o play pony; then it was quite
impossible to do anything with him. But he was never rough with, or
offered to butt, Tess and Dot. They could manage his goatship when
nobody else could.

Sometimes Billy Bumps' old master, Sammy Pinkney, came over to see his
former pet, but the bulldog, Jock, remained outside the gate. Billy
Bumps did not like Jock, and he was never slow to show his antagonism
toward the dog.

On this occasion that Neale harnessed the goat to the wagon, there was
no trouble at first. Billy Bumps was feeling well and not too lazy. Tess
and Dot got aboard, and the mistress of the goat seized the reins and
clucked to him.

Billy Bumps drove just like a pony--and was quite as well trained. The
little girls guided him all around the garden, and then around the
house, following the bricked path down to the front gate.

They never went outside with Billy unless either Neale, or Uncle Rufus,
was with them, for there was still a well developed doubt in the minds
of the older folk as to what Billy Bumps might do if he took it into his
head to have a "tantrum."

"As though our dear old Billy Bumps would do anything naughty!" Dot
said. "But, as you say, Tess, we can't go out on Main Street with him
unless we ask."

"And Uncle Rufus is busy," said Tess, turning the goat around.

They drove placidly around the house again to the rear, following the
path along the Willow Street side.

"There's Sammy Pinkney," said Dot.

"Well, I hope he doesn't come in," said Tess, busy with the reins. "He
is too rough with Billy Bumps."

But Sammy came in whistling, with his cap very far back on his closely
cropped head, and the usual mischievous grin on his face. Jock was at
his heels and Billy Bumps immediately stopped and shook his head.

"Now, you send that dog right back, Sammy," commanded Tess. "You know
Billy Bumps doesn't like him."

"Aw, I didn't know Jock was following me," explained Sammy, and he drove
the bulldog out of the yard. But he failed to latch the gate, and Jock
was too faithful to go far away.

Billy Bumps was still stamping his feet and shaking his head. Sam came
up and began to rub his ears--an attention for which the goat did not
care.

"Don't tease him, Sammy," begged Dot.

"Aw, I'm not," declared Sammy.

"He doesn't like that--you know he doesn't," admonished Tess.

"He ought to have gotten used to it by this time," Sammy declared.
"Jinks! what's that?"

Unnoticed by the children, San