Billy Whiskers | Page 6

planted his two feet on his breast while he lowered his head,
licking the boy's face all over with his tongue. This made the boy
furious but he could do nothing as the goat was heavy, and with his
weight on his chest he thought he would smother.
By that time the soda-fountain man had recovered his breath and came
at Billy again with his broom raised ready to strike. Billy saw him
coming and left the boy he was standing on, and ran behind one of the
tables. Then the chase began; round and round the tables and chairs
went the goat with the man after him, upsetting everything as they went,
until the store looked as if a cyclone had struck it, with the foaming
soda-water and ice-cream running all over the floor.
When Billy thought he had tired the soda man out he ran out the door
and sent those that were standing there scattering like a flock of
chickens. All you could see for a while were blue stockings, black
stockings, white petticoats and heels as the girls ran screaming in all
directions. Each girl thought Billy was behind her, but was too afraid to
turn round to look, so kept running until she had reached a place of

safety, either climbing a fence or getting behind something; and then
when she turned to look there was no Billy Goat in sight, for Mr. Billy
had disappeared in a small grove behind the store.
After Billy had left them he went on through the woods until he came
to a little shanty with a small clearing behind it, where cabbages,
turnips and such things were planted, and as the gate was open he
walked in and began to help himself for he saw at a glance that
everything was shut up tight and that there was no one at home.
After eating all he wanted he walked up to the porch where he saw a
nice pail of water. This he drank in a twinkle and while doing so
thought of that mean soda-water man who would not give him a drink.
"But I don't care," thought Billy, "this tastes better, and I got even with
him anyway."
Billy looked round and saw a straw-stack at the further end of the yard
and a low shed, which backed up to another shed in the next yard. Billy
noticed for the first time that there was another house and yard
adjoining the one where he was and from there he could hear voices
saying, "Good-night." Then all was still and he walked to the
straw-stack and lay down in its shelter and was soon fast asleep.
He had no idea how long he had been asleep when he heard a woman
say, in a high-pitched voice:
"Rooney, I told you, you would leave that gate open once too many
times and some one's cow would get in and eat up all the cabbages; and
now look, some cow or horse has been in here and eaten and trampled
down all of our nice young cabbages and turnips. I've a mind to shake
your head off, so I have!"
Then the same voice raised itself and called "Tim, Tim, come here and
see what mischief has been done!"
Billy lay still and looked in the direction from which he heard the voice
sound, and presently he saw a short, fat, red-headed boy come around

the corner of the house. They went to the cabbage patch and began to
replant the cabbages that he had trampled down and not eaten, when all
of a sudden the woman looked in the direction of the straw-stack and
spied Billy.
"Begorry, Tim, what is that? A big white dog or what, down by the
straw-stack?" asked Mrs. Rooney.
Tim looked and said: "No, mother, it is a goat. Let's drive him out; he is
the one that has done all the mischief," and as he spoke he picked up a
stone to throw at Billy.
"Put down that stone and what are ye about, Tim Rooney? Don't ye
know a fine Billy goat is a nice thing to have in the family? And it is
luck he will bring us by coming to us himself. Put him in the shed, and
to-morrow you can hitch him to your cart and make him haul the
cabbages to market."
Tim pulled up a bunch of nice, fresh carrots and approached Billy.
With these he induced Billy to follow him to the shed where he locked
him in for the night.
After fastening Billy in, Tim went off and left Billy to take care of
himself the best he could, and he soon found a heap of straw which he
curled himself upon and was in dreamland