mily of the same
name but I belong to their eldest son, Mike."

"And does he treat you good, my fair friend?" asked Billy.

"Oh, yes," answered Nanny, "as well as boys generally do, but he
often makes me pull heavy loads and forgets to feed and water me
sometimes."

"Oh, the brute," said Billy, "to make anyone as handsome as you
pull heavy loads. How I wish I could help you, for I am strong
and used to pulling large loads. The next time he makes you do it
just run into a tree and upset his cart, or better still, run
away altogether and find someone else to live with."

"Oh, Mr. Billy, I would not dare do either, I am so timid."

"Hark, here comes some one and we must not let them hear us
talking," said Billy, "So ta-ta, I'll see you to-morrow."

Sure enough they had heard some one talking. It was Tim Rooney
and his chum, Mike O'Hara, whom he was bringing to show his goat.
As they unfastened the door, Billy heard Mike say:

"I tell you, Tim, what I will do if he turns out as fine a goat
as you say he is. I'll give you a dollar and a half for him."

"So ye'll give me a dollar and a half, will ye? Well I like
that--a dollar and a half for the finest goat ye ever laid your
two eyes on! Not much--what do ye take me for, an idjet? I don't
want er sell but if ye'll offer injucements enough I may think
about it, for we have no cart or harness fine enough for so
handsome a goat as this one."

"Well, open the door and let's see him," said Mike.

Tim opened the door and there stood Billy Whiskers in all his
glory with his most dignified expression mixed with a little
disgust, for had he not heard himself valued at _a dollar and a
half_,--he that had brought _twenty dollars_ in his day!

Tim tied a rope around Billy's neck and led him out of the shed
and then the bargaining began again.

"Well, since I have seen him," says Mike, "and find he is pretty
large, I'll raise my bid to two dollars cash."

"Not on your life will I sell him for _that_," said Tim.

"Then how does _three_ strike you, or you keep your goat for I
won't pay another cent. It costs too much to keep a big goat like
that; they eat up everything on the place."

This Tim well knew and as he was short of money and a circus was
coming to town the next week, he decided to let him go. But not
without one last effort to get a little more out of Mike. Now
Mike had a hunting knife Tim had long coveted, though it had a
rusty blade and a wobbly handle, so h