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Mr. Wagner lived about two miles from a small town, and he
thought it would be nice for his boys to have a little goat cart,
so they could drive into town for mail and do errands for the
family.

Without saying anything to his family, he appeared one evening
leading a nice, docile looking, long-bearded Billy goat, hitched
to a beautiful new red wagon.

Of course, the boys were wild with delight, and their mother
disgusted, for she predicted that he would be more bother than he
was worth, and would eat up all the things in the garden. They
answered her that they would take good care that he never got
loose, and that no wrong would happen, if she would only let
them keep the goat. So with many misgivings she gave her consent,
and Billy was led to the stable behaving like a lamb.

The boys christened him Billy Whiskers immediately, on account of
his long white beard. It being a warm night, they tied him near a
shed, so if it rained he could go under it for protection, and
giving him some grass and a bucket of water, they went to bed to
dream of the fun they were going to have the next day with Billy
Whiskers.

It was five hours later when Billy awakened from his first long
sleep, and feeling refreshed, thought he would take a look
around. It was bright moonlight, and as all the lights were out
in the house, he knew he would not be disturbed, for when he went
to a new place he did not like to be interfered with when he made
his first explorations, and he always preferred making them at
night, and alone. You will no doubt think that he could not
explore much, tied to a short rope, but if you think the rope
made any difference you do not know the ways of an educated goat,
and Billy had no Kindergarten education either, but a regular
High School training in that respect.

He turned, and taking the rope in his mouth as he had done many
times before, he quietly and peacefully chewed it until it fell
apart, and then with a kick of his heels, and a wink at the
house, he went toward the garden. From this direction the evening
breeze was wafting to his nostrils sweet odors of dew-sprinkled
lettuce and tender beet tops.

He ate up all the lettuce, or at least all the choice heads, and
what beets he did not eat, he stepped on. Then he walked across
the flower beds, and trampled down all the flowers, in a short
cut to the pump, for he was getting thirsty.

On his way to the pump he thought he saw a man coming down th