d fore legs and shoved at hind legs, all the time telling her he
hoped she'd kill herself. Once he stood still and looked all around and
thought. After that he gave the government goat a shove that sent her in
water above her knees. Then he had to get in too and help her to a
higher rock.

It was after he had thus saved the government goat from the sea out of
which the government goat had cheated him that he looked ahead to see
there were watchers on the shore. Cadaras had returned from the
cemetery. Cadaras and Doanes were watching him bring home the government
goat.

From time to time he'd look up at them. There seemed to be no little
agitation among this group. They'd hold on to each other and jump up and
down like watchers whose men are being brought in from a wreck. There
was one place where again he had to lift the government goat. After this
he heard shouts and looked ashore to see his boys dancing up and down
like little Indians.

Finally they had made it. The watchers on the shore came running out to
meet them.

"Oh, Mr. Doane!" cried Mrs. Cadara, hands out-stretched, "I am
_thankful_ to you! You saved my goat! I _have_ no man myself to save my
goat. I _have_ no man. I _have_ no man!"

Mrs. Cadara covered her face with her hands, swayed back and forth, and
sobbed because her man was dead.

Young Cadaras gathered around her. They seemed of a sudden to know they
had no father, and to realize that this was a thing to be deplored.
Agnes even wet her mourning handkerchief.

Myrtie came up and took his arm. "Oh, Father," said she, "I was so
'fraid you'd hurt yourself!"

He looked down into his little girl's face. He realized that just a
little while before he had expected never to look into her face again.
He looked at the government goat, standing a little apart, benevolently
regarding this humankind. Suddenly Joe Doane began to laugh. He
laughed--laughed--and laughed. And it _was_ a laugh.

"When I saw you lift that goat!" said his wife, in the voice of a woman
who may not have a fireless cooker, but--!

Young Joe Doane, too long brow-beaten not to hold the moment of his
advantage, began dancing round Tony Cadara with the taunting yell, "You
ain't _got_ no pa to save your goat!" And Edgar lispingly chimed in,
"Ain't _got_ no pa to save your goat!"

"Here!" cried their father, "Stop devilin' them kids about what they
can't help. Come! Hats on! Every Doane, every Cadara, goes up to see if
Ed. Smith mig