Curlytops at Uncle Franks Ranch | Page 8

far, that's sure, and he can't get lost. Everybody in town knows him and the goat, and he's sure to be seen sooner or later."
"I guess so," agreed Mr. Martin. "His mother was a little worried, though."
"Yes, I should think she would be. It's horrible to have anything happen to your children--or fear it may. I'll take off my apron and help you look."
"Oh, don't bother," said Mr. Martin. "We'll find him all right." But Mrs. Newton insisted on joining the search.
There was a barn on the Newton place--a barn in which Bob was counting on keeping Nicknack--and this place was first searched lest, perchance, Trouble might have slipped in there with the goat without anyone having seen him, having come up through a back alley.
But there was no goat inside; and Bob, the Curlytops, Mr. Martin and Mrs. Newton came out again, and looked up and down the street.
"I'll tell you what we'd better do," said Bob's mother. "Ted, you come with Bob and me. You know Trouble's ways, and where he would be most likely to go. Let Janet go with her father, and we'll go up and down the street, inquiring in all the houses we come to. Your little brother is sure to be near one of them."
"That's a good idea," said Mr. Martin. "Jan, you come with me. I expect your mother will be along any minute now. She won't wait at home long for us if we don't come back with Trouble."
So the two parties started on the search, one up and the other down the street. Bob, Teddy and Mrs. Newton inquired at a number of houses, but no one in them had seen Trouble and Nicknack that day. Nor did Janet and her father get any trace of the missing ones.
"I wonder where he is," murmured Teddy, and he was beginning to feel afraid that something had happened to Trouble.
"Let's go down the back street," suggested Bob. "You know there's quite a lot of wagons and automobiles go along this main street where we've been looking. Maybe if Trouble hitched up Nicknack and went for a ride he'd turn down the back street 'cause it's quieter."
"Yes, he may have done that," agreed Mrs. Newton.
So down the back street the three went. There were several vacant lots on this street and as the grass in them was high--tall enough to hide a small boy and a goat and wagon--Bob said they had better look in these places.
This they did. There was nothing in the first two vacant lots, but in the third--after they had stopped at one or two houses and had not found the missing ones--Teddy suddenly cried out:
"Hark!"
"What'd you hear?" asked Bob.
"I thought I heard a goat bleating," was the answer.
"Listen!" whispered Mrs. Newton.
They kept quiet, and then through the air came the sound:
"Baa-a-a-a-a!"
"That's Nicknack!" cried Teddy, rushing forward.
"I hope your little brother is there, too," said Mrs. Newton.
And Trouble was. When they got to the lower end of the vacant lot there, in a tangle of weeds, was the goat-wagon, and Nicknack was in a tangle of harness fast to it.
"Look at Trouble!" cried Teddy.
There lay the little fellow, sound asleep in the goat-wagon, his head pillowed on his arm, while Nicknack was bleating now and then between the bites of grass and weeds he was eating.
"Oh, Trouble!" cried Mrs. Newton as she took him up in her arms.
"Yes--dis me--I's Trouble," was the sleepy response. "Oh, 'lo, Teddy," he went on as he saw his brother. "'Lo, Bob. You come to find me?"
"I should say we did!" cried Bob. "What are you doing here?"
"Havin' wide," was the answer. "Everybody go 'way--out West--I not have a goat den. I no want Nicknack to go 'way."
"Oh, I see what he means!" exclaimed Teddy, after thinking over what his little brother said. "He heard us talking about bringing Nicknack over to your house, Bob, to keep him for us. Trouble likes the goat and I guess he didn't want to leave him behind. Maybe he thought he could drive him away out to Montana, to Uncle Frank's ranch."
"Maybe," agreed Bob. "That'd be a long drive, though."
"I should say so!" agreed Mrs. Newton. "But I guess you're right, Teddy. Your little brother started off to hide the goat and wagon so you couldn't leave it behind. He's a funny baby, all right!"
"And look how he harnessed him!" exclaimed Bob.
Nicknack really wasn't harnessed. The leather straps and the buckles were all tangled up on him, but Trouble had managed to make enough of them stick on the goat's back, and had somehow got part of the harness fast to the wagon, so Nicknack could pull it along.
"I had a nice wide," said Trouble, as Bob and Teddy straightened out the goat's harness. "Den I got