magpies.

Once on shore, Billy turned to the left, instead of the right
which was the way home, and made for a tree that was just the
right size to catch the hub of the wheel and overturn the cart in
great shape.

[Illustration]

The boy commenced to switch the goats for the ducking they had
given them, and of course, thought the whipping the cause of
their rapid progress; but could they have read Billy's mind they
would have seen their mistake, for Billy knew the harder and
faster he hit the tree the more sure he was of smashing things
and getting free.

Smash, bang, roll and tumble! the cart has hit the tree and two
boys are rolling over each other in the dust, while two goats go
scampering off into the thick bushes that line the road.

Mike recovered himself first and started in hot pursuit of the
runaways while Tim sat still on a stone and rubbed his head and
nose which was bleeding profusely.

"Hurry, Nanny, hurry," Billy called as he disappeared from sight
down a deep ravine. Poor Nanny was so frightened at what she had
done, she could not hurry or begin to keep up with Billy, who made
great leaps from rock to rock; so she ran under a thorn-apple tree
and trusted to its low drooping branches to hide her.

But Mike was too close on her heels. He saw the moving of the
branches and knew one of the goats was hiding there. She made a
futile attempt to escape but the thorns ran into her so that she
gave up and meekly let herself be led back to the cart.

"I have one of them," Mike called out as soon as he came in sight
of Tim.

"Which one?" said Tim.

"Nanny," said Mike.

"I'll bet ye it wasn't that old one; he's a foxy old customer, he
is, and I'll bet me red shirt ye'll never set your eyes on him
again. Devil take me if I care if ye don't after the wetting and
bloody nose he's given me," said Tim.

"You hold Nanny, while I go look for Billy, Tim."

"All right and joy and good luck go with ye, but mark me words ye
never will find him when you're looking for him. Better come home
with me, and if he ever comes back he'll come back to-night to
see Nanny of his own accord," said Tim. "I know the ways of goats
better than ye do."

But Mike did not take Tim's advice. He went to look for Billy but
in about an hour and a half he wished he hadn't, for he saw no
signs of the runaway, and came back tired and foot-sore just in
time to see Tim and Nanny disappearing over the hill on the way
home.

[Illustrat