know where to look for him! You canbet your life he is a good one on a hide."

  "You and I will have to go hunt him, John, so go saddle twohorses and we will start out. He must have turned into some ofthe lanes we passed on our way here, and coaxed Betty off withhim. They could easily get away without being noticed when thebridge broke down. You search the town and I will take the roadand lanes."

  While the men were looking for the two runaways, they werequietly grazing along the road that led to the town.

  Now Billy got tired of the quiet and said, "Come Betty, let's gointo the town and see the sights and have some fun, and maybe wecan find a grocery store where there are good things settingoutside to eat, or a fruit stand," for Billy had not forgottenhow luscious the pears and peaches had tasted that he had stolenfrom a fruit stand one day.

  This was agreeable to Betty and the two trotted along side byside toward the town. Presently they came to a large sign-boardon which pictures of the circus were posted. There Billy spiedhimself pictured as trotting along with the monkey riding on hisback and jumping through the paper hoops.

  At sight of the monkey Billy got mad, as usual, and before Bettyknew what he was going to do, he ran up to the fence andcommenced trying to butt it down, calling to Betty to come helpkick it over.

  They were thus employed when a farmer came along the road and,seeing them, took out his whip and drove them off.

  They ran along before him for a while and then dropped back untilhe had passed them. As soon as he had passed, Billy spied on theback of his wagon a large basket of celery with the tops stickingout over the edge.

  "Look, Betty, look!" cried Billy, pointing his nose in thedirection of the wagon. "Let's follow on behind and eat up hiscelery. It will be a good joke on him." And the two scamperedafter the farmer and soon caught up, for he was driving slowly;and he could not see them for the things that were piled up highbehind him.

  When the two rascals caught up to the wagon they ate all thecelery they wanted, which was more than half of it, as it wasdeliciously juicy and tasted fine. They had had no breakfastexcept some dusty grass that grew beside the road.

  While they ate the farmer whistled low to himself and planned howhe would sell his celery to the grocery man; and then, with themoney, go to the circus, and see the wonderful astrologer thatwas neither goat nor man who was advertised to perform. He littleguessed that the "Wonderful Astrologer" was at that moment eatingup his celery and making it doubtful whether he would have anyleft or not.

  Billy and Betty were still eating when a dog spied them and ranout from his yard after them. Billy turned and tried to hook himbut the dog was too quick. He dodged, but in trying to escapefrom Billy he got too near Betty's heels and she gave him a kickin the side that sent him rolling over into the dust, yelping,and before he could get up Billy helped him up by sticking hishorns under him and tossing him over the fence.

  THE FARMER STOPPED TO SEE WHAT ALL THE ROW WASABOUT.]

  The owner of the dog saw this and ran out calling for the farmerto stop or he would have him arrested for allowing his goat tohook his dog. The farmer stopped to see what all the row wasabout, and while the owner of the dog was shaking his fist in thefarmer's face, and the farmer was trying to explain that the goatand mule, as he called Betty, did not belong to him, Billy andBetty sneaked off and disappeared down a side road and to theirsurprise found themselves facing the circus tents.

  If they went forward the circus people would catch them, and ifthey went back, the angry man and farmer would be after them. Asthey stood discussing which way to go, it was decided for them,for the animal keeper on his horse turned into the lane behindthem and drove them to the circus in double-quick time with hislong whip.

  All the way there he scolded them as he tried to crack them withhis whip, and it was no fun being hit with it as it seemed totake a piece of flesh out each time it struck.

  Betty ran in among the Shetland ponies where she belonged andBilly dodged into the first tent he saw with the flap open. For awonder it turned out to be the one where he belonged, and in lesstime than it takes to tell it Billy found himself chained besidethe elephant.

  "There, Master Billy, I guess you won't chew yourself loose in ahurry again, and have me chasing all over the country for you,"said the animal keeper.

  And to make up for his past bad behavior Billy performed betterthe next day than he had at any time.