Billy Whiskers' Travels

by Frances Trego Montgomery

  *CHAPTER IV*

  *THE BURGOMASTER IS BUMPED*

  Billy Mischief was lucky. In his excitement the fat cook had forgottenthat the shotgun had not been loaded for five years. The cook was soangry that he nearly burst a blood vessel. Grabbing the gun by thebarrel, he jammed it, as he thought, butt end on the ground. Instead ofthat, however, he struck his broad foot a mighty thump.

  "Thunder and hailstones!" he screamed, and jerking his foot up he beganto hop along on the other leg, making the most ridiculous faces while hedid it. In spite of the pain that the gun must have caused the cook,Frank could not help but laugh, and he forgot all his anger at the pushthe man had given him.

  "What's the matter?" asked Frank when he could catch his breath. "Doesit hurt?"

  The cook did not understand English but he felt that Frank was pokingfun at him, and stopped his dance long enough to shake his fist atFrank. He wanted to say something very sharp and cutting to the boy,but he could not think of anything strong enough, so, after drawing hisbreath hard two or three times and screwing up his mouth with pain, heturned the gun muzzle end down, and, using it for a crutch, swung alongback to the inn, muttering and mumbling all the way.

  Frank laughed so hard that he had to sit down at the edge of thesidewalk a moment to hold his sides, but all at once he thought of hisgoat. There it was, going up the street, and although little more thana green and white speck now, Frank bravely took after it. He probablynever would have caught it except that Billy, also being tired andfeeling himself free from pursuit, stopped before a big house set wellback from the street, on a wide, fine lawn.

  Now the house in front of which he had stopped was the residence of theburgomaster, or mayor of the village, a very pompous fellow who thoughta great deal of his own importance, and in the center of his lawn he hada fountain of which he was very proud. The water in the base of thefountain was clear as crystal and it looked very cool and inviting toBilly after his dusty run, and, besides, the paint on his back feltsticky. Without wasting any time about it, Billy trotted up across thenice lawn and jumped into the fountain for a bath, just as theburgomaster came out of his front door with his stout cane in his hand.

  "Pig of a goat!" cried the burgomaster, hurrying down the walk andacross the lawn. "Out with him! Police!" and he drew a little silverwhistle from his pocket, whistling loudly upon it; then, shaking hiscane in the air, he ran up to the edge of the fountain, the waters ofwhich were turned a bright green by this time. Billy saw him coming,but, instead of jumping out of the fountain and running away, he merelysplashed around to the far side of the basin. The burgomaster ran tothat side of the fountain but Billy simply splashed around out of hisreach. Then the burgomaster, up on the stone coping of the fountain,began to run around and around after Billy, the goat keeping just out ofhis reach and the burgomaster trying to strike him with the cane. Atlast, after an especially hard blow, the burgomaster went plungingheadlong into the green water of the basin, where he floundered aboutlike a cow in a bath tub.

  Billy jumped on him and used him as a stepping stone out of the basin,running back to the street just as Frank and a stupid looking policemancame running up from different directions. At first the policeman wasgoing to arrest the goat, but Frank pointed to where the burgomaster wasstill flopping around in the fountain and the policeman ran to help theburgomaster, who was now dyed a beautiful green, face and hands andclothes, while Frank took Billy by one horn and raced back down thestreet with him. This was what Billy liked. He was a young goat, and,like other young animals, was playful, and he thought that Frank'sracing with him was good fun, so he went along willingly enough, andwhen Frank let go of his horn, he galloped along beside his young mastervery contentedly.

  Frank ran back to the hotel with his goat as fast as he could go, butwhen they drew near he saw a large crowd out in front and their carriagewaiting for them, with the horses hitched and the driver sitting up infront. Mrs. Brown was in the carriage and Frank's father was in frontof the crowd handing out money, first to one and then to the other.When Frank and his goat came up his father looked at the goat verysternly.

  "See all the trouble that animal has made us!" he said. "I have had topay out in damages nearly every cent of cash I have with me, and asthere is no bank in this little village, my letter of credit is worthnothing here. We must hurry on to Bern as fast as we can, and I wantyou to leave that goat behind you. We can't bother with him any more.Come on and get in."

  "But, father," explained Frank, "the goat did not know what he wasdoing."

  "It does not matter," replied Mr. Brown. "There's no telling what kindof mischief he will get into next."

  "But, father," again urged Frank, "if you've had to pay out all thatmoney for him you might as well have the goat. There is no use oflosing the goat and money, too."

  "Get in the carriage," said Mr. Brown, sharply.

  "But, father--" again Frank began to argue. This time, however, Mr.Brown cut him short, and, picking him up, put him into the carriage witha not very gentle hand. Then, climbing in himself, he ordered thedriver to start.

  Billy had taken his place back where he had been tied the other time,and he was surprised to find the carriage moving on without him. Thecook, seeing that the goat was to be left behind, started forward togive the animal a kick, but Billy was too quick for him. Wheeling, hesuddenly ran between the cook's legs and doubled him over. Just behindthe cook stood Hans Zug, and as Billy wriggled out sideways from beneaththe cook's feet, the cook tumbled back against Hans and both of themwent to the ground. Billy stood and shook his head for a moment as ifto double them up again before they got to their feet, but the sight ofthe retreating carriage made him change his mind and he ran after itwith Hans and the fat cook chasing him.

  The carriage was not going very rapidly, and Billy, after he had caughtup with it, merely trotted along back of the rear axle, so that when thecarriage passed the burgomaster's house, Hans and the cook were not veryfar behind. They were bound to catch that goat and punish him for whathe had done, although it is very likely that before they got throughthey would have sold him and kept the money. The burgomaster was stillout in front, fretting and fuming, but the stupid policeman was gone.He had been sent down to the hotel to arrest the foreign boy and hisgoat, and he was too stupid to notice them, even with Hans and the cookpaddling along behind. He had nothing in his mind but the hotel to whichhe had been sent. The burgomaster, however, recognized the green-tintedgoat as soon as he saw him.

  "There he goes!" cried the burgomaster. "Brute beast of a goat! Halt,I say!" Blowing his little whistle, he, too, so filled with anger thatit made him puff up like a toad, started out after the carriage; andthere they ran, the three clumsy-looking fat men, one after the other,puffing and panting and blowing, just out of reach of the goat.

  There they ran, the three clumsy-looking fat men.]

  Mr. and Mrs. Brown and Frank were too intent on getting up the steepstreet and out of the town to notice what was going on behind them, butjust now they came to the top of the hill and began to go down thegentle slope on the other side. The driver whipped up his horses, thegoat also increased his pace, and away they went. The cook, seeing thatthe goat was about to escape, made a lunge, thinking that he could grabit by the tail or the hind legs, but as he did so his feet caught on astone and over he went. Hans Zug, being right behind him, tumbled overhim, and the fat burgomaster tumbled over both of them. The burgomasterwas so angry that he felt he surely must throw somebody into jail, so,as soon as he could get his breath, he grabbed Hans Zug by the collarwith one hand and the cook with the other.

  BILLY SAW HIM COMING, SPLASHED AROUND TO THE FAR SIDE OFTHE FOUNTAIN.]

  "I arrest you in the name of Canton Bern for obstructing a highofficer!" he exclaimed, and the stupid policeman running up just then,he turned poor Hans and the cook over to him and sent them to jail.

  All the hot, dusty afternoon B
illy followed Mr. Brown's carriage, now uphill and now down hill, without ever showing himself to them. Wheneverhe thought of straying off into the pleasant grassy valleys and strikingout into the world for himself again, he remembered that the Browns weregoing to America and that if he went with them he might see his motheragain. He did not know, of course, that America was such a large place,so, while now and then he stopped at the roadside to nibble a mouthfulof grass or stopped when they crossed a stream to get a drink of water,he never lost sight of them, but when he found himself getting too farbehind, scampered on and overtook them.

  Billy followed Mr. Brown's carriage.]

  It was not until nightfall that the carriage rolled into the city ofBern. Billy had never seen so large a city before and the rumbling ofmany wagons and carriages, the passing of the many people on the streetsand the hundreds of lights confused and surprised him. He was not halfso surprised at this, however, as Mr. and Mrs. Brown and Frank were tofind Billy behind their carriage when they stopped in front of a large,handsome hotel. Frank was the first one to discover him.

  "Oh, see, papa!" he cried. "My Billy followed us all the way from thevillage; so now I do get to keep him, don't I?"

  Mr. Brown smiled and gave up.

  "I'm afraid he's an expensive goat, Frank," was all he said, and then hegave Billy in charge of one of the porters who had crowded around thecarriage.

  "Wash the paint from this goat and lock him up some place for the nightwhere he can't do any damage," he directed the porter.

  Billy was glad enough to have the dry green paint scrubbed off his backand he willingly went with the porter to a clean little basement room,where he got a good scrubbing. Then the porter went into another roomand brought him out some nice carrots with green tops still on them,and, leaving a basin of water for him to drink, went out and closed thedoor carefully after him. Billy liked the carrots, but he did not liketo be shut up in a dark room, so he soon went all around the wallstrying to find a way out. There was no way except the two doors and ahigh, dim window. He tried to butt the doors down but they were ofsolid, heavy oak, and he could not do it. In a few minutes, however theporter came back for his keys, and the moment he opened the door Billyseized his chance. Gathering his legs under him for a big jump, herushed between the man's legs and dashed up the stairs, out through thenarrow courtyard and on the street. The porter, as soon as he could getto his feet, rushed out after him, but Billy was nowhere in sight andthe poor porter did not know what to do. He did not dare to go back andtell Mr. Brown that the goat had gotten loose, because he would becharged with carelessness.

  In the meantime Billy had galloped up the street and turned first onecorner and then another, until he came to a street much wider andbrighter and busier than any of the others. By this time first one boyand then another and then another had followed him, until now there wasa big crowd of them running after him and shouting at the top of theirlungs.

  A large dog that a lady was leading along the sidewalk by a strap brokeaway from his mistress as soon as he saw Billy and ran out to bark athim. Billy lowered his head and shook it at the dog. The dog began tocircle round him closer and closer, barking loudly all the while. A mandriving a big dray stopped to watch them; the boys crowded round in abig ring; men came from the sidewalks and joined the crowd; a carriagehad to stop just behind the dray, then another; a wagon coming from theother direction could not get through; and presently the street wasfilled from sidewalk to sidewalk, the whole length of the block, with abig crowd of people and a jam of vehicles of all kinds. Policemen triedto push their way through the crowd and tried to get the blockadeloosened and moving on, but their time was wasted.

  In the meantime Billy was turning around and around where he stood,always facing the dog which now began to dart in with a snap of histeeth and dart away again, trying to get a hold on Billy. The goat wastoo quick, however, and dodged every time the dog made a snap. He waswaiting for his chance and at last it came. The dog, in jumping awayfrom one of his snaps, turned his body for a moment sideways to the goatand in that moment Billy gathered himself up and made a spring, hittingthe dog square in the side and sending him over against the crowd.Billy followed like a little white streak of lightning and, before thedog could get on his feet, had butted him again.

  Such a howling and yelling as there was among that side of the crowd;Billy and the dog were now among them and they could not scatter muchfor there were too many people packed solidly behind them. The dogyelped as Billy butted him and began to run around and around the circlewith Billy right after him. After they had made two or three circles,Billy overtook the dog and, giving him one more good one, jumped betweenthe legs of the crowd and wriggled his way through among carriages andwagons, under horses and between wheels, until at last he was free fromthe crowd.

  Nobody at the outer edge noticed him getting away because they did notknow what the excitement was and they were all pressing forward to see.Just as he left, somebody who could not understand what else could makesuch excitement cried, "Fire!"

  The cry was taken up, and that made still more confusion. People beganpouring into that block from every direction. More wagons and carriagescame. Some one had turned in a fire alarm, and presently here came thefire engines from three or four directions at once, clanging andclattering their way to this crowded block. The city of Bern had neverknown so much excitement.