oing into the barn, the door of which was
standing open, when a little, yellow dog ran out at them and
commenced to bark and bite at Betty's heels. She let one foot fly
out quickly behind and Mr. Doggie went rolling over in the dirt,
and at that minute Billy spied a little open gate that led into
the orchard and through this they both ran with the Deacon and
dog still after them.

When they got to the other side of the orchard they came to a
rail fence. This Billy took at one jump, breaking the top rail as
he went over, and it was a good thing he did for it helped Betty
get over as she was not as high a jumper as Billy.

They were over the fence and a good way down the road before the
deacon got to the fence, and then he was so out of breath from
running that he gave up the chase, called off his dog, and
throwing two or three stones at them, turned and walked slowly
back to the garden to see what damage they had done.

Billy and Betty wandered around all day and at night went to
sleep in a straw stack on the outskirts of the town.

[Illustration]

_What Billy Did on Monday_

All day Sunday the circus people worked to get their tents up and
everything in shape for the Monday's performances, and when at
night they went to look over the animals to see if all were there
they missed Billy and Betty.

"Now there will be the dickens to pay," said the animal keeper,
"if that goat can't be found for he has been the means of
bringing more children to the circus than anything else we have
had for them."

"I will eat my shirt off if I know where to look for him! You can
bet your life he is a good one on a hide."

"You and I will have to go hunt him, John, so go saddle two
horses and we will start out. He must have turned into some of
the lanes we passed on our way here, and coaxed Betty off with
him. They could easily get away without being noticed when the
bridge broke down. You search the town and I will take the road
and lanes."

While the men were looking for the two runaways, they were
quietly grazing along the road that led to the town.

Now Billy got tired of the quiet and said, "Come Betty, let's go
into the town and see the sights and have some fun, and maybe we
can find a grocery store where there are good things setting
outside to eat, or a fruit stand," for Billy had not forgotten
how luscious the pears and peaches had tasted that he had stolen
from a fruit stand one day.

This was agreeable t