ward and in one he held a rope with a
long loop in it.

"So, ho," thought Billy, "he expects to tie that rope around my
neck, does he? Well, let him cross the stream and catch me
first."

But while Billy was thinking this the circus-man was making the
rope fly round and round his head in a long circle, and soon with
a quick twist, the rope straightened out and the loop fell over
Billy's head and settled on his neck while he stood looking at
them.

Billy was the most surprised goat you ever saw, for it was the
first time he had ever seen a lasso thrown and had he only known
it, the circus-man had been a cowboy in his younger days and
lassoed many head of cattle. When Billy found he was fairly
caught, his pride had a fall, for he had thought himself too
smart to be caught, and instead of him leading the men a chase
and making them cross the brook to get him, they were pulling
him off the bank and through the water, making him follow them.

At first he tried to pull back and get away, but he had to give
that up, for the rope tightened round his neck and shut off his
breath and he was glad enough to follow where they led.

When Nanny saw what had happened she ran up to Billy bleating as
if her heart would break for she was very fond of him, and she
was afraid they were going to kill him or take him away forever.

"Don't cry, Nanny. I will get loose and come back to-night, or
to-morrow night sure, if I can't get loose to-night; so don't
take on so. I know my way back and a circus tent is not a hard
thing to get out of."

"But, Billy dear, they may tie you as they have now, and then you
can't get loose," said Nanny.

"Oh, yes I can, when they leave me alone, I can chew the rope in
two."

"But can't I go with you, Billy? I feel so terribly at being left
alone and, think of it, we have not been married two weeks."

"What a pretty face that little Nanny goat has," said the
circus-man.

"Yes," answered the farmer, "they both came to the pasture one
day and joined my goats and have been here ever since. I never
knew where they came from, or whom they belonged to."

"Well, here we are at the barn, you must run back, little Nanny;
I can't take you with me to-day, though it does seem a shame to
separate you two lovers," said the circus-man.

As Billy went through the bars he halted a second to give Nanny a
last good-bye kiss; and with the tears streaming down her face,
Nanny stood and watched him until they were o