ne evening Bobby and his father were standing at the front gate talking when a dusty, red-faced, little fat man came trudging along the road with a white goat dragging at his heels. He was a queer looking figure and he seemed to be very much worried as he came up to them.
"Mister," said he to Mr. Sanders, "could you told me where I should get such a job yet?"
"I don't know of any place," said Mr. Sanders. "Where are you from? What countryman are you?"
"I been a Switzer," said the man. "I got no money, no job, no anything, only this one dumb-headed goat."
Mr. Sanders smiled as he looked from the man to the goat, both of them woe-begone tramps.
"Rather queer," he said, "to be tramping around the country with a goat. Where did you get it?"
"That should be all of my troubles, yet," said the man mournfully. "When I start von Switzerland I have more as two hundred goats what I have bought for a partnerships to a man for a goat farm back there about four hours' walk. I have such a wrecks by my ship and I lose me all but this one dumb-headed goat. Well, I have my ticket by the railroad to where this man should have the goats. I promise him some goats, I got one left, I come all the way von New York und take it to him and what you think? He won't have any. Because I don't bring him the more as two hundred goats what I promise, he won't take even this one dumb-head," and he scowled at the poor goat at his heels as if it had been the cause of all of his woe.
"How much will you take for your goat?" suddenly broke in Bobby.
"Oh, Bobby boy, you don't want another goat?" objected his father. "You've got the place overrun now."
"Oh but, father, I want a team," said Bobby. "I've been wishing for one to put on the other side of Billy when I'm having them do stunts, besides hitching them up to a cart that I am making. They will make a fine team."
"Don't you think you could find better ways than that to spend your money?" said Mr. Sanders.
"I don't think so," said Bobby. "If I can get it at the right price, it's a good investment. How much will you take?" he asked, turning to the man.
"I take me ten dollars," said the man.
"Too much," said Bobby. "It's more than I think the goat is worth and more than I care to pay."
"How much then?" asked the man.
"Seven dollars," answered Bobby. "I don't want to dicker with you or I would have offered you less. That is the most I can pay."
"Take the goat yes!" said the man. "It's a dumb-head, anyhow. I belief me."
Bobby opened the gate joyfully and patted the goat on the neck. The goat, tired and dusty, felt grateful for that touch just as Billy had felt and when Bobby said "Come on," it followed gladly.
"I'll bring you the money right away," said Bobby. "Come on," he called again to the goat, and ran back to the barn. Running into Billy's stall, he said: "Billy, my boy, I've brought a new friend for you and I want you to be good to this stranger." With that the strange goat came in after him and Billy leaped up with a bleat of joy. The new goat was his mother!
Bobby ran back to the house to get his money, leaving the two goats together, and they had so much to tell each other at once that neither one of them heard very much what the other was saying, until Billy happened to pay attention to where his mother was explaining how she had just been sold to Bobby.
Neither one of them heard very much what the other was saying.
"Wait a minute," said Billy, "did you say that man was out there now?"
"Yes," answered his mother. "Bobby just went to get him some money."
"Wait right here a minute," said Billy. "I owe him something for throwing me overboard into the sea, and I always like to pay my debts."
Out of the barn he ran, through the gate, down the drive, and cleared the road gate with a pretty jump. Then he wheeled to where the fat man, the money in his pocket, was saying good-bye to Bobby and his father. Billy had no time to say anything just then; he just ran with his head down. The fat man turned and saw Billy coming and started to run toward the village, going so fast that he fairly waddled sideways, but there was no use for him to run. Like two freight cars bumping together, Billy landed on fat Hans Zug just once.
"A thousand lightnings yet again!" yelled Hans.
Billy did not stop to answer him. He just trotted back, jumped over the gate and hurried on to the barn to talk to his mother, about this splendid, contented home that was to be theirs for a long time to come. And we could not say good-bye to them in a happier place.
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