_Billy's Adventures in Town_
Billy hid behind some rocks in the bottom of a ravine until hethought the boys had given up looking for him. Then he came outof his hiding-place, and snipped off the fresh young leaves fromthe bushes as he walked along making up his mind what he would donext.
"It is too bad," he thought, "that Nanny is such a scare-cat andslow runner for if she had only kept up with me she would be freenow and we could have a good time here. There are lots of youngshoots and juicy leaves for us to eat and plenty of water in thecreek to drink.
"Now I must go back and see what has become of her. I expect Iwill be caught and pounded by the boys, but I told her I wouldtake care of her and as I never break my word, I must go and seewhat I can do."
He climbed a high hill where he could get a good view of the roadand there he saw Tim leading Nanny into Mike's yard, and a milebehind he saw Mike walking slowly along.
"Ho, ho!" said Billy, "they have caught Nan, so there is no usein my trying to get her away now. I will just wait until dark andthen go back and butt the shed down and get her out and then wecan run away together before they can catch us."
Turning and looking in the opposite direction he saw lying in thevalley beneath him a city, and he immediately made up his mind tovisit it for it had been a long while since he had been in alarge town.
Down the hill he started on a run, loosening stones and pebblesas he went, which rolled after him sending up a cloud of dust.
At the bottom he struck the main road that led to the town, andkeeping up his fast gait he was soon within its suburbs.
The first thing he came to was a flower and fruit stand, theowner of which, a greasy, black-looking Italian, was talking to afat blue-coated policeman. Both stood with their backs turned tothe fruit stand.
THE ITALIAN WAS SO HORRIFIED AND DISMAYED TO SEEWHAT HAD HAPPENED THAT HE FORGOT WHAT LITTLE ENGLISH HE KNEW.]
Now was Billy's chance. Luscious pears, peaches and grapes laybefore him ready to be eaten, and without a moment's hesitationhe began to sample each, while now and then he would eat a roseor two between, thus making his own salad. And he found he likedhis fruit salad served on rose leaves just as well as on lettuce.
In reaching for an extra delicious-looking pear he had to standon his hind legs with his fore feet on the lower shelf. But alas,for his greed! His weight on the board that formed the shelf wastoo much, and it flew up in the air sending the fruit in alldirections and making such a racket that the fruit dealer heardit and turned around just in time to see the wreck of his stand.
The Italian was so horrified and dismayed to see what hadhappened that he forgot what little English he knew and chatteredand swore in Italian until you would have thought a dozen parrotshad been suddenly let loose.
The policeman tried to stop and catch Billy by spreading out hislegs and waving his arms, but Billy only lowered his head and ranbetween the policeman's legs, upsetting him as he went throughfor Billy was fat and the policeman short-legged and there wasnot room to slide through without upsetting the man.
The policeman picked himself up and started in hot pursuit,swearing under his breath that if he ever caught that goat hewould club its brains out.
Of course the policeman could not catch up to the fleet-footedBilly, so he called out--"Catch him!" But no one cared to attemptit, especially when Billy lowered his head with the long horns onit and ran at him.
But at last, after dodging in and out of the people on thesidewalk and the carts and wagons in the street, one man wasbrave enough to try to catch him. He was a big German butcher andhe stood plum in Billy's way, and when Billy lowered his head athim, as he had at the others, the butcher caught hold of hishorns and gave his neck a quick twist. This made Billy furiousand he reared on his hind legs and struck at the butcher with hisfore ones, and then the fight began; first one was on top, thenthe other, and they rolled over and over into the mud of thestreet, while a big crowd gathered, which cheered and called out:
"I bet on the goat!"
"Give it to him, Dutchie!" and all such expressions, until atlast Billy got on his feet again, and with a parting hook he slitthe butcher's coat up the back and left him lying in the mud,while he ran off as fast as his legs would carry him. And it isneedless to say that none of that crowd tried to stop him.
He had gone through many streets and turned many corners, when hefound himself opposite a beautiful, green, cool-looking park.
"This is the place for me," thought Billy, "it looks nice andquiet and as I am tired I will go in and lie down under one ofthe trees and eat a little grass."
After taking a nice rest and nap under the trees, he awoke, andfeeling thirsty thought he would go and quench his thirst at asparkling fountain he saw before him. He was quietly drinking andevery once in a while swallowing a goldfish that swam too nearhis mouth, when someone from behind gave him a hard hit with arake.
"It is a pity a goat can't take a drink without being pounded,"thought Billy. "But as I have had enough I guess I will move onfor I don't like the looks of this man's face, and I know he willgive me no peace."
So he walked away slowly, just as if he were going away of hisown accord, when the man gave him another hit with the rake. Thiswas too much for Billy's pie-crust temper; he turned on the man,who was gardener of the park, and sent him sprawling over ahay-cock before he knew what had struck him.
As Billy walked toward the high iron fence that encircled thepark he saw a policeman coming in at the gate. Now if there wasone thing Billy detested, it was a policeman, and he made for himrunning at full speed with head down, and before the policemanhad even seen the goat he found himself hanging by the seat ofhis trousers to the sharp iron pickets of the fence. Billy lefthim there struggling, kicking, swearing and calling for helpwhile he made off as fast as his legs would carry him.