Read Billy Whiskers: The Autobiography of a Goat Page 15

  _What Billy Did on Wednesday_

  Wednesday, Billy was not tied up and after wandering around thecircus and visiting the different animals and stopping to chatwith Betty, he decided to watch his chance and slip into town.

  This was not hard for him to do and he soon found himself on themain street. At first he walked quietly along looking into thewindows, but presently he saw before him a well-known figure,that of the ring-master.

  "Now is my chance," thought Billy, "to get even with him forgiving me all those cuts with his whip. I'll just give him a buttand land him in the middle of that mud puddle, and I am going todo it so hard he will hear his spine crack and I guess he won'thit me with his whip again very soon."

  So Billy started quietly on a run, going on his tiptoes so thering-master would not hear him until it was too late to get outof the way. Just as Billy got to him the man raised his arm todoff his hat to a pretty girl, and the next thing he knew he wasflying through the air with his hat in his hand. Still holdinghis arm extended, he landed in the deep puddle of muddy water inthe middle of the street, while the young lady threw up her handsand fled.

  It is needless to say that Billy immediately disappeared down aside street. Here he ran into a livery stable where a dog fighthad been going on in the back yard. Two ferocious bull-dogs, hadfought so wickedly that their jaws had had to be pried apart.

  One of the dogs had a chain around its neck and its owner wasgoing to lead it off when one of the livery men saw Billy andcalled out:

  "Wait a minute Mr. Pride, here's a Billy goat I bet can lick yourdog. Let us turn them loose in the yard and have another fight."

  "Why, man what are you talking about? My dog would make just onegrab at the goat's throat and kill him."

  "I am not so sure of that," replied the man, "but I am mightysure he will lick your dog if he is the goat I think he is, for Ibelieve he is the trained goat from the circus."

  "Let's have a fight," said the other men that were standingaround. "It will be great sport to see the goat lick the dog thatcan whip every other dog in town."

  "So you think the goat can lick my dog, do you? I'll bet one orall of you twenty dollars that he can't."

  "It is a go!" said two or three. Then the man that had proposedthe fight said: "It is all well enough to have a little fight forfun but I hate to see your dog killed, as he may be."

  "Oh, don't you worry about my dog. Leave all your worrying forthe goat."

  All this time the dog had been pulling at his chain and strainingto get at the goat, while Billy quietly walked around inspectingthings, chewing anything he could find.

  "Won't I fix that conceited dog!" said Billy to himself. So heallowed himself to be driven into the back-yard. Here the menformed a circle with Billy in the center; then the man unfastenedthe chain from the dog's neck. With a rush he went for the goat,who quickly stood on his hind legs, lowered his head and met thedog's onslaught with his horns, running one of them into hischest, which sent the blood spitting out. Then the dog tried toget behind Billy for another charge but Billy wheeled and met himagain as before and no matter which way the dog tried to approachhim, Billy was always head foremost with his long, pointed hornssticking straight out to meet him.

  The dog was getting more and more furious at each failure and atlast he made a blind plunge at the goat, but, as before, Billywas too quick for him and this time he sent the dog yelping backto his master.

  "Here! what do you mean by shutting our goat up?" they heardsomeone say and turning around they saw one of the men from thecircus who had been sent out to look for Billy as it was nearlytime for the performance to begin.

  "We did not shut him up. He walked in of his own accord; but youshould have been here a minute sooner and you would have seenthe prettiest fight you ever saw in your life, between your goatand the bulliest bull-dog of the town."

  "I am sorry I did not see it; but perhaps we can have anothersometime."

  "Never!" said the dog's owner very emphatically. "I doubt if helives through this."

  "Well, good-bye, boys; come and see Billy Whiskers perform in thecircus this afternoon and you will see as good a performance asfighting, and I'll give all passes who bet on him this time.

  "Billy, I would not have given much for your skin after thering-master got through with you if it had not been for thisfight; but now I think he will forgive you for the butt you gavehim this morning, since you whipped Mr. Pride's dog for he hatesMr. Pride because he forbade him calling on his daughter."