Billy Whiskers Adventures | Page 2

slick as a whistle," remarked one of the sailors.
"And now we have you, we are going to carry out the Captain's orders
and look after you until he hears from France whether we are to take
you back to your regiments when we return with more troops or keep
you here."
"Return to France?" whined Stubby. "Just when we reach home safe
and sound after braving all the terrors of submarines, sunken mines and
dropping bombs? To be captured and sent back is really too much! I
don't feel as if I would survive the disappointment, do you, Billy?"
"Not on your life will I go back!" replied Billy. "Not unless they take
me over dead. For I shall fight to the last drop of my blood before I
submit to being shipped back."
"And so will I," said Button. "I'll scratch their eyes out first. And from
this day forward I shall begin to let my claws grow long and sharp for
that very purpose. I'll see whether or not they take me back!"

"But they haven't started back yet, and 'There's many a slip twixt the
cup and the lip.' We'll have two or three weeks to make a getaway
before they sail as they have to coal the ship before even thinking of
sailing. And if in that time we three can't put our heads together and
think of some way to slip through their fingers, we are pretty stupid and
deserve to be shipped back. Don't pull back or make any fuss,"
counseled Billy, "but just go along with the sailors and watch for a
chance to escape. It may come any minute. And remember if any one of
us sees a chance, he is to take it and not wait for the others. Just get free
and then wait around until the rest of us get loose."
"Seems to me you have a good deal of baaing to do this morning, Mr.
Billy," said the sailor who was holding the rope around Billy's neck as
he stood watching the ship tie up at the dock.
"Guess he must be giving orders to his Chums," replied a second sailor
who had Stubby in charge.
"Seems like it," said the one who held Button. "I expected them to fight
like the very dickens, didn't you?"
[Illustration]
"I surely did," answered the one who had spoken first. "But it is not too
late for them to show fight yet, and I bet all that talking His Royal
Highness, King Billy, has been doing has been orders to his Chums to
fight later on. You just wait and see."
Just then the Captain appeared on deck and ordered the sailors to take
the goat, dog and cat ashore and tie them in the warehouse on the dock
until he could find some place to board them until he heard from
France what to do with them.
"They are too valuable to leave just on the dock. They might get loose
or be stolen. Feed and water them and when I go up to the city I will
look for some trustworthy person to take care of them. By the way,
don't one of you know some one ashore who could house and feed
them until we hear?"

"Aye, aye, sir!" replied one of the sailors. "I have an uncle who lives
close to the docks. He keeps a small, cheap boarding-house for sailors.
He is a very kind-hearted man and fond of pets. I could take them there
and I am sure he would give them the best of care for very little
recompense."
"Just the thing! Just the place for them!" exclaimed the Captain. "You
may take them over there as soon as the gangplank is out. And you two
boys go with him. He might have trouble trying to manage all three
alone. Here is money to pay for the animals and to buy your own
dinners. Tell your Uncle I'll foot the bill before we sail and throw in an
extra dollar or two if he turns them over to me in good shape when we
call for them."
"Aye, aye, sir!" replied the sailor.
"Well, this beats all the good luck I ever heard of," said Billy, "for we
can get away from that boarding-house as easily as a cat laps cream."
"You are right, we can, and have plenty of time too to lay our plans as
to what we will do when we escape," agreed Button.
"It looks as if we would sleep on feathers and eat fowl," said Stubby.
The three sailors took the three Chums over to the chop-house, where
they were given a hearty welcome by the sailor's uncle. He was so glad
to have his nephew back from the War