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diff --git a/old/65898-0.txt b/old/65898-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1082295..0000000 --- a/old/65898-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4640 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Billy Whiskers in France, by Frances -Trego Montgomery - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Billy Whiskers in France - -Author: Frances Trego Montgomery - -Illustrator: Florence White Williams - -Release Date: July 22, 2021 [eBook #65898] - -Language: English - -Produced by: David E. Brown and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team - at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images - generously made available by The Internet Archive/American - Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY WHISKERS IN -FRANCE *** - - - -[Illustration: “I ran straight on, regardless of bombs dropping all -around me.” (Page 124)] - - - - - BILLY WHISKERS - IN FRANCE - - BY - - FRANCES TREGO MONTGOMERY - - AUTHOR OF “BILLY WHISKERS,” “BILLY WHISKERS’ KIDS,” “BILLY - WHISKERS IN THE SOUTH,” “BILLY WHISKERS IN CAMP,” - “ZIP, THE ADVENTURES OF A FRISKY FOX TERRIER,” ETC. - - [Illustration] - - ILLUSTRATED BY FLORENCE WHITE WILLIAMS - - THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY - CHICAGO AKRON, OHIO NEW YORK - - - - - Copyright 1919, - by - The Saalfield Publishing Co. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I BILLY WHISKERS GROWS HOMESICK 7 - - II BILLY UNEXPECTEDLY MEETS A FRIEND 15 - - III AN INOPPORTUNE SNEEZE 23 - - IV THE GENERAL RECAPTURES BILLY 35 - - V BILLY NEARLY KILLS THE COOK 47 - - VI BILLY RELATES SOME OF HIS ADVENTURES 59 - - VII BUTTON FRIGHTENS TWO NURSES 75 - - VIII BILLY MAKES PLANS TO LEAVE FRANCE 83 - - IX BUTTON DISCOVERS SPIES IN THE HAYMOW 95 - - X BUTTON MAKES THE FARMER FIGHTING MAD 109 - - XI THE CHUMS ON A CANAL BOAT 123 - - XII BUTTON HAS A FIGHT WITH A WHARF RAT 135 - - XIII A DOG CEMETERY IN PARIS 143 - - XIV WHAT THE CHUMS DID IN PARIS 153 - - XV BLOWN UP BY A SUBMARINE 165 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - “I ran straight on, regardless of bombs dropping all - around me” _Frontispiece_ - - PAGE - - Every man of them jumped as if shot 30 - - Billy gave one long, loud baa that resounded down the big, bare - room 66 - - Away went Billy, jerking the cook around trees, over stumps and - beehives 92 - - One thing Billy butted was a basket full of clothes 118 - - The first thing Billy knew, he was rolling over something soft - that squealed like a stuck pig and that kicked like a calf 148 - - - - -_Billy Whiskers in France_ - - - - -CHAPTER I - -BILLY WHISKERS GROWS HOMESICK - - -As Billy Whiskers lay in an American camp somewhere over in France, -he became very restless and soon had the blues from thinking of his -dear Nannie so far away--away over in America, with that deep, deep, -wide, blue ocean between them, infested not only with huge sea monsters -belonging to the finny tribe, but also with death-dealing, quickly -moving submarines and torpedo boats belonging to the German Kaiser. - -“I want dreadfully to go home! Still I hate to risk my life on any -ship that sails the seas these days, for it may be blown sky high at -any moment, or sunk to the nethermost depths of the ocean. There is no -way to walk around, and I don’t suppose I could get any one to let me -go with them in an airship. So here I must remain, or trust my life -to some troop ship returning to America for more soldiers. I just -believe I will do it! I have lost all interest in the War over here -since my master was wounded and was invalided home. Home! The very word -makes me so homesick I can’t see for tears. Well, I’ll just fix this -homesickness, so I will! I start for there this very minute. It is a -good dark night and I think I can slip out of camp easily as they have -not been watching me so closely since my master was sent away.” - -Suiting the action to the words, Billy jumped up, shook himself, took -a long breath and said to himself, “Here’s luck to you, old fellow, on -your long, long, perilous journey! And may you reach the other side and -once more see your loving little wife Nannie and all your children and -grandchildren!” - -Then he gave a flick of his tail and started on a brisk run for the -least guarded entrance to the camp, to try to sneak through. - -“My, but it is lonesome traveling by myself!” he thought. “I do wish -Stubby and Button were here to accompany me on this journey.” - -Billy was so busy thinking of his old friends Stubby, the little yellow -dog with a stubby tail, and Button, the big black cat with blazing eyes -like buttons, that he reached the entrance to the camp before he knew -it, and he managed to slip out without being stopped, for there was a -jam at the gate caused by many big ambulances going out and army trucks -coming in. - -“Humph!” said Billy to himself. “If I get over all my difficulties as -easily as I got through that gate and past the guards, my journey will -be a smooth and pleasant one.” - -He had been traveling some time when he heard some one say, “Hi, there, -Billy Whiskers! What are you doing outside of camp? Looks to me as if -you were trying to run away.” This from a driver of an ambulance who -knew Billy was not to be allowed to escape from the camp. “Come here -and I will give you a nice red apple.” - -“See anything green in my eye?” winked back Billy. “I know you! You -would give me an apple with one hand and slip a rope around my neck -with the other. Anyway, where’s your apple? _I_ don’t see any!” - -“Here, Billy! Stop, I tell you, and come here! If you don’t like -apples, here is a handful of salt,” and the soldier held his hand out -as if he had it full of salt. - -But Billy was too keen for him. He had seen him close his hand over -nothing before offering it to him. So he kept right on walking as if he -had not heard the soldier. - -“Say, Bill, this is no joke! It is the General’s orders that you are -not to escape, but to be made to stay in camp until we go home. You are -too valuable a goat to allow the Germans to make you up into chops and -roasts. Besides, when we get home we want to show the goat that stole -Von Luxemburg’s maps and plans from under his very nose, and also -butted or hooked all his staff into a heap in the corner of his own -little room. If you won’t come back for apples or salt or coaxing, very -well! I’ll have to lasso you, or shoot you in one of your legs so you -cannot run away,” and the soldier turned his back to look for a rope in -the ambulance, as he preferred to lasso Billy rather than shoot him. -He was an expert with the lasso, as he had come from a ranch away out -in Montana to join the army, and was considered the best hand with the -rope in all Montana. - -[Illustration] - -“Huh!” grunted Billy. “I must have run into Lasso Jake. If this is so, -I better be getting a move on me and pushing my leg.” - -As luck would have it, right before Billy was a creek, with a temporary -bridge across it. Down the bank beside the bridge plunged Billy, for he -knew the bank was so high that the cowboy soldier could not throw his -lasso so as to catch him. Instead of trying to climb out the other side -of the creek, Billy kept on in the middle of the swift-flowing stream, -swimming against the current, though he could not make much progress -against it. Presently he heard voices and turning his head he saw two -soldiers standing on the bridge and one was swinging a lasso over his -head. Billy waited to see no more, but ducked. And just as his head -disappeared under the water, he heard the splash of the rope as it hit -the surface of the water just where his head had been. - -“Good thing I ducked! If I hadn’t, they would now be pulling me to -shore with a lasso around my neck. Gee, but that was a close call, -and that cowboy soldier is some lasso thrower! I never saw his equal, -even in a circus. I think he better get a flying machine and fly over -the German line and watch his chance to rope the Kaiser or the Crown -Prince, some of the Generals and other high monkey-monks.” And Billy -laughed to himself at the spectacle of the Kaiser being made to walk -into an American camp with a lasso around his neck. Billy forgot he -could not open his mouth to laugh under water, and he began to choke so -he had to stop swimming under water and come to the surface. - -Just as he did so, his eye caught sight of a soldier standing on the -bank of the stream with a lasso hanging from his hand ready to throw -the moment Billy’s head appeared above the surface of the water. He -was about to dive again when he heard a cry for help from the bridge. -The soldier turned and ran to rescue a man who had fallen into the -water, calling as he went down, “Save me! I can’t swim!” - -Billy crawled out of the stream and stood watching the soldier with the -lasso trying to save his comrade. He was having a hard time for as the -man went down he struck his head on a stone, which stunned him, and -now he was being carried downstream by the swift current and knocked -against the bowlders over which the water frothed. Try as he would, the -cowboy soldier was put to it to catch up to him as the swift current -bore his chum’s body ever and still ever ahead of him. But at last his -comrade’s body caught between two rocks and was held there until the -cowboy soldier overtook it. The cold water had revived the man, so that -by the time his soldier chum reached him he was coming to his senses. -Billy only waited to see that the man was alive and then he left them -sitting in midstream, each on a big rock that raised its head above the -water. He thought it wise to cut sticks for safety and ran into a thick -woods he saw, which would serve to hide him from the soldiers should -they cross the bridge and try to follow him. This, however, they did -not do, knowing it would be useless to try to catch Billy when he had -such a start. - -As soon as he could, Billy found his way out of the woods to the road -he had left. After following it for some time he found it led out to -the main highway to Paris. This road Billy knew he must follow or -he could never find his way back to the seacoast. Once in Paris, he -knew he must pass through it and then keep straight on in a westerly -direction until he came to the English Channel. Once there, he would -follow the coast until he came to a port from which boats were sailing -for America. Then he would watch his chance to steal aboard and sail -for home. Billy was very good at directions and from the moment he had -landed in France he had taken special pains to keep the points of the -compass straight in his head, so that if he ever wanted to return home -alone he would find his way. Now it proved what a wise old goat he -was, for all he had to do was to travel by the sun and North Star in -a northeasterly direction until he came to Paris and from there in a -westerly until he reached the English Channel, from one of whose ports -he had disembarked when he came to France. But it was discouraging to -think how very far it was and what privations and hardships he would -have to endure and overcome before he reached his destination. But -Billy Whiskers was a regular old soldier by this time and well used to -hardships and hard knocks of all kinds. So he only heaved a long sigh -and then ran all the faster, knowing that every step he took brought -him just that much nearer home and Nannie. - -“If I tried to count the steps I shall have to take before reaching -home, it would be like counting the sands of the sea. I shan’t try, but -just push on and I know I shall get there some day.” - -“Bow-wow-wow!” barked a big Dane in his deep voice. - -“Bow! Wow! Wow!” came the short, sharp, snappy barks from a -short-legged Scotch terrier as they bounded out of a gate beside the -road, ready to pounce on Billy. They were followed by poodles, collies, -St. Bernards, and all manner of dogs, both great and small. Billy -thought he had never seen so many dogs of different breeds in one place -in all his life. You see he had run into a dog hospital, and these were -the convalescent dogs which were allowed to play together in the yard. - -[Illustration] - -Not one of these dogs tried to bite Billy, and after they had given up -trying to frighten him by barking in their fiercest way as if about to -eat him alive, they quieted down and became as docile as lambs. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -BILLY UNEXPECTEDLY MEETS A FRIEND - - -“Good-morning, friends!” baaed Billy. “Would you allow a tired traveler -to rest under the shade of your trees, and give him a drink of water? -For I am a stranger in a strange land, and have traveled far. I am an -American.” - -“You an _American_?” exclaimed the dogs in chorus. - -“Now we surely are glad to meet you!” barked the big Dane. “For if -there is any place on earth we dogs have longed to see, it is America. -Probably you will tell us about it?” - -“Yes,” said another dog. “We have heard that every dog has his day over -there and many of them two or three.” - -“We have also heard,” added a French poodle, “that all dogs are free -over there, and can go and come as they like, and that they are never -tied up, shut in a house or muzzled. Is that true?” - -“Yes and no,” replied Billy. “It depends on where you live and who your -master or mistress is.” - -“Why, we have heard,” piped up a little black and tan, “that any dog -can choose his own master or mistress, and that all he has to do if he -doesn’t like them or isn’t pleased with the way they treat him is to -walk off and follow the first person he sees that he thinks he would -like to live with, and that they will take him home with them and feed -and house him.” - -[Illustration] - -“Again you are partly right and partly wrong,” replied Billy. “It -depends on whom you run away from and whom you pick out to be your new -master or mistress. You might happen to belong to some one who was very -fond of you, though you might not be fond of them. In that case if you -ran away they would advertise and try to get you back, but if you had -proved yourself to be a good-for-nothing dog, they would let you go and -say ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish!’ and never bother their heads about -you. - -“Then again you might show poor judgment in selecting a new master and -choose one who did not care for dogs, and when he found you following -him he might throw sticks and stones at you. So you see you can’t -always be sure of changing masters successfully.” - -“Did you just come from America?” asked a fourth. - -“Oh, no! I have been over here nearly a year now, with the army.” - -“You don’t mean to tell us that you have really and truly been with the -army?” - -“Surely not at the front!” added another in amazement. - -“But I have!” Billy assured them. “I have crossed No-Man’s-Land many -times, and been shot at and blown up once besides. See where a piece of -my tail is gone? Well, I lost it at Verdun. A bomb exploded and threw -me up in the air and also blew off part of my tail. I consider myself -very lucky that it decided to blow a piece off that end of my body -instead of the other, for if it had been my head in place of my tail, -it would have killed me. I can’t get along without a head, but I can -without a tail.” - -“Haw! Haw! Haw!” laughed the dogs. - -“You surely are a funny fellow!” said one. “Come on in and we will find -something for you to eat and drink and also a place to rest. Then after -you have rested, I hope you will tell us more of your experiences at -the front. If you will do that, we will tell you our experiences in -Paris before we left there, and we will introduce you to some of our -celebrated police and Red Cross dogs who have been in the war and -been wounded or gassed. They will relate some thrilling adventures and -hairbreadth escapes. To-night will be a good time, after our keepers -have gone to bed. Then we can sneak out under the trees in the little -patch of woods behind the big stables and while you brave soldiers swap -tales of the war we who have never been near the war can listen. - -“There goes one of our heroes now. See that dog crossing the lawn, -wearing a Red Cross bandage on his chest?” - -Billy turned and took one long look at the dog. Then without a word -of warning he put down his head and bounded toward him, taking ten or -twelve feet at a single bound. - -The dogs stood spellbound. What was the big goat going to do? Butt -their wounded hero? If so, why should he wish to butt a perfectly -harmless dog he had never seen before? But had he never seen him -before? Perhaps they had met and fought on the battlefield and were -enemies. If so, they must all run and protect their hero from the long -horns of the strange goat. - -But when the dogs arrived within speaking distance they were overjoyed -to hear the goat baa out, “Hello, old chum! How in all that is -wonderful did you get here? I heard you were dead; that you had been -seen with a Red Cross ambulance which had first been gassed and then -blown up by a shell. One of your friends said he saw you with his own -eyes sitting in the back of the ambulance when the shell struck it, -and the next thing he saw was the whole ambulance flying up in the air -and then coming down in small pieces.” - -[Illustration] - -“What he saw all happened. I was there and sitting in the back of the -ambulance with my gas mask on, for the signal had been given for all -to put on their masks, and one of the doctors with the ambulance corps -had just stopped and strapped mine in place when a shell hit us, and I -found myself going up in the air at the rate of about a hundred miles -a minute. When I came down, my mask had been blown off my face. How it -ever was done without killing me or blowing my head off I don’t know, -but it was. I thought I was all right until I began to see red, and I -had a queer sensation in my head as if my brain were going round and -round like a cat runs after its tail. Then I could not get my breath -and I fell over, giving myself up for dead. But if you will believe it, -the next thing I knew I opened my eyes and found myself in a long room -with two rows of beds in it, all just like baby cribs. And bending -over me was a sweet-faced lady nurse. I found myself all bound up in -splints and cotton batting. You see an interne to another Red Cross -ambulance who had come to look for the wounded, if any had possibly -survived the blow-up, had found me senseless on the ground. So he -picked me up and brought me here as this hospital for dogs was on the -way to the hospital where he was stationed. This is now my fourth week -here, and I want to tell you that only angels in human form live here. -They are so good to one! They have nursed me back to life. I was only -slightly gassed and so my lungs are all healed and I am also over my -shell shock. I shall likely go back to the front in another week.” - -“You don’t mean that you are going back to the fighting line, do you?” -asked a long white-haired collie that had fallen very much in love with -the brave Red Cross dog. “Oh, why do you risk your life again?” - -“Why do I risk my life?” in astonishment. “To try to save some brave -soldier, whose life is a thousand times more valuable than any dog’s -ever will be. Yes, I am going back and back and back as long as I have -eyes, teeth or claws to go back with, until this cruel war is over.” - -“Bully for you!” exclaimed Billy. “You make me feel like a slacker, -getting homesick and running away from the army.” - -“Well, it is not too late yet to go back. I propose that you stay here -and rest until next week and then go back with me.” - -“I’ll do it!” said Billy, and they rubbed noses together to seal the -bargain. “I hear a bugle. What is that call for?” - -“Oh, that is our supper call,” said the Red Cross dog. “When they blow -the bugle all the dogs that are running loose are supposed to go to -the back kitchen door. There are long troughs there in which they put -our suppers. Come ahead with us, and we will give you some food. There -will be plenty for all of us and for you too, for they serve very -bountifully here,” and all the dogs and Billy too moved off in the -direction of the kitchen. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -AN INOPPORTUNE SNEEZE - - -“Well, well, well! Whom have we with us?” exclaimed the cook at the -dog hospital as he stood in the kitchen door in apron and cap ready to -throw some more food in the dogs’ trough. “Bless my soul, I believe it -is Billy Whiskers!” - -Billy hearing his name spoken looked up, only to find himself gazing -into the eyes of the cook who had once served the old General who had -issued the strict orders for Billy not to be allowed to leave camp. - -“Billy, you old rascal, come here and let me pull your beard for luck -and old times’ sake! I will bet my whole month’s wages that you have -run away from camp.” - -All the time the cook was talking, he was walking toward Billy, wishing -to get near enough to discover if the goat really wore around his neck -a collar from which hung a medal engraved with his name. - -“Here, Billy, is a nice big carrot for you. Don’t jerk back. I am -not going to hurt you. I am only going to pat your head. Don’t you -remember the good old times in camp when I used to give you nice juicy -apples and crisp lettuce heads?” - -By this time the cook was standing close by Billy, pretending to pat -his head, but every time he put his fingers through his hair, he tried -to feel for the collar and Billy would jerk his head away. He was -afraid the cook was going to try to take off his collar and Billy had -made up his mind many moons before this that if ever any one tried to -take it off he would fight them to the death. Just then a little breeze -blew Billy’s hair up so that it showed the medal with some engraving on -it, and the cook saw it read: - -“This collar was presented to Billy Whiskers by the --th New York -Regiment for his bravery in battle.” - -“Well, Billy, I certainly am glad to see you! But I bet you have left -many sad hearts behind you. I am homesick to be back with my old -regiment, but I can’t go. Perhaps you haven’t noticed that I have a -wooden leg and that part of my right arm is gone. If it was only my leg -that was gone, I would be back, leg or no leg. But without my arm, I -can’t shoot or carry a bayonet. It breaks my heart to be near enough -to hear the roar of battle as I am here, and know I can’t be in it, -killing off those pigs of Germans!” - -Just then from down the road came the sound of a high powered motor -car, and the cook, stepping on a big stone to see the better, -exclaimed, “It is the General, by hookey! And I bet he is coming in -here for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat, as he knows I can get it -for him quicker than if he went on to the village restaurant, and -better, too. He always said no one could make coffee like I can.” - -Billy waited to hear no more, but started to find a place to hide, well -knowing the General would carry him back to camp if he saw him, even if -he had to take him in the auto with him. - -[Illustration] - -The cook had forgotten all about Billy in his excitement at seeing the -General. Billy took advantage of this to whisper to the dogs, telling -them what was up and they all followed him as he ran toward the stable -to try to find a place to hide. Just as Billy was about to turn the -corner of the stable, he saw the General’s big touring car turn in the -lane. - -“Gee, fellows, I’m lost if that cook even mentions my being here! For -the General is equal to sending a whole squad of soldiers to find me -and bring me back to camp. It would not be the first time he has done -it, either!” - -By this time Billy and the dogs had run into the little grove of trees -spoken of before, but they stayed near enough the edge to be able to -see if any one started to hunt for Billy. - -“I tell you what I think would be a good plan,” said the Red Cross -dog. “Have one of the dogs go back and hang around where he could hear -everything the cook says to the General. In that way we will know -whether or not he tells the General that you are here.” - -“Excellent idea, that!” agreed Billy. - -“Pinky, you would be the best one to go. You are so small that you can -squeeze in anywhere out of sight under a chair or sofa, and listen to -all that is said.” - -“Oh, I don’t want to go! I am afraid they will kick me out if they -should catch me listening. Besides, I want to stay here and hear Mr. -Billy Whiskers relate his experiences. It is so dull here after Paris -that I just long for some excitement, and I am sure Mr. Whiskers’ tales -will be all that.” - -“You run along, Miss Pinky, and I’ll tell you just what I tell them -some other time all by yourself. Besides, you won’t miss much as our -friend here, the Red Cross dog, can tell you adventures a hundred times -more exciting than I can.” - -“Oh, no, he can’t. But I will go if you promise to repeat word for word -to me all you tell them when we are alone some time.” - -[Illustration] - -“Thank you very much, Miss Pinky.” - -“Don’t call me Pinky! That is not my name! It is only a nasty, mean -nickname the dogs have given me because I am afflicted with pink lids -to my eyes, the same as many poodle dogs. I just _hate_ that name! But -I can’t stop them from using it.” - -“And pray what is your real name?” asked Billy. - -“Rosie de la France. And it is such a pretty one I like to be called by -it.” - -“Well, hereafter I will call you Mademoiselle Rosie de la France. But -I cannot see much difference between Rosie and Pinky, as they are both -pretty much the same color.” - -“Yes, if you look at it in that way. But it is the meaning hidden under -it that I hate.” - -“Never mind now what you are called, but run along or you will be too -late to hear all the cook says to the General,” said the Red Cross dog. - -The dogs then all lay down under the trees in a semi-circle around -Billy and the Red Cross dog, so they could hear every word that was -said by either of them, but every one of them kept an eye open for -any one who might round the corner of the stable. Billy and the Red -Cross dog had told them their most exciting experiences in the war, -interposed by stories from the other dogs, when they heard the hum and -buzz of the big motor as it drove out of the lane, and at the same time -they saw Pinky running toward them so fast one could scarcely see her -for dust. - -She ran into their midst panting and all out of breath, and between -gasps tried to tell them that she had slipped into the sitting-room and -sneaked under a big davenport with a cover thrown over it that hid her -completely, but where she could hear every word that was spoken in the -room. The General was sitting at a little table only a few feet from -her, eating the good things the cook had brought to him on a tray. - -“He seemed in a very good humor,” she said, “and was laughing and -joking with two officers who were with him when I had the misfortune to -sneeze. You would have thought I had thrown a bomb the way those three -men jumped to their feet and reached for their swords! - -“‘Who sneezed?’ thundered the General. - -“‘There is some one hiding in this room!’ exclaimed one of his staff. - -“‘Come out of the closet or from behind those curtains or wherever you -are before I shoot!’ commanded the General. - -“Of course no one came out, and I crouched down nearer the floor than -ever and prayed that they would not lift the cover of that davenport -and see me. I could see through the thin ruffle of the davenport cover -and there they all stood stock still, with eyes searching every nook -and corner of the room. Then what do you think happened? I sneezed -again, and expected to be killed on the spot, but I could not help it -as there was a lot of moth balls right under my nose, put there to keep -the moths from eating the carpet. Well, if you will believe it, every -man of them jumped again as if shot. I could see their feet leave the -floor. And one of the staff said in a stage whisper, ‘Spies behind that -curtain!’ Then he marched toward it with sword in hand, and brushed the -curtain aside. Of course there was no one there. Then the other staff -officer flung open the closet door. No one there! Still they had heard -two distinct sneezes. The General stalked to the window and looked -out as it opened on the ground. I expect he thought some one might be -hiding under the window, listening. No one there! Only a flower bed -with bees droning and buzzing over it. And horror of horrors! As he -leaned out of the window and the staff officers were looking behind -chairs and under tables and even up to the ceiling I gave another big -sneeze. I sneezed so hard it nearly blew my head off. I expect it was -because of holding it in so long. - -“This of course was my undoing. One of the staff dropped on one knee to -look under the davenport. The General jerked his head back through the -window, and heard the staff officer exclaim in a loud voice, ‘Only a -measley, sneaking little poodle dog!’ and with that he stuck his sword -under the davenport to prod me out. It would have cut my leg off, or -run right through me, I am sure, but just then the cook opened the -door to come in to remove the dishes and I jumped over the sword and -ran between the legs of the staff officer who was standing between the -davenport and the door, and simply flew back here. - -[Illustration: Every man of them jumped as if shot.] - -“When I got outside I did sneak around under the window, and heard -them all laughing over the fact that a little dog’s sneeze had given -them such a fright. The General said ‘Better be on the right side than -on the wrong, and many a warning as small as a sneeze gone unheeded -has cost many lives. I would rather be too careful than not careful -enough,’ You see they all thought I was a spy hidden in the room -somewhere. Then I heard the cook say, ‘General, has the Regiment still -got the big white goat they used to have as a mascot?’ - -“‘No, I am sorry to say he has been missing since a week ago to-day, -and we cannot get any trace of him. One of our ambulance drivers saw -him on the road to Paris, and tried to catch him, but he could not. He -nearly had him when a friend fell off a bridge into a creek, and would -have drowned had he not left the goat and gone to his assistance. I -would not have lost that goat for a thousand dollars. He knows more -than most men.’ - -“‘Well, General, you have lost your thousand dollars. I know where your -goat is at this minute.’ - -“‘You do? Well, produce him and the money is yours. You know Billy -is like the proverbial flea. Now you have him and now you don’t. If -you will show me that goat now, we’ll have him in my office at camp -headquarters to-morrow. I’ll give you a check for one thousand dollars, -too.’ - -“‘I’ll do it for you gladly, General, as you have done me many a good -turn, but I cannot accept your money. And now if you will step to the -door, I will show you Billy, the Mascot of the Regiment, quietly eating -out of a trough at the back kitchen door.’ - -“The General and his staff picked up their caps and swords and followed -the cook around the house to the dogs’ trough, but as you know, no goat -was there. - -“The General had to laugh at the blank look on the cook’s face when -he turned the corner of the hospital and saw that the goat and all -his dogs too had disappeared as completely as if swallowed up by an -earthquake. - -“‘Well, that beats everything I ever saw! He was here a few minutes -ago. In fact, just when you drove in eight or ten of our dogs with -Billy in their midst were all standing here eating and now not an -animal is in sight anywhere. It beats all! I can’t explain it!’ - -“‘I can,’ said the General. ‘That goat recognized my car, thought I was -after him and lit out. He has done it before, and I doubt if any of us -will ever see him again. I tell you he is sharper than the devil, whose -cloven hoof he has!’ - -“‘General, will you kindly do me the favor to wait till I blow my dog -whistle? That is the signal for all the dogs to gather here. We will -see if Billy does not come running with them.’ - -“The General waited. The cook blew his whistle repeatedly but no dogs -showed up. Then the cook ran to the barn and around it, looking in -every known hiding place the dogs had, but no goat or dog did he see. -And he came back to the General and said, ‘Well, General, I shall have -to give up beaten. He has gone and, what is more, he has taken every -dog with him that is not confined to a hospital bed. I can’t find hide -or hair of any of them, but I am so mad that I am ready to devote -months, if need be, to finding that tricky goat. And when I do I will -return him to you even if I bring only his hide, horns and tail!’ - -“‘Well, here is luck to you, but I hope you will bring him alive, and -not in pieces for I could make use of a live goat, but I would be hard -pressed to know what to do with a dead one!’ - -“Then with a hearty laugh all around, the General and his staff got -into their auto and whizzed out of the lane, and I scurried back here -to tell you all this.” - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE GENERAL RECAPTURES BILLY - - -“Thank you, Miss Rosie de la France, for finding out so much for me. -You certainly did have a narrow escape when under that davenport and -you sneezed for you might have had your legs cut off by that officer’s -sword. So the cook is going to catch me and bring me to the General, -alive or dead, is he? I can tell him right now that he will never be -able to give so much as one hair of my beard to him!” - -“Here comes the cook now!” exclaimed one of the dogs. “We better scoot!” - -With that they all jumped up and ran in different directions, Billy -choosing a long, circuitous course that would bring him out on the -Paris road. Then and there he gave up the idea of returning to the war -and entering the army again with the Red Cross dog. - -He soon reached the road, and once on it he put his head down like a -race horse to resist the wind, and ran as he had never run before, -jumping stones, ditches and uneven places on the roadway until he was -completely winded. As it took a great deal to wind Billy Whiskers, you -may know he traveled many, many miles and left the dogs’ hospital far -behind. - -“I shall stop running when I come to the next stream, get a drink, take -a bath, and eat whatever I can find by the roadside. Then after a good -rest I shall start on again,” he planned. - -[Illustration] - -All of this he did, and he was hidden behind a big bush beside the road -down by a stream, watching the big ambulances and high powered touring -cars go thundering by in endless procession when, all plans to the -contrary, he dropped asleep. It seemed but a minute to him after his -eyes had closed when he felt something tight around his neck. He tried -two or three times to loosen it by stretching his neck without taking -the bother to open his eyes, but when at last he did open them, he saw -standing around him three officers with broad grins on their faces. And -behind them was the old General in his touring car, waiting for his -officers to bring Billy to him! - -“I certainly was caught napping that time!” thought Billy to himself. -“And they have me all right enough now with this strong rope around my -neck. It is queer I did not hear them coming! It must have been I was -so tired that it made me sleep like the dead.” - -“Come, get up, Billy, you old rascal, and come along without any fuss! -For you are a smart enough goat to see that there is no use resisting -with a rope around your neck and five men against you--we three -officers with the General and his chauffeur.” - -Yes, Billy saw all this and as he walked along quietly behind them he -wondered where they were going to put him. They could not mean to tie -him behind the car as no goat, even if fitted out with twenty league -boots, could keep up with the General’s car at the rate he drove. And -with three staff officers, the General and the chauffeur he could not -see where there would be room inside the car. - -“Well, Master Billy, you thought you had escaped from me for good, -didn’t you? But you see you haven’t. And, what is more, you won’t -escape in a hurry again, for I propose taking you right along with us, -though it will crowd us some. Here I was blustering about and scolding -the chauffeur for his carelessness in not seeing that we had water -enough in the car to carry us through when the very lack of it led us -to finding you. He got out to carry a bucket of water from the stream -and found you so fast asleep behind the bush that you had not heard our -approach in the car or even the chauffeur’s steps when within three or -four feet of you. He had time to come back to the car and tell us what -he had found, get a rope and the three officers to help me capture you -while you slept on. Now, my dear Billy, you are my prisoner. If you -behave, you shall have every care and comfort, but try to escape, and -I shall send a bullet through you, for I shall stand no nonsense. Hear -that?” and the General pulled Billy’s beard in a joking manner. But -Billy knew he would do as he said if he tried to escape or cut up any -monkeyshines. So he quietly let them help him into the car, where he -stood between the two seats in the tonneau while they tied him to the -rod at the back of the front seat on which the extra robes hung. - -Billy was experiencing one of his rare moments of dejection and -discouragement, for he knew if they once succeeded in getting him back -in camp it would be very difficult indeed to escape as they would use -every precaution to keep him there and they might even put him inside -the electrically charged barbed wire fence where they kept the German -prisoners. That would be horrible indeed! - -“I must think up some way to escape before we reach camp or I am lost,” -thought Billy. “How I ever can unless we have a breakdown is more than -I can tell!” - -Presently they came to the dogs’ hospital and whizzed by it at full -speed, but not too fast for Billy to see standing at the gate the cook, -or for him to get the cook’s expression of surprise and wonder when he -saw Billy in the General’s car. Billy also saw the Red Cross dog close -at the cook’s heels. - -“I am glad they saw me for now the dog will know what has become of -me,” thought Billy. - -Presently the big car slowed down and went bumping and sliding over a -terrible piece of road that was being repaired. - -“Now would be my chance to jump out while they are going slower if I -only were not tied. And I can’t chew the rope loose right under these -men’s noses, either. Perhaps when they stop for supper I may get a -chance.” - -Just then there was a terrible explosion as one of the tires blew out, -and at the same time the car slipped on the soft, shifting gravel with -which they were repairing the roadway and slid down into the ditch. - -“Now we are ditched and in for a long delay!” exclaimed the General. “I -simply must get to camp with these plans within the next three hours. -Stop the first car that passes here and I will make whoever is in it -take me to camp while you officers stay here and help the chauffeur -repair the damages and get the car out of the ditch. That should not be -a hard job but only a tedious one for the men working on the highway -can help you out of the ditch and the chauffeur can mend the tire for I -expect the explosion was due to a bursted tube.” - -It was one thing to say get the men on the road to help but where were -those men? Nowhere in sight, but several miles down the road working on -another bad stretch. - -“I hear a car coming!” exclaimed the General. “Make ready to stop it, -Lieutenant Strong!” - -In less time that it takes to tell it, the car had come, stopped and -taken the General aboard. As the General waved good-by to them, he -called back, “I wish you luck, gentlemen! I will keep your supper hot -for you!” to which Billy replied with a loud baa. This made the staff -officers laugh, for his voice sounded exactly like a cross old man -saying “Bah!” in derision to the General’s joking remark. - -As soon as the General was out of sight, the officers fell to and tried -to lift and push the car up into the road. But they might as well have -tried to move a huge rock for it did not so much as budge an inch. It -was embedded too deep in the sand and loose gravel. - -“This is most provoking!” said one of the officers. “It means that we -must try to stop some passing car and get them to help us. When they -see it is the General’s car that is in trouble they will feel in duty -bound to aid us, no matter whether they really want to or not. But I -just hate the job of stopping any one for that purpose as it always -makes any one provoked to be so hailed on the road.” - -“Here comes a farmer driving a pair of horses hitched to an old wagon. -Let us stop him. I think his horses can pull us out if we all push,” -suggested another of the officers. - -“Now is my chance!” thought Billy, and he was just about to chew at the -rope around his neck when the farmer came up and stopped opposite them -to see if he could help them any. - -“Yes,” replied one of the officers. “You are just the man we have been -looking for to give us a lift out of this ditch.” - -“Wal, that is a purty durn big car of your’n. But I guess my hosses kin -pull her out. That is, if I only had a rope to tie to the back of my -wagon, but I can’t get hide nor hair of any rope or chain or nothin’.” - -“We have a rope,” answered one of the officers. “We always carry a good -strong rope for just such purposes under one of the seats. Here, Jean, -get it out and we will see how soon these horses can pull us out.” - -Jean, the chauffeur, stopped working on the tire to get the rope, but -alas! when he looked under the seat no rope was there. From the fury -into which the officers flew, Billy thought they were going to kill the -fellow on the spot for his carelessness, first running out of water and -now finding no rope. - -“You are discharged the minute you get us to camp!” roared the superior -officer. “And what is more, I shall see that the General has you -severely punished. What if the enemy were at our heels and we were -trying to escape from them, or we had important dispatches that must -get to Headquarters to change some movement of the army that would mean -the saving of hundreds and thousands of lives?” - -At last the chauffeur managed to say, “Could we not use the rope that -is around the goat’s neck to pull the car out of the sand? It is a very -long one. In fact, it is the rope that belongs under the seat. In my -excitement I forgot I had used it to tie the goat.” - -“Of course we can! And to keep him from escaping we can tie him with -one of the farmer’s reins.” - -“Here, you Billy, stand still while I take this rope off your neck.” -The chauffeur stood on the step, leaning through the open door of the -tonneau as he untied the rope that was around Billy’s neck, with the -farmer standing behind him ready to hand him one of his reins to secure -Billy again. - -“Here is a good chance to escape,” thought Billy. “To be sure, I will -have to run the chance of one of the officers shooting me, but I will -take it. For I would rather be shot than carried back to camp and shut -up with a lot of German prisoners.” - -At the moment Billy was forming his plan of escape, all the officers -were fussing on the car at one place or another trying to dig out the -wheels by shoveling a path for them in the sand. - -[Illustration] - -Seeing all this, Billy made up his mind he would butt the chauffeur -so hard he would knock all the breath out of him so he could not cry -out and give the alarm. So just as the farmer stepped close behind the -chauffeur to hand him the rein, and the rope was off Billy’s neck, -Billy gave a plunge forward and planted his head in the middle of the -chauffeur’s stomach, sending him backward with all the breath knocked -out of his body and with such force that he hit the farmer and sent him -sprawling on his back, with his head hanging over the ditch. Now just -as his head hit the ditch, the officer who was shoveling a path for the -car raised up and the farmer in turn hit him and sent him flying into -the ditch. There were three men disposed of in one butt. That left only -two to shoot or pursue him, and both of these were on the far side of -the auto and had not noticed anything as their heads were down and they -were busy tugging big stones out of the way of the wheels. So Billy had -a good start of a hundred yards or more before the officer who had been -sent rolling into the ditch could right himself and give the alarm. By -the time he found out what really had hit him, Billy had run to the -side of the road, jumped a fence and disappeared in a thick woods. The -officer’s anger knew no bounds, and he swore a blue streak and fired -two shots after Billy. - -“Thunder and lightning, I would not have had that goat escape for a -million dollars,” he exclaimed. - -“Bet your small change first,” counseled another. - -“Yes; his escape puts us in a pretty light, doesn’t it? Five -able-bodied men not able to keep one goat in an auto! To be sure, one -man was not a man, only an idiot of a chauffeur,” he stormed. - -“Say, Jean, you better stop working on that tire and go hang yourself -with the rope in your hand!” scoffed the third, “for you are likely to -be hung in earnest when you get to camp for all the mistakes you have -made to-day, to say nothing of losing the goat besides.” - -But poor Jean heard this not at all for he was still unconscious from -Billy’s terrific butt. - -“Some goat, that, misters!” said the farmer in a dry way. - -“I guess you would think so if you knew just a little of his history!” - -“You don’t mean to tell me that that there goat is the one they call -the --th Regiment’s mascot, and the one the papers are always telling -about?” - -“Same goat!” - -“Wal, I’ll be gosh darned!” in astonishment. - -Jean did not come to and one of the officers had to run to the auto for -restoratives while Jean was stretched out on the back seat with his -head in a second officer’s lap. In falling he had hit his head on a -stone and the wound was now bleeding profusely. The soldiers tied their -handkerchiefs around his head and tried to stop the flow of blood as -best they could and after the car was out of the ditch they drove so -fast they were in danger of breaking their necks or having the car turn -turtle at every turn. - -When at last they did reach camp and got the chauffeur into the -hospital and reported to the General for duty, they were in a pretty -mess and looked as if they had been in a pitched battle with the enemy -for they were covered with dirt and blood from their heads to their -heels, which made the General exclaim when he saw them, “Well, bless my -soul, you are a nice looking crowd! Whatever has happened to you?” - - - - -CHAPTER V - -BILLY NEARLY KILLS THE COOK - - -When Billy was sure he was not being followed, he went a circuitous -way back to the dogs’ hospital that he might stop and have the fun of -telling them how he escaped from the old General. - -When at last he approached the hospital from the back, he saw no one -about, not even a dog or cat. But all the windows and doors were open -so he knew they were at home and around somewhere. He cautiously -approached, keeping a sharp lookout for the cook, for he did not want -him to catch him and deliver him into the old General’s hands. He was -just rounding the pig pen when he saw driving into the lane one of the -field hospital ambulances. - -“I expect it has come with a load of wounded dogs. I’ll just stay here -and watch,” pondered Billy. - -The hum of the ambulance motor was heard in the hospital and presently -a young doctor and two trained nurses appeared at the door ready to -receive the new patients. Billy could hear the low groans and yelps -of pain from the dogs as the stretchers were lifted and the dogs were -carried inside. Several dogs tagged in after the stretcher bearers and -as Billy had always wanted to have a look about the hospital wards, he -determined to follow. - -Presently he found himself standing in the doorway of a long ward with -tiny beds like babies’ cribs lining the wall all the way around, and in -each bed was a dog, either curled up asleep or sitting upon its hind -quarters watching the newcomers. - -Some of the dogs had their legs in slings; others had bandages over -their eyes, while others were in plaster casts. Beside each cot was a -little stand on which had been placed the medicine for that particular -dog, along with a bowl of drinking water. - -“Gee!” exclaimed Billy. “A dog would not mind being sick in these -quarters with all this comfort and the pretty nurses and the kind -doctors to wait upon him. But what is that? Do my eyes deceive me, or -am I seeing things? If so, I am a sick goat and I shall crawl into the -first cot I find that is big enough to hold me. If I am not seeing -things, then that big, black cat on the window sill is my dear old -friend Button from the United States of America. Such being the case, -Stubby, the other member of our trio, can’t be far off. Perhaps he is -one of these wounded dogs that just came in the ambulance. I know how -I’ll soon find out. I’ll just baa and if it is Button sitting in that -window and Stubby is in one of these beds, I bet it will surprise them -so that even if they are half dead they will come to life long enough -to answer my baa.” - -Billy gave one long, loud baa that resounded down the big, bare room -like a loud clanging bell. Every person and dog in the long hospital -ward jumped as if a bomb had exploded in the room, and some of the -weaker and more timid dogs fainted dead away from the shock. They were -weak from loss of blood, and fatigued from their hard work on the -battlefield, having been without anything to eat or drink for many -hours. And I am sorry to say that Stubby was among them. Billy listened -in vain for a familiar bark, but he was going forward to speak to the -cat which meowed with joy in response to his baa when a doctor picked -up a window pole and made towards Billy, while another grabbed the cat -and threw it out of the window before the cat knew what was taking -place. He had been so delighted to hear Billy’s familiar baa that he -did not even see the man approaching. - -[Illustration] - -The doctor chased out Billy and all the dogs that had tagged in, and -shut the door behind them. - -Now Billy had not heard the answering meow, and so was still in some -doubt as to whether or not the cat was Button, or if his old friend -Stubby was one of the wounded dogs. As he thought of this he walked -toward the back of the hospital into the yard. All the dogs which had -been driven out with him were following him and telling him how they -had enjoyed the commotion he had caused, and were plying him with -questions as to how he got away from the General and back so soon, and -how far he had gotten on the journey before he was caught. Billy paid -not the slightest attention to any of them. In fact, he did not even -hear what they were saying, he was so busy thinking of his two friends -and wondering how they ever got to France for when he had last seen -them they were in New York state. - -He had gotten just this far in his musings when he turned the corner -of the hospital and saw the black cat sitting on a packing box, -looking up at the window from which he had been thrown. Billy knew in -a second that the black cat was his old friend sure enough. On seeing -Billy, the black cat made one spring and lit squarely on Billy’s back. -Then he jumped off and ran up a tree, then down and over and under a -wheelbarrow that was standing near, then in among the dogs that were -surrounding Billy as if to try to save him from the onslaught of this -crazy acting cat which they all thought was having a fit. - -Yes, it was a fit, but not from sickness, but rather from joy at -beholding Billy alive and in the flesh when he had been given up long -ago for dead. - -Presently the cat quieted down and came and stood before Billy, and -gazed and gazed and gazed into his eyes without saying a word. And -Billy gazed back, wondering in his own mind what on earth had made the -dignified Button act so crazily. After this long scare, the cat meowed, -“Well, Billy, old fellow, I see it is really you in the flesh and not -some other goat that looks like you. But how you ever managed to keep -from being killed is more than I know. All of us had given you up as -dead and mourned for you for months. Nannie, your poor little wife, -is still bewailing your loss. You see, we thought you were done for -from an item in the newspaper, which I heard my master read aloud one -morning. I can’t give it to you just as it was written, but the gist of -the matter was that the --th Regiment with its celebrated white goat -mascot, Billy Whiskers, had marched to the front on May twenty-first -but that, sad to relate, few returned and those that did were badly -wounded. A great many had been taken prisoners and whether their mascot -had been killed or captured, those returning did not know. Stub and I -did not feel you were killed, and that if you were captured you would -find some way to escape. We then and there made up our minds to cross -the ocean and look for you, for we were bound to find you if you still -lived. And here we two have stumbled into you just when we had given -up all hope of you being alive.” And off went Button, running up one -tree and then another, around in circles and jumping over and through -hedges and flower beds. Once he made the dogs all laugh for by mistake -he ran up an old gardener’s back as he was stooping over digging away, -thinking it was a stump, he was so nearly the color of the trees and -grasses of the garden. The old fellow was so surprised that he fell -headlong into the ditch he was digging. - -“You see, Billy, I am so delighted to see you I can’t keep still.” - -“I am just as glad to see you, but I can’t jump around like a crazy -loon to show it. Come here until we rub noses in the place of a kiss!” -said Billy. - -“I must run and tell Stubby. He will be so delighted it will help him -stand his pain and he will get well sooner. But how am I to get into -this blooming building again? Aren’t there some back stairs, fire -escapes or something of the like I could go up to get to his ward?” - -“No, there are no fire escapes on any of these country buildings that -have been turned into hospitals,” replied the Red Cross dog. “What we -need more than fire escapes is a bomb proof cellar large enough to -carry our patients into when we have an air raid.” - -“I’ll tell you how you can get in,” spoke up Pinky. “Wait until the -nurses begin to carry suppers up to their patients, and then you can -creep along at their heels and, being black, you can hide in the -shadows until they leave the ward. Only the night nurse will then be on -duty and she will soon fall asleep. Then you can creep out and go to -your friend’s cot and tell him all the news.” - -“Splendid idea! Thank you very much! Won’t some one introduce me to -this dog?” - -“Goodness gracious me! Do excuse me, Button, for being so impolite, but -joy at seeing you drove all my good manners out of my mind. It is not -too late now, and I wish to introduce you to all my friends you see -standing around us.” - -After they had all been presented to Button, they went over to the -grove of trees where the dogs always went when they wished to talk -without interruption, and they agreed to stay there until time for the -patients to have their supper, for they were very curious to hear how -the big, black cat got all the way from the United States of America to -France, and also to hear how Billy got away from the old General. - -They were all trotting along as fast as they could through the barnyard -with heads down, thinking what a fine time was in store for them -listening to the goat and cat relate their adventures, when the Red -Cross dog heard a peculiar croak and, looking around, he saw the cook -astride Billy’s back, trying to get a rope around his neck. Now the -rope had just slipped over Billy’s head and the cook gave it a pull -that nearly strangled him and made him make the croaking noise that -caused the Red Cross dog to turn around. - -“Gee, that is too bad!” sighed the dog, and Pinky said: - -“Just my luck! I never counted on having a good time that _some_thing -did not come along and spoil it! I expect the cook won’t rest now until -he has delivered Billy to the old General.” - -“I wonder where the cook is going to put him now he has him,” said one -of the dogs. - -“Goodness knows! _I_ don’t!” replied Pinky. - -“Why, look! He is going over toward the hospital with him,” said -another. - -“Let’s follow and see what he is going to do with him,” suggested the -Red Cross dog. “But keep out of sight and don’t let the cook know we -are following him,” he warned. - -So they all separated, slinking along in the shadows, dodging behind -trees, boxes and barrels, their eyes glued to the cook’s back. - -Instead of hiding, Pinky walked out in plain sight, and trotted along -at the cook’s heels, and she heard him mutter to himself: “I’ll just -put this foxy old goat in that vacant room in the hospital and lock -him in and _then_ we will see if he is smart enough to butt down the -hospital!” - -“He might not try,” whispered Pinky to herself. “But I bet he could -butt down the door if he took it into his head he wanted to do it.” - -The cook got Billy to the foot of the stairs leading to the porch of -the hospital. Here the cook went ahead and tried to lead Billy up. But -all of a sudden Billy planted his fore feet straight in front of him -and pulled back. His quick stop accompanied by the jerk nearly cracked -the cook’s head off his shoulders and Billy, giving a second pull just -then, jerked the cook backwards off the steps where he landed at the -bottom, sitting straight up and facing Billy, with their noses not -three inches apart. He looked so comical with his legs spread apart, -cap on one side of his head and his hair standing straight up, that -Billy had to laugh. Surely the cook’s startled expression was a study -as he gazed into Billy’s eyes. - -On seeing this, the dogs all laughed out loud. The cook jumped up and -looked around to see who was making sport of him, but of course he saw -no one. So he thought some one must have been leaning out of one of the -upper windows, then quickly ducked after they laughed. Anyway, he would -make Billy pay for his discomfort. He jerked him up the steps and was -about to shove him into the room he had just unlocked when Billy gave -a big, big pull and started to run off the porch. He ran so fast and -was so strong that he jerked the cook along as if he had been a rag. -Along the porch they went until Billy came to one end. Here there were -no steps, so Billy just gave a big leap and landed in the middle of a -flower bed, the cook sailing on behind, hanging on to the rope that was -still around Billy’s neck. And it was a lucky thing for the cook that -there happened to be a nice soft flower bed right there for him to fall -in; otherwise he might have broken his back. - -[Illustration] - -Billy gave another pull to the rope which brought the cook to his feet, -and away went Billy across the lawn and down the lane, jerking the cook -around trees, over stumps and beehives, upsetting them and causing all -the bees to come out to see what was the matter. For a while the air -seemed to Billy to be black with bees. Then they stung the cook so that -he let go the rope and rolled in the grass to try to keep them off his -face. But they settled on him thick as flies on a molasses covered -paper. - -“Run for the watering trough in the barnyard!” called a nurse who saw -all this, and the cook did, diving headfirst into the water to drive -off the bees, which it did effectively. - -Billy thought they could not sting up through his long hair, and he -stood enjoying seeing the cook trying to fight them off. But all of a -sudden one bee stung him on the ear. The pain made him frantic and he -started for the watering trough, regardless of the fact that the cook -was still sitting on the edge, rubbing his swollen face and hands and -putting mud on them to take out the burning, stinging pain. Strange as -it may seem, neither the cook nor Billy paid the slightest attention to -each other. They were too much occupied each in trying to stop the pain -of the bee stings. - -Presently the cook got up and limped into the kitchen, saying to -himself as he went, “That goat sure has the devil inside of him! -I’ll never try to capture him again for the General. No, not for the -President of the United States himself! I am done! What with having -my head jerked off, my spine driven through the top of my head, and -my legs nearly broken off, to say nothing of running me into stumps, -trees and beehives, I’ve got enough of that goat, even with one -thousand dollars as a reward offered for his return. No! No more at -all, at all, do I ever have anything to do with goats!” - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -BILLY RELATES SOME OF HIS ADVENTURES - - -“Oh, Billy, are you hurt?” whined Pinky at his heels. - -“Yes. I have a bee sting on my ear that hurts like the very mischief. -And, by Jove, I believe I have another over my eye for it is fast -swelling shut.” - -“Come with us,” said the Red Cross dog, “over to the grove before it -closes entirely and you can’t see where to walk. When we get there I’ll -fix you up for I know what is good for stings.” - -On the way they had to cross over a little stream with a soft, muddy -bank, and the Red Cross dog stopped there and said, “Now stoop down and -rub your head in the mud so it will cover your eye and get into the lid -where the sting is. As soon as the mud closes over it you will find -that the pain will stop almost instantly. I have seen my master rub mud -on too many stings not to know it is a sure cure.” - -“Gee, but I hate to get that nasty mud in my ear and all over my face!” - -[Illustration] - -“Never mind the dirt! It is clean mud and will dry and fall off itself -so it won’t be hard to get out of your ear or off your face. Should it -be, you can just shut your eyes, hold your breath and dip your head up -and down in the trough until your hair is as white as snow again.” - -“Well, I’ve got to do something, dirt or no dirt, for this pain is -setting me crazy. So here goes!” - -Billy knelt down and rubbed and rubbed and rubbed one side of his head -up and down in the soft mud until it was as brown as an African’s face. -When at last he stood up all the dogs tried not to laugh, but finally -they went off in a perfect howl of merriment. - -“What you laughing at?” asked Billy. - -“Just step here where the water is clear and look at yourself,” said -the Red Cross dog. - -This Billy did, and then he too began to laugh, for he was a most -comical sight. One side of his face looked twice as large as the other, -and on this side the eye was swollen shut with a bump as big as a hen’s -egg standing out above it. And this whole side of his head was as brown -as could be while the other was white, which made him look exactly as -if his head had been made in two parts and they were misfits. - -“Hurry!” said a hound that was with them. “We better get to the woods. -I hear some one coming!” and away scampered the dogs and goat to the -grove, their old trysting place. - -I should like to have had a picture of them as they stood beside the -clear stream, with the dogs surrounding the mumpsy looking goat, -laughing at his discomfort. - -There was the big St. Bernard, majestic and tall; the long, sleek, -black hound with tan ears and feet; the fluffy white French poodle with -pinkish eyes; and the Red Cross Belgian dog with his short, sharp ears, -wide-awake face and short, glossy black hair, while over his breast was -still the white band with the Red Cross on it. - -Once in the woods and comfortably fixed, Billy related to them the -story of his life and how and where he first met the big black cat -they had just seen, and the little yellow dog that was now wounded and -in the hospital. - -“Before you begin, Billy,” said the Red Cross dog, “I want to ask if -the pains in your ear and eye are better?” - -“Why, bless my soul, they don’t hurt at all! Even the swelling is going -down. You sure are some doctor!” - -“Now go on with your story, and excuse me for having interrupted you.” - -“Well, to begin with, all three of us--the little yellow dog named -Stubby, the big black cat called Button and myself--were born in the -United States of America. We have known each other for years and been -great chums. Why, we have scarcely been out of sight of one another for -years until I joined the army. My regiment left so unexpectedly for -France that I had no way of letting them know I was going, as they were -away at the time on a vacation. And I bet you we will find out when I -get a chance to talk to them that the minute they got home and found -I was gone they managed to make friends with some of the soldier boys -and made themselves so useful that they brought them along. Why, do you -know that we three have crossed the big American continent twice, and -we have been from Northern Wisconsin away down to the Gulf of Mexico? -Not being satisfied with that, we have crossed the Pacific to Japan -and we all three were in the war between Russia and Japan as mascots. -Before that we crossed the Atlantic Ocean, sailed through the Straits -of Gibraltar and over the Mediterranean Sea to Constantinople. We are -some little globe trotters, don’t you think?” - -“Heavens! It makes my head dizzy to even think of it!” said Pinky. - -“And you lived to tell the tale!” said the big St. Bernard. - -“Yes, as I shall live to tell the tale of this war and about all of you -to my grandchildren when I get home,” replied Billy. - -“But you must have had a great many narrow escapes and thrilling -experiences,” suggested the hound. - -“I should think so! More than would fill a book the size of Webster’s -dictionary. As for hurts, bruises and scars, I have been wounded so -many times I don’t believe there is a square inch on my body that has -not a scar of some kind on it. It is a good thing I am not a hairless -goat, like those little hairless dogs they have in Mexico, for if I -was, I would look like a tattooed man,” said Billy. - -“Tell us of your most thrilling experience,” begged the Red Cross dog. - -“Heavens! I have had so many hairbreadth escapes I would not know which -one to pick out.” - -“Tell us two or three of them,” said Pinky. “I just love to hear you -tell of your adventures.” - -“Yes, do!” exclaimed all the other dogs in chorus. - -Just then Billy gave his head a shake and a big clod of dry mud fell -off his eye, leaving it practically well and the swelling gone. - -“A mighty quick cure, I should say,” remarked Billy. “I recommend you, -Doctor Red Cross!” - -“Turn your head to one side and shake it and I think the rest of the -mud will fall off. Then by holding your head well over on one side, the -mud will fall out of your ear.” - -All this Billy did. - -“My, but it certainly does feel good to be able to see out of both eyes -and hear with both ears once again! So you all want to hear of some -thrilling adventure I have had? Well, let me see which one I shall -tell first, about being wrecked at sea, falling in the crack of an -earthquake that opened at my feet, or being blown up by a bomb in this -war or--” - -“Oh, don’t tell us anything about bombs!” exclaimed Pinky. “They are -too common around here. We want to hear something we don’t know so much -about.” - -“Well, then I guess I’ll tell you about the earthquake experience. It -happened when Stubby, Button and myself were in San Francisco. - -“One day we were trotting along one of the streets in Chinatown, the -name given to the Chinese quarters of that city. It was about lunch -time, and Button had jumped up into a milk wagon that had stopped -opposite us, to see if he could not find some milk to drink, Stubby -had run into a butcher shop to see if he could find some meat, and I -decided to sneak into some Chinaman’s back yard and see what I could -find to make a meal. - -[Illustration] - -“Presently I came to a long, narrow, dark passageway that led to a back -yard. I sneaked in quickly, so a Chinaman looking out the window would -not see me. But alas, he did, and I had scarcely gotten half way down -the passage when I heard a door slam shut behind me and a bolt slipped -into place. I knew before I even turned around, when I heard that bolt -slip into place, that I was caught in a trap like as not. But I went -right on pretending I did not hear the Chinaman shut the door. - -“The end of the passage opened into the back yard of a Chinese laundry -and there were lines and lines stretched from one side of the yard to -the other, but there were no clothes hanging on them when I went in. -Without paying any attention to me, the Chinaman began to take down the -lines, but instead of taking them all down, he only took a short one, -I noticed. Then he made a slip knot in one end, whistling as he walked -toward the laundry. He went inside, still without looking at me, and I -was beginning to think I had been mistaken and he had not seen me enter -and that the rope was not to tie me up, when out he came with a carrot -in one hand, the rope still in the other. - -“He came straight toward me, holding out the carrot in one hand while -he kept the other behind him. As he approached me he kept saying, ‘Nice -little goatee! Nice little goatee! Have a carrot!’ - -“And I thought to myself, ‘You might as well try to catch a bird by -putting salt on its tail as to try to catch me with a carrot in one -hand and a rope hidden in the other behind your back, especially when -that rope has a slip knot in it. Oh, no, Mr. Chinaman, I was not born -yesterday or the day before! And unless you open that door quickly and -let me out, you are going to be carried out of it on my horns. I am in -no mood for play or jokes!’ - -“Just then another Chinaman came out of the laundry with a basket -heaped up with clothes to hang on the line, and the Chinaman with the -carrot said, ‘Yum, you watcha me catcha little goatee. Keep little -goatee. Him bring heap money at butcher’s!’ - -[Illustration: Billy gave one long, loud baa that resounded down the -big, bare room. (Page 49)] - -“‘So-ho! You would sell me for chops and roasts, would you? Well, just -you come a little nearer and see what happens to one little Chinaman!’ - -“The Chinaman with the clothes began to hang them on the line, singing -a queer, monotonous refrain in his cackling language. By this time the -first Chinaman was within three feet of me, holding the carrot straight -out before him and staring into my eyes. Evidently he was not used to -goats, and felt a little uncertain as to what I would do. While I was -watching him, expecting he would try to throw the rope over my head -every minute, to surprise him I stretched my neck out quickly, grabbed -the carrot out of his hand and ate it up. Then he came boldly up to me, -as this gave him the assurance I was not going to butt him. But when -he tried to put the rope around my neck, I simply lowered my head and -butted him over flat on his back. This infuriated him, and he leaped -up and grabbed a clothes pole to hit me with it. Then the chase began. -Around and around that small back yard we went, upsetting everything, -he trying to hit me all the while and I dodging him but trying to -butt or hook him at every turn. Then I took to butting everything and -anything that came in my way. One thing I butted was the basket full of -clothes the second Chinaman had left, having sought a place of safety -when first the chase began. Now he sat cross-legged on the low roof of -the back porch grinning from ear to ear and watching the sport. When -I butted the basket, it shot straight up in the air, spilling out the -clothes as it soared, which the wind caught and carried over into the -other yards. - -“Presently from all the doors and windows of the adjacent buildings one -could see grinning faces. But not one person came to help that Chinaman -I was butting and chasing. He must have been thoroughly disliked by his -neighbors for them to act as they did. Their jeers and calls made him -madder and madder and every time he tried to hit me with the long pole -and missed, they would call: - -“‘Try it again! Try it again! Don’t give up!’ - -“Once the pole just grazed my back, and for this I went to the -clothesline and taking a shirt sleeve in my teeth I jerked it off the -line, stamped on it and then tore it to pieces. He nearly foamed at -the mouth when he saw this. And I was just walking up to get another -when some one slipped up behind me and threw a blanket over my head. -Well, of all the rolling and tumbling that went on then you never saw -the like! First I was on top, then the two Chinamen were. My legs were -loose and you better believe I used them. I kicked and kicked. Then all -of a sudden it seemed as if every Chinaman in all Chinatown was sitting -on top of me. They came from over the fences, from all directions, and -every one that came proceeded to sit on me. At last there were so many -of them I could not move. They tied all four of my feet together and -strung me on a pole, which they suspended over a place where a bonfire -had been made over which to make soap. Some one removed the big kettle -of soap and then they put me right where the kettle had been. Next they -took the blanket off my head and began dancing around me, and spit at -me and jabbed me with sticks, doing everything they could possibly -think of to torture me. - -“The blood ran into my head so from being hung upside down that I could -scarcely see, and the ropes binding my feet cut into me until I bled. -But still these heathen Chinese showed no mercy and I was beginning to -wonder if they intended leaving me to die a slow death when the first -Chinaman said, ‘Let’s build a fire under him and cook him alive! Roast -goatee is velly, velly good, me hear.’ - -“This seemed to please the crowd, and they joined hands and ran around -and around me, chanting some heathen song until the old Chinaman who -had proposed cooking me alive came with some matches and shavings to -start the fire. - -“Then for the first time I began to be worried, and thought, ‘Well, -at last I am in a tight place I can’t get out of,’ when I heard howls -of pain and rage and the fierce growl of a dog. Opening my eyes to -see what was taking place, I saw Stubby biting the heels of the -Chinaman as he stooped to light the fire, while Button sat on his back -scratching the very shirt off him. In about two minutes the yard was -cleared of Chinamen, I can tell you! Stubby bit and Button clawed them -until they were glad enough to climb the fences to get away alive. - -“They had frightened the Chinamen off and saved me from being roasted -to death. But how were they ever to get me off that pole? - -“At last I thought, ‘Perhaps if I wriggle and squirm my weight will -break the pole. Anyway, I am going to try it.’ - -“And soon I found that by moving my body in a certain way I could start -a certain motion that made me swing up and down and the more I moved -the higher I went and the pole began to creak. Then presently it broke -in two and came down all in a heap. I had scarcely touched the ground -when Stubby and Button began to gnaw the ropes that bound me, and in a -jiffy they had gnawed them through and I was loose. - -“Do you think I ran away when I was free once more? No, indeed, I -did not! I stayed right there to get even with Mr. Chinaman who had -proposed to cook me alive. It was very dark in the yard now as night -had closed in while all the fuss was going on. So I proposed to hide -and wait for the Chinaman to show himself in the yard. Well, all I can -say is that if he ever did show himself I had made up my mind to kill -him. Stubby and Button hid too, and then we waited. And as we waited -the earth under our feet began to quiver and shake and low, rumbling -noises were heard like distant thunder. These shakings and tremblings -of the earth continued growing more and more violent until they threw -me off my feet once or twice, while the ripping, roaring noises grew -louder and more frequent. Presently fire bells began to ring and the -night sky was illuminated with vivid red reflections from huge fires. -But still we three watched for those Chinamen to come out of the house. - -“‘Come on, Billy!’ Stubby barked in a whisper. ‘Let us get out of here. -We must be having one of those terrible earthquakes they sometimes have -out here in this country.’ - -“‘Yes, come, Billy,’ urged Button, ‘and leave the Chinaman to the mercy -of the ’quake. Perhaps the earth will open and swallow him!’ - -“‘Hope it does, but I am going to give him a butt that will break his -back first. I’ll teach him not to torture goats in the future!’ - -“‘S-s-s-s-h-h-h!’ exclaimed Button. ‘I see him through the window. He -is coming now.’ - -“Cautiously the door opened a crack, and the Chinaman’s crafty face -peered out. His eyes searched every nook and corner of the yard, but -he saw no goat, dog or cat. Button was so black one could not see him -as he sat on top of the fence. Stubby was hidden under a pile of old -chairs, tables and so on, while I was close against the house behind -the door the Chinaman had just opened. I got there on purpose so that -when once he stepped into the yard he could not go back unless he -passed me for I would be between the man and the house. - -“‘What has he in his hand that smokes so?’ I wondered. ‘Why, it is a -dipper of boiling water! Gee, I bet he intended to throw that on me -when he saw me. Well, I’ll just sneak up behind him and give him a butt -in the back and make him spill it on himself and then he can see how he -would like boiling water thrown on him.’ - -“I did not dare to try to walk up behind him for fear I might stumble -over something and then he would hear me and throw the water, so I made -one big jump from behind the door and butted him squarely in the back. -Well, I made the jump all right, but just as my feet left the earth -it opened under me with a ripping, tearing noise and swallowed the -Chinaman with his dipper of hot water, and closed again so quickly that -when I came down from my jump I lit on solid ground where but half a -second before had been a yawning chasm. Whoo! That was a narrow escape, -for had I stood still the earth would have opened under me or if I -had not happened to jump high enough I would have landed right in the -opening and been crushed or killed as had the Chinaman. - -“The ’quake that swallowed the Chinaman had extended far and shaken -down lots of the old rickety buildings in the neighborhood, and -buildings were tottering and falling all around. So Stubby, Button and -I lost no time in getting out of that place, I can tell you. I simply -butted down the door the Chinaman had bolted when I came in, and we all -three ran out and down the street towards the Bay. I won’t stop to tell -you of the destruction of the beautiful city and the fearful, gruesome -sights and sounds we saw and heard, or how the flames licked up the -handsome buildings after the earthquake had shaken them down, for the -destruction of San Francisco has passed into history and any one of you -who wish to hear more of it can listen as some one is reading aloud -about it. This ends the tale of one of my most thrilling adventures.” - -“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, Mr. Whiskers, for telling us this -story,” exclaimed the facile Pinky. “I have enjoyed hearing it so much, -though you did make my skin creep and my hair stand on end when you -were telling of how they proposed to cook you alive.” - -Then all the other dogs thanked him also for relating to them this -wonderful tale. - -“I think we better go back to the hospital and look for Button and see -if we cannot find a way for me to slip in and see Stubby,” remarked -Billy. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -BUTTON FRIGHTENS TWO NURSES - - -While Billy had been relating his adventures Button had been lying in a -box under Stubby’s window, trying to think of a way to get to him and -tell him that Billy was here in this very place. - -“If there was only a fire escape!” he sighed. “Then I could easily make -it.” - -It was getting near supper time but he was still puzzling his brain -over the matter when he saw one of the nurses in Stubby’s room come to -the window and let down a rope with a basket on it. When it reached the -ground she still stood there holding on to the rope as if waiting for -some one to come. - -“What in the world can be going on now, I wonder,” mused Button. - -Presently from around the corner of the hospital from the kitchen he -saw another nurse appear with a tray loaded down with the dogs’ supper. -There not being an elevator in this old building, the nurses had -thought out this way of saving them climbing the long flight of steps -with the heavy trays on which they carried the dogs’ food to them. One -nurse would go to the kitchen, get the food prepared by the cook, -and then bring it around to this window, place it in the basket, and -the nurse in the window would pull it up. When the dogs had finished -their meal, the dishes were lowered in the basket just as they had been -hauled up, carried back to the kitchen and washed. So you see what a -saving of steps this basket elevator really was. - -“My, if I could only manage to get in that basket and have her pull me -up!” thought Button. - -The cat watched the nurses raise and lower the basket until presently a -nurse came from the kitchen, put the food in the basket and went off, -forgetting to pull a string which rang a bell, the signal that the -basket was ready to be pulled up. - -“Gee, she has forgotten to pull the string and gone off. I can see the -nurse in the window waiting for the signal. She will get tired waiting -pretty soon and pull it up, I believe. I am going over and eat up what -is in that basket and hop in myself, and then I shall be pulled up. If -the basket feels heavy, the nurse will think there must be an extra -amount of dishes in this trip.” - -Suiting the action to the thought, Button hurried over to it, lapped -up a cup of milk, ate some cold chicken and potatoes, and then he saw -the basket begin to move. Without a moment’s hesitation he jumped in -and sat on the soiled dishes and the remaining suppers. Up, up he was -slowly drawn, and he heard the nurse mumble to herself, “Wonder what -they have in this basket to-night? It feels like a basket of bricks, it -is so heavy.” - -[Illustration] - -“Now if she only doesn’t see me until the basket is safely on the -window ledge I shall be lucky. I am afraid if she sees me, it will -frighten her and she will let go the basket and down I will fall with a -dull thud.” - -But just as the basket reached the ledge of the window her attention -was called to something inside and she turned her head to look, at the -same time reaching her hand out and pulling the basket on to the window -sill from force of habit. When she turned back to the window, there -on the sill sat a black cat with big, yellow eyes looking at her. It -startled her so she screamed and pulled the basket in off the sill, -and then let go the handle, and it rolled under the bed of one of the -patients, spilling out bottles of milk, biscuits, sliced chicken, and -many other good things. - -Taking advantage of the confusion, Button jumped down from the window -and ran under the beds until he came to the one occupied by Stubby. -Then he moved softly so as not to frighten Stubby, and crawled in bed -under the sheets so no one could see him. No one did see him do it for -every dog in the ward was sitting up in bed, straining their eyes to -see what had happened by the window. - -“The cat! The cat! Where did it go?” the nurse kept calling in an -excited voice. For when she turned to look for him, the cat she had -seen was gone. After all the nurses had looked under every bed and in -all the corners and in every other conceivable place, they began to -tease her and tell her it was an illusion, that she had only imagined -she saw a cat. After awhile she began to think that perhaps this was -the case. Still what would make her think she saw a cat when she did -not? Especially as she had not even been thinking of cats? The only -thing that looked as if she had seen one was that half the dogs’ -suppers had been eaten or at least they were short some food. That -nurse went to bed that night with a headache from trying to decide -whether or not she had seen a cat. - -Soon after supper the dogs in the hospital were given their last dose -of medicine, their bandages were straightened, and then they were ready -to be tucked in for the night. The nurses patted the dogs on their -heads and said good-night to them just as if they were people. Then -they turned down the lights and went out, leaving only the night nurse -in charge in one corner of the room where she sat by a shaded light -knitting for the soldiers and dreaming and praying for the safe return -of her brothers and sweetheart after the war was over. Button did not -stir until Stubby stuck his head under the sheet and whispered to him -that he could talk now, as the nurse was so occupied in picking up some -stitches in her knitting that she had dropped that she would not hear -them. - -So there the two lay all curled up under the sheet, Button telling -of the finding of Billy and Stubby listening with all his ears. When -Button had finished, Stubby gave a great sigh and said, “Isn’t it -wonderful to think that we should have found him in this big, big -country across the sea? My, I am so glad it will make me well soon. For -life was not half worth living without our dear chum Billy. I know you -agree with me, Button.” - -“I surely do!” exclaimed Button. “How is your leg, old fellow? Healing -fast, I hope.” - -“Oh, yes. The nurse said they would take the splints off to-morrow, and -she doesn’t think I am going to be lame, it was healed so straight and -fine. Isn’t that grand? For I would hate to be bothered limping along -on a lame leg on our trips. It would be very inconvenient when I wished -to run away when some one was chasing us, too. I hate to hurry you off, -Button, but the night nurse will be coming around soon to straighten -our beds and give us our last drink for the night so I am afraid she -might lift up the sheet and find you. But how are you going to get out -of the door into the hall, as it is shut?” - -“Trust me! I will get out as I came--by the window.” - -“I did not know there was a fire escape by the window,” said Stubby. - -“There isn’t. I came up on the food basket.” And then Button told him -how he had come up in the basket and nearly scared a nurse to death. - -“But you can’t go down that way because there is no one here to let the -basket down,” objected Stubby. - -“I don’t need any basket to go down in. All I need is the rope, and as -it is fastened to the wall I will just have to slide down it.” - -“Oh, Button, but you are a smart cat! You should have been born a man, -not a cat. If you had, the world would have heard of wonderful things -you had done, I am sure.” - -“If you wish I had been born a man, I wish the three of us had. -Wouldn’t Billy have made a splendid brigadier general, while you would -have made a dandy lieutenant!” - -“S-s-s-s-sh-h-h! I hear the nurse coming. Scoot! Drop out of bed on the -side nearest the wall and run under the beds until you are near the -window,” advised Stubby. - -The nurse was walking down the aisle of the ward that faced the window -when the moon came out from under a cloud and shone straight into the -room. And she saw not only the moon, but a big black cat as it jumped -up on the window sill. She shut her eyes, looked again and again, and -the cat had disappeared! - -[Illustration] - -“It must be the same cat that Nurse Mollie saw, and now it has -disappeared again as completely as it did when she saw it. She got -one glimpse and it was gone. I got another, and it faded in thin air. -Heavens! We must be going to be bombarded for black cats bring bad -luck, they say, and this cat has come to warn us. I’ll just run to the -window and see if I can’t see it. It could not jump out of the window -because it is too high from the ground, and it isn’t in this room, and -cats can’t fly, so where is it?” - -The nurse went to the window and looked out. No tree, roof or shed was -near enough for the cat to have jumped to them and then to the ground, -so of course it must have been a spook cat for no cat was in sight. She -never looked close to the building, or she would have seen a rope to -which clung a black cat, hanging on desperately as it lowered itself to -the ground. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -BILLY MAKES PLANS TO LEAVE FRANCE - - -While Button was hanging on to the rope Billy and the dogs came around -the hospital to look for him. - -“There! I told you Button was the smartest cat you ever heard of, and -I bet he would find a way to see Stubby. There he comes now, down that -rope from Stubby’s window!” said Billy. - -When nearly to the ground Button jumped from the rope and landed at -Billy’s feet. - -“Hello, Billy and friends! How do you find yourselves? I have just been -up to pay Stub a visit, and I accidentally frightened two nurses nearly -to death and made them both believe they saw a spook cat instead of a -live one.” - -“But how am I to see Stubby? That is what I want to know,” asked Billy. - -“I am afraid you can’t get into the hospital to see him, Billy. But -you will probably have a fine chance to see him to-morrow. I heard -the nurse say she was going to take all the convalescent patients -out under a tree in the yard if it was a nice day. And as the sun set -clear, I think you will have a chance to talk to him to-morrow. If you -cannot get near enough to him to chat, at least you can see him.” - -“How is his leg getting along?” - -“Oh, splendidly! He will be able to use it in a few days. They are -taking off the splints to-morrow.” - -“That is good news indeed. Now it will be only a short time before we -can start once again on our journey home.” - -“Our journey home!” exclaimed Button. “Who said Stubby and I were going -with you?” - -“I did. Or rather I planned taking you both along with me. You don’t -suppose I am going without you now I have found you again, do you? Not -by a long way!” - -“But what if we refuse to go? You can’t carry us, one on each horn, can -you?” - -“Yes, I could, but I don’t want you to go that way, or against your -will. I want you to _want_ to go. And I know perfectly well that I can -offer enough inducements to coax you both to go with me.” - -“But how about deserting our regiments?” - -“You have already deserted yours in following Stubby here,” answered -Billy. - -“But I had to follow a wounded friend! Besides, they would be delighted -to see me back.” - -“That is all well enough! But you fellows are coming back home with -me just as soon as Stubby is able to travel. And I will tell you why. -In the first place you both have had about enough of war to last you -all your lives. Again the war will soon be over now the United States -army is in the thick of the fight. And again you both have come to -the conclusion that there is no country you would care to live in but -America, and the United States of America part of it at that.” - -[Illustration] - -“You are right, Billy. I was only teasing you to hear what arguments -you would put up. But none of them are the real reason why we would -leave the army now and go home. The only thing that would induce us to -leave it before the war is over is the same thing that made us join it.” - -“And pray may I ask what that is?” - -“Yes. It is yourself. We left home to find you. Having found you, we -are ready to leave everything and follow you whether you go home or -away from home.” - -“Bravo! Bravo!” cheered the dogs. “You and Stubby surely are bully -friends for a goat to have. We congratulate you, Billy, on having such -true and loyal ones.” - -“Thanks,” bowed Billy. “Do you know the way to make and keep true, -sincere and loyal friends? I’ll tell you. Be one yourself.” - -“Hurrah for you, Billy! You will always have the last word.” - -“Do you mind telling me a part of your immediate plan and how you -propose getting from here to where we are to embark? Or are you -thinking of stealing a ride home in an airship?” asked Button. - -At this the dogs laughed. The idea of a goat, dog and cat riding in an -airship! - -“Well, my friends, you need not laugh and think that is impossible, for -I already have crossed the American continent from New York City to San -Francisco in an airship,” said Billy. - -“Will you tell us what you haven’t done, Mr. Billy Whiskers?” asked -Pinky. - -“I could not; it would take too long. Well, in the first place,” he -continued, turning to Button, “I thought unless a better plan offered, -I would go straight to Paris and from Paris to the seacoast and get on -the first boat sailing for America. I had not decided on any special -port to sail from. I just left that to chance, for probably we would -have to try many before I could sneak on board. But the hardest part of -the trip will be from here to Paris, as we are known by the soldiers -around here, and we run the risk of being carried back to the army any -minute. If we leave the main highway that leads to Paris, I am afraid -we may lose our way and go a long, roundabout route and possibly we -might fall into the hands of the Germans.” - -“Billy, I’ll tell you what I will do,” spoke up the Red Cross dog. -“I’ll leave going back to the army long enough to show you the way to -Paris and across that city. You could easily find your way to Paris, -but I doubt if you could find your way out. It is a big city, and the -roads out are all well guarded now by soldiers who might recognize -you, capture you and send you back. I know every step of the way, and -we could slip out at night or swim the river Seine where it runs out -of the city. After I had accompanied you to within sight of the sea I -could come back. I need a vacation and the trip would be one for me.” - -“Thank you, my dear Duke,” for that was the name of the Red Cross dog. -“I will accept your offer. But I cannot allow you to carry out one part -of it, and that part is to leave us and go back into the army. They -have plenty of Red Cross dogs and police dogs, too, so they can spare -you now. As you have expressed a desire to see America many times, why -not continue on with us and visit our fair land?” - -“Just the thing!” exclaimed Button. “You may never have such another -chance to visit our country in such good company as a goat, dog and cat -of world renown--a-hem, a-hem!” - -At this they all laughed and Pinky said, “Why, yes; why don’t you go, -Duke? I only wish I had the chance.” - -“Well, you have!” said Billy. “I extend my invitation to all here.” - -“Oh dear! Oh dear! Much as I should love to go, I dislike the hardships -of travel too much, and I know I should be seasick. I was when I -crossed the Channel once to go with my mistress to visit some friends -in London. But I should dearly love to go as far as Paris with you and -see the surprised face of my mistress when I came trotting in. You know -she sent me here so I would be safe when they began to bombard Paris -with those extra long range guns. Besides, she said she had so much Red -Cross war work to do that she could not take the time to look after me -properly and see that I had my walk in the Boulevard or in the Park -every day. And it would be unkind of me to run away to America and -leave her when she has been so kind to me.” - -“I must go back to my mountains,” said the big St. Bernard, “as soon -as I am able and help find the travelers that get lost in the heights -and would die of starvation if it was not for me.” - -So none of them accepted Billy’s invitation to go except Pinky and even -she was going only as far as Paris. - -“Listen! I thought I heard the sound of an automobile turning into the -lane,” said Button. - -“You did,” said the hound. “I just saw the flash of its lamps through -the trees.” - -Billy and the dogs talked for a while longer, and they were about to -say good-night when they heard voices coming in their direction. - -“S-s-s-sh-h-h!” said Billy. “I thought I recognized that voice! It is -the old General’s chauffeur. Now what can he be wanting here at this -time of the evening? I’ll just listen and find out. No, I will get -Button to creep up close and listen for his black coat won’t show in -the dark like my white one would.” - -Button crept through the long grass until he was right near where the -chauffeur and the cook stood talking. There being a tree near them, -Button ran up it and sat on a limb listening to every word they spoke. - -“Well, Jean,” said the cook, “what important business have you on -your mind this evening, or have you come to take away some of our -convalescent patients?” - -“My business is most important, and I have come straight from the -General.” - -“Hoity-toity! You don’t say so! Whatever can it be about?” - -“That blasted old Billy goat that the General sets such stores by.” - -[Illustration] - -“You don’t mean it!” said the cook. “And why are you looking for him -here when you took him away with you only two days ago? You don’t mean -to tell me that the slippery old rascal has escaped from camp again?” - -“No; he did not escape from camp, because we never succeeded in getting -him within miles of it. We hadn’t gotten ten miles from here when we -broke down and that pesky old goat escaped.” - -“Oh, you are fooling! He could not escape one General, three officers -and a smart chauffeur like you!” - -“Oh, couldn’t he? You don’t know that old goat if you think that. He -could escape a whole regiment if he wanted to.” - -“And why do you come looking for him here?” - -“Because we found him here and as he seemed to be having a pretty good -time with the dogs, we thought he might come back.” - -“Oh, you did, did you? Well, you reasoned well, for he did come back, -and I tried to catch him so I could claim the thousand dollars reward. -You see my right arm is in a sling, don’t you? Well, it is all on -account of trying to capture that same old goat.” - -“You don’t mean to tell me that he really is here? Divide the thousand -dollars with me and I will help you catch him again.” - -“Never again do I monkey with that goat! I once swore I would not, and -nothing would induce me to try it again. Would you like to know what he -did to me and how I broke my arm?” - -“Yes, I would.” - -“Well, it happened in this way. He did come back and I thought I would -catch him and claim the reward. One might as well try to catch the -devil asleep as to try to catch that goat off his guard. Do you see -those steps that lead up onto the hospital porch? And that cherry tree -down the lane the other side of those beehives? Well, just imagine me, -fat as I am, at the end of a rope, being jerked off the porch where -there are no steps, pulled around the yard, down past the beehives, -upsetting them, chased and stung by the bees, wrapped around that -cherry tree so tight I could not move and then the rope pulled out of -my hands so fast it blistered them while the goat ran on, stopped to -look around, saw me stuck to the tree, and then he gave a baa, swished -his tail and disappeared. I have not seen him since. I hope the bees -stung him so he will remember the day as long as he lives, for I know -I shall. Why, I could not see out of my eyes for two days, they were -swollen so, and my ears looked like a jackass’s, they were so swollen -out of shape. No, thank you! You may have all the honor of catching -that goat yourself, and the reward that goes with it. I’ll be a goat -catcher no more.” - -Button could see in his imagination just what Billy did to the fellow, -and he laughed so to himself that he nearly fell out of the tree. - -“If you would like to hear it, I will tell you how he escaped the five -of us,” offered the chauffeur. Then he told the cook what you already -know, the recital of which pleased the cook immensely, as misery likes -company, and he was glad to know that he was not the only one Billy had -gotten the best of. - -“I tell you what let’s do,” suggested the chauffeur. “There are two of -us against one goat. We will lay a plan and get him. Then we can divide -that thousand dollars between us. We won’t try to get him in a hurry, -but we will lay a plan that can’t fail.” - -“Can’t fail?” laughed the cook. “_Any_ plan would fail with that old -goat unless you killed him outright. And we don’t want to do that for -the General’s reward is for him alive, not dead.” - -[Illustration: Away went Billy, jerking the cook around trees, over -stumps and beehives. (Page 56)] - -“Well, it is a pity with such a big reward in sight if we can’t get -ahead of one old goat! I’ll eat my shirt if I don’t capture him alive -within three days after I lay eyes on him.” - -“You’ll eat your shirt then, young man, and I will sit by and see you -do it if he doesn’t bung up both my eyes so I can’t see out of them -before then.” - -“Now let’s plan how I shall go about it,” said the chauffeur. - -Button waited to hear no more, but ran to tell Billy that they were -laying plans to capture him. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -BUTTON DISCOVERS SPIES IN THE HAYMOW - - -When Button got back where he had left Billy and the dogs, he found -them all gone. - -“I guess Billy thought they better hide somewhere until I came back. I -can soon find them, however, by running up a tall tree and looking over -the place, for even in this twilight I can see Billy’s white coat. Yes, -there is a white object about his size moving toward the woods. I will -follow it and I bet it will turn out to be Billy. It is too big for a -dog, and too small for a cow.” So Button ran after the white object and -soon came up to Billy and the dogs. - -“There, didn’t I tell you dogs he would find us?” said Billy. “Button, -our friends here did not want to leave until you came back. They were -afraid you could not find us, and that you would feel hurt at our going -off when you had gone to get information for me. They do not know us, -do they? That we always understand one another and know that every move -we make is for the best and our safety. Well, what did you find out?” - -“That the two are at this very minute plotting to capture you so they -can get the reward offered by the General,” and Button began to laugh. - -“What are you laughing at? Tell us,” said Pinky. - -[Illustration] - -“It is at what those two said. They have you down fine, Billy, and -think you are a foxy old rascal with brains. So the two are going to -lay a deep plot and are not going at it hastily so as to be sure to -catch you. The chauffeur has promised to eat his shirt if he can’t -catch you in three days.” - -“They better lay a deep, dark plot and keep it under their hats if they -intend to catch me within three days, for I am leaving in about fifteen -minutes,” answered Billy. - -“Oh, Mr. Whiskers, you don’t mean that! You surely don’t mean to leave -us so soon. Besides, if I am to go with you to Paris, I can’t possibly -get ready in that time. Why, I have all the chickens, ducks, pigs and -the other fowls and animals on the place to say good-by to, let alone -all my friends in the hospital!” - -“Then you can’t travel with me, Miss Rosie de la France, as we three -never know ten minutes ahead where we will be next, or what our next -move will be. My being alive now is all due to my being able to think -and act quickly. And I must leave here before those two plotting my -capture set eyes on me again. Now here are my plans. I made them while -walking over here. I will go ahead to the outskirts of the next town. -There I will wait for Stubby, Button, Duke and yourself, if you still -feel like risking your life with us, and taking all the hardships that -come along without a whimper or complaint. For it is our motto never -to complain or cry over spilt milk. What is done is past and gone; why -spoil the present and becloud the future by dwelling on it?” - -“Thank you, Mr. Whiskers, but I think probably I better stay here until -my mistress comes for me. My surprising her might turn out not to be -pleasant after all.” - -“I think you are wise in your decision, for these are troublous times -to be running around loose without a particular friend, and I think -you are not enough accustomed to hard knocks to travel with three such -hardened travelers as we are.” - -“I am glad that sniffly-nosed, red-eyed little poodle is not going with -us,” mused Button to himself. “I never _could_ abide poodles, anyway, -and this one seems to be a sentimental fuss-and-feathers kind of one.” - -“Time’s up, boys! Glad to have met you all, and hope if any of you ever -come to America that I shall have the good luck to run into you and the -chance of returning some of the hospitality you have extended to me as -well as that I may show you some of our beautiful country. Remember, -Button, as soon as Stubby is able to travel to meet me on the outskirts -of the next town. Good-by, good-by, kind friends!” and Billy was off. - -He had scarcely disappeared in the darkness when the dogs heard the -chauffeur and the cook coming toward the woods. They were sneaking -along, looking carefully under every bush and behind every pile of -stones for Billy. - -“I tell you,” said the cook, “I saw him running in this direction after -we had the mix-up with the bees.” - -“Skedaddle, all of you!” mewed Button. “Don’t let them find us all -together.” - -[Illustration] - -“How long ago did you see him coming in this direction?” asked the -chauffeur. - -“Oh, about three hours.” - -“Three _hours_! Oh, the dickens! In that time he might be half way to -Paris. I thought you had seen him just before I came.” - -“Well, he is somewhere around here, I bet.” - -“If he is, he is probably laughing inside himself at the spectacle we -make creeping along in the dark looking for him.” - -Button went right back to the hospital and climbed up the rope that was -still hanging from the window of Stubby’s ward. He thought he better -go tell Stubby the latest plans while the rope was still there. He had -very good luck indeed, and succeeded in getting to Stubby without being -seen and in telling him what he had heard the men say and of Billy’s -plans for them to join him as soon as he, Stubby, was able to use his -leg. - -“Isn’t it too provoking that I have to be laid up with a broken leg? -Why couldn’t it have been my tail or an ear that got hurt? Then I could -have traveled.” - -“Never mind, old fellow! You will be all right in a day or two. In -the meantime Billy can amuse himself by getting in more mischief, and -I can pass the time by trying _not_ to get into any here. I think I -better vamoose now or some one will be coming and find me as I see it -is about time they change the night shifts. I’ll see you in the garden -to-morrow. Good-night and pleasant slumbers free from pain!” - -Just as Button was on the window sill about to jump for the rope, the -second night nurse who was to relieve the one now on duty came in the -room, and it happened to be the one who had seen Button first and had -been trying to argue herself into believing that she had not seen a -big, black cat sitting on the window sill in the moonlight. On seeing -the same cat again in the same place, she screamed and threw up her -hands to cover her eyes. Her cry startled Button so that he nearly -lost his hold of the rope, for he was just sticking his claws into it -preparatory to climbing down when the nurse opened the door. - -When she took her hands from her eyes to look once more and be sure -that the cat was still there, the cat had disappeared, just as it had -done before. - -“There is something horrible going to happen to the hospital, I know,” -she said to the other nurse, “for that is twice I have seen the vision -of a big black cat.” - -“And I too. I also saw it this evening, just where you did, when I -first came in to take your place. I do hope it is not the forerunner of -a German raid or that the Germans are going to drop bombs on us.” - -It amused Button greatly to see how superstitious the nurses were about -a black cat. - -“I wonder how I shall pass the time until Stubby is taken out into the -yard to-morrow,” he thought. “I think I will go over to the haymow and -catch a mouse and see if French mice taste like American ones.” - -He had crawled through a hole in the side of the barn and was quietly -making his way toward where he thought the haymow would most likely -be when he heard whispering voices. He stopped to listen and made out -that they were speaking in German, not in French. And he immediately -thought, “Spies, or escaped prisoners!” - -“I’ll just listen and hear what they have to say,” he decided, “but -I’ll try to get a little closer.” - -Being black as a coal, he could not be seen easily unless the light -struck his eyes. So he crept cautiously toward where the sound of the -voices came from, and found it was in the haymow above his head. It -took but a minute for Button to climb the ladder that led up to the -mow, but as he stepped from the ladder onto the hay, it gave way and he -fell into a hole in the hay made by one of the men’s legs when he had -stepped off the ladder. - -“What was that noise I heard?” said one of the two voices in a -frightened tone. - -“S-s-sh-h-h-h! Keep still and listen!” commanded the other. - -“I hope it is not that French colonel who has been on our track for -days,” answered the other. - -Button never moved, and in fact he held his breath until the men began -talking again. - -“It was probably a rat you heard in the hay,” said the man who had -spoken last. “Don’t you think it is about dark enough for us to get to -our work and blow up this Red Cross hospital, so we can get back to our -line before daylight?” - -“So-ho!” thought Button. “You two think because this hospital has a big -red cross on a white ground painted on its roof that it is a regular -hospital for wounded soldiers instead of just one for dogs. And you -have been sent to blow it up! Well, I’ll fix you! I’ll scratch your -eyes out so you can’t see to blow it up.” - -Then and there Button began to act as if he had a fit. He flew out of -the hole he had been hiding in and right for the men, whom he could see -plainly with his cat eyes in the dark mow. Before they knew what was -happening, he ran up one’s back, reached around his neck as he sat on -his shoulder and scratched both his eyes out. - -“How do you like the feeling? _That_ is for scratching out the eyes of -little Belgian children!” - -The man cried out from pain, but what cared Button? He jumped from this -fellow’s shoulders straight into the other’s face and out went his eyes. - -“Now you two can sit here and repent of your sins and think how the -little children suffered whose eyes you dug out! And the Germans are -planning to blow up this hospital, are they? Such being the case, I -must get Stubby away from here at the earliest possible moment. I know -what I can do. I can carry him on my back, he is such a little fellow, -and he is so thin now that I can easily do it. Then when we reach -Billy, he can carry him and in this way, by taking turns, we can get -him far away from here before the Germans raid the hospital.” - -And this is just what Button did. The very next day when Stubby’s nurse -carried him out of the hospital and placed him on a cushion under a -tree, with the splints off his leg, Button came along and told him what -he had done the night before and that he feared the Germans would blow -up or set fire to the hospital that very night. By first coaxing, then -scolding, he at last persuaded Stubby to consent to ride on his back -and let him take him where Billy was waiting for them on the outskirts -of the town seven miles away. They bade all the dogs good-by and the -Red Cross dog insisted that as he was larger and stronger than Button -he should carry Stubby on his back part of the journey. “Besides,” he -said, “I have a cloth bandage around my body with the Red Cross sewed -on the front. Now this bandage will be an excellent thing for Stubby -to stick his claws in to help him hold on. It will be much easier -trying to do that than trying to stick them into your short hair, more -especially as he has only three legs he can use.” - -And thus they started on their journey, keeping close to the road, but -going just inside the fields and orchards that bordered either side of -the highway. They made very good progress, and the Red Cross dog did -not feel the weight of Stubby at all. They rested a little after noon, -and Button and the Red Cross dog left Stubby behind a straw stack in a -barnyard while they sneaked up to the house to see if they could not -find something to eat and to carry back to Stubby. - -“Bow wow!” barked a big dog, jumping out at them from his kennel. “Who -are you that comes prowling around here? Oh, I beg your pardon! I did -not notice you wore the badge of a Red Cross dog or I should not have -barked, for all Red Cross dogs are welcome in this place and the farmer -and his family will do all they can for you. Just go up to the house -and when they see you wear a Red Cross badge they will give you a hot -supper and a soft bed to sleep on if you care to stay over night. I -would go up to the house with you, but, as you see, I am chained. They -will bring some dinner to me and I will share it with your friend here, -the black cat.” - -“I am sure that is very kind of you,” replied Duke, the Red Cross dog. -“Since you say the family here is kind to Red Cross dogs, I will walk -boldly up to the house.” - -“You will find them all I say they are, for my master used to train -dogs to be police dogs, and he sold them to the police in Paris. Then -when the war began he trained them for Red Cross work. But all his -dogs are sold now or gone to war. He was such a good trainer that he -got very high prices for his dogs. I should not wonder but that you may -have met some of the dogs trained by him if you have been at the front -lately, as many of them are in active service there now.” - -“Your master’s name could not possibly be Jean Baptiste Frère, could -it?” - -“That is just what it is!” - -“Well, well, well! I declare! That is too queer! My chum was trained -by him and lots of the dogs I know. My chum’s name is Sharp Ears, or -rather that is what the Red Cross people call him, for he seems to be -able to hear things long before any one else can detect the slightest -noise. For that reason he is kept on police duty with the sentinels -that have to tramp up and down, up and down in the deep woods on guard -all night. He will hear or scent an enemy long before he comes in -sight, and he always gives warning by pricking up his ears and looking -straight into the sentry’s face, but he never barks to betray the -sentry to the enemy. Then he turns his face in the direction from which -the sound comes. If it is one of our soldiers, he will keep perfectly -still. If it is a German, Austrian or any of the enemy soldiers, he -will give a scarcely audible growl. He has saved many a sentry’s life -by warning him in this way that some one was coming.” - -“How can he tell whether it is an enemy or a friend coming when he -can’t see them?” - -“I asked him that very question, and he said he can always tell a -German by the scent as they smell like pigs, and that he had never made -a mistake yet.” - -“I did not know before that the German soldiers have an odor peculiarly -their own.” - -“Nor I until he told me! Here they come with my dinner now, and as they -don’t like cats very well, I think your friend better hide in my dog -house. I will stand before the door so they can’t see inside.” - -“Hello, Towser!” called out the farmer when he saw Duke. “I see you -have company and most distinguished company at that. Come here and let -me see by your badge to what regiment you belong.” - -Duke went up to the farmer who had a very strong but kindly face and -allowed him to read what was engraved on the tag that dangled from his -collar. - -“Why, bless my soul! You are from the same regiment that my son is in -and also the one that owns my best trained dog. Oh, if you could only -talk and tell me how they are faring out on that battlefront!” And he -gave a deep sigh. So did Duke for he too wished he could talk and tell -the farmer of some of the noble, brave deeds his son had performed and -also some of the clever, smart things his dog had done. - -“Come with me up to the house and I will give you a dinner that will -make your sides stick out and ready to split,” which he certainly did. -Duke ate and ate and still he could not see the bottom of his plate. -There was fried chicken, with mashed potatoes and gravy fit for a king -to eat. He ate all he possibly could for he knew it would be a long -time before he ever was offered such a dinner again. But all the time -he ate he kept thinking of how Stubby would enjoy the big chicken leg -he was going to carry to him in his mouth when the farmer left him and -he could slip away. He was just wondering how he was going to get away -from the farmer when some one in the house called him to say that he -was wanted on the telephone. - -He had not disappeared inside the door when Duke picked up the chicken -leg and ran with it to Stubby, and as he rounded the stack from one -side Button did from the other with a second drumstick in his mouth. So -you see Stubby fared pretty well. - -“Those people seem to be very kind,” said Stubby, “and I guess it will -be a good while before we meet any one their equal again.” - - - - -CHAPTER X - -BUTTON MAKES THE FARMER FIGHTING MAD - - -Stubby was nibbling on his chicken leg with Duke and Button nearly half -asleep when they were all startled by the farmer coming round the straw -stack unexpectedly. But if they were surprised, the farmer was more -so. To come unexpectedly upon two stray dogs and a black cat and one -of those dogs the Red Cross dog he had just been feeding was enough to -surprise any one. - -“Well, well, well! Where did you all come from, I should like to know? -And if here isn’t another Red Cross dog! But no, I am mistaken. You are -a cat, but a cat with a regimental tag around your neck. Come here, -little dog, and let me read what your tag says,” but when Stubby got -up and tried to limp to him, the farmer saw that his leg was hurt, so -he went to him and taking him in his arms, he felt of the injured leg -and found it had been broken. As he had set many broken legs for dogs, -he knew what to do for Stubby and he said, “You two follow me. I am -going to take this little dog to my office and rub his leg with some -strengthening liniment I have which will make it heal quicker. And I am -also going to give him a tonic to brace him up for I see he is very -thin and weak.” - -Stubby licked the farmer’s hand to show how he appreciated all this -kindness. - -When they reached the office, the farmer put his glasses on and read -the tags on all their necks, and when he got through he called to his -wife to come quickly, that he had made a wonderful discovery. “Just you -read that, wife,” he said, after he had read Stubby’s tag once again. -“This cat and dog are the long lost and much advertised mascots of two -American regiments, which are offering large sums for their recovery. -Bless me but this is lucky! For I was just needing some extra money to -repair the roof of the house and to fix up the place.” - -“And I too. I need a new dress and bonnet badly,” said his wife. - -“We’ll just fix them comfortably here in the office for to-night, -so there will be no danger of them getting away while I am making -arrangements for returning them to their own regiments and collecting -the reward money. A thousand dollars for each! To think that that cat -is the celebrated black cat from the Black Cat Regiment, and the dog -the yellow dog from the regiment called after him, the Yellow Dog -Regiment!” - -The two dogs and Button looked at one another and either winked or -rolled their eyes to let the others know that they were in a pretty -fix and in danger of being carried back to the army. Then they all -thought of Billy waiting on the outskirts of the town for them to come. - -“One thing,” thought Button, “he won’t wait long. If we don’t come -along on the third day, he will come back to look for us for he will -know that trouble has detained us. A day’s rest here with the excellent -care the farmer is going to give Stubby and plenty of good food for us -all will help us along on our journey more than anything else would, -as we are all run down, first from our hard work in the front and then -from our wounds.” - -Presently the farmer and his wife had them all fixed comfortably for -the night, with Stubby on a nice soft sofa, and Duke and Button on old -shawls and blankets in one of the corners of the room, and a dish of -water for them to drink should they grow thirsty. As soon as the farmer -and his wife left them alone they talked over their predicament, but -all agreed it was for the best and soon they all fell asleep. - -For two days they stayed with the farmer and each morning and evening -he rubbed Stubby’s leg and gave him a tonic. He fed Duke and Button up -fine too until they were so fat they could scarcely run. All day long -all they did was to eat and sleep, “getting in condition to travel -fast,” said Button. - -The third day the farmer became very much excited when he read the -mail for in it were two letters for him from the colonels of the -regiments of which Stubby and Button were the mascots. They stated that -they would give the reward to the person who delivered the dog and cat -to them unhurt and in perfect health. - -“This certainly is fine news, wife, and you better go along with me so -you can pick out your new dress and bonnet while we are in town, for -their headquarters, where I am to deliver the dog and cat, are in a -large town where there are plenty of big stores. We will start early -to-morrow morning, about daylight, as it is a long ways and we want to -reach these headquarters before noon so as to get our money and have -the whole afternoon to shop.” - -Stubby heard all this as he lay on his end of the sofa pretending to be -asleep. The minute the farmer and his wife left the room, he to get the -automobile in shape for the trip in the morning, and his wife to lay -out her best clothes, Stubby barked for Button and Duke to come in to -share the news he had just heard. - -They both listened without interrupting until Stubby had finished, then -Button said: - -“It is a good thing your leg has healed so you can walk on it and -that you are feeling so strong and well, for if they mean to take us -to headquarters to-morrow morning, we must manage to escape some time -to-night.” - -“You are right,” replied Duke. “But why wait until night? It would be -easier to escape some time this afternoon before we are shut in for the -night. The farmer never seems to think we will try to run away until -dark as he leaves us pretty much alone all day but at the first hint of -darkness he shuts us in.” - -“That is all true. So let us wait and get a good dinner and then when -he lies down to take his twenty winks of sleep, as he does every -afternoon, we will skedaddle. His wife will be so busy getting her -finery ready to wear to-morrow that she won’t have time even to look -out of the window.” - -And so it was planned for them to push on to where Billy waited for -them. - -It is a good thing that they decided to go when they did for Billy was -getting terribly restless waiting for them, and was likely to get in -mischief if they did not arrive soon. - -The three simply stuffed themselves at dinner time. And as they were -finishing, Button said, “Isn’t it too bad we haven’t pockets in our -skins so we could take some of this fine food along with us to eat when -we can’t find anything along the roadside?” - -“It surely is,” said Stubby, “and I don’t see why we could not have had -our tails so constructed that we could have hung packages on them like -the opossums carry their young, hanging over their mother’s tail with -all their little tails curled around hers to hold them on.” - -“You two do think of the most outlandish things I ever heard of,” said -Duke. “Any one could tell you were from the United States of America. -You are so clever and original. Now a European would be too staid and -too conventional to think of a thing like that.” - -While they were talking, not one of them had taken his eyes off the -farmer who had been lying on the sofa to take his nap. But to-day he -was slower than ever in dropping off to sleep, due, I suppose, to the -excitement of the reward he was thinking of getting. But presently -habit was too much for him and he fell fast asleep. At the first snore -he made the three chums crept out of the office and sneaked away toward -the garden. One by one they squeezed themselves through a hole under -the fence and came out in the garden, right under the noses of the -farmer’s wife and son who were picking raspberries. - -“Why, what are you doing here? Trying to escape us?” and with that the -woman stooped and grabbed Stubby up in her arms while her son grasped -Duke, but Button escaped them. - -“You naughty, naughty dogs and cat to try to run away from us when we -have been so good to you!” Then she turned to her son and said, “I -think they heard your father and me talking of taking them back to the -army and probably they don’t want to go back, and that is why they were -trying to run away.” - -“Bet you that is it!” replied the son. “They are so smart they can -understand every word that is said.” - -“I told your father not to trust them out alone, but he said he was -feeding them so well that they would not try to run away. It is a good -thing that I decided to pick those raspberries to take to your Aunt -to-morrow, or we would not have caught them. And then I hate to think -of how it would have affected your father.” - -When they reached the office, the farmer was still asleep and from the -smile on his face he was probably dreaming he was buying things with -the reward money. Just as they opened the door he called out, “Thieves! -Thieves!” and jumped up from the sofa. He was dreaming that some -thieves had stolen his pocketbook. “Why, what are you doing here with -the dogs in your arms? They haven’t been hurt, have they?” he asked at -last. - -“No; worse than that. We caught them trying to run away,” said his wife. - -“You don’t say so! That would have been a calamity.” - -And then his wife explained to him how she and her son had caught -Stubby and Duke. - -“But the worst of it is that black cat is still loose. Still I don’t -think he will run away and leave the two dogs behind.” - -“Neither do I, but we won’t take any chances. Come and see if we can’t -catch him. We’ll lock the two dogs in and then see if the three of us -can’t catch the cat. Where did you leave him?” - -“Up a tree beside the garden gate.” - -“I’ll get a nice piece of meat and see if I can’t coax him down,” said -the farmer. So while he went for the meat his wife and his son went to -the tree where they had left Button. But alas! alack! when they got -there he was gone and nowhere in sight though they searched everywhere -for him and called, “Kitty! Kitty! Kitty! Pussy! Pussy! Pussy!” - -The farmer was nearly crazy to think that with the cat gone he would -lose half of the reward he had been counting on so much. - -“We must find him, I tell you!” and he began to scold his wife and son -as if it was their fault that the cat was gone. At last his wife grew -angry and said: - -“Shut up! I have heard enough of your complaining. If it had not been -for me, they both would have been gone for good. Why, I told you to -keep them under lock and key; that they were too valuable to let run -loose. But you go accusing us of losing them, while you sleep and let -them sneak off. Don’t you suppose I want a new dress and bonnet with -that reward money as much as you want to spend it on fixing up the -place?” - -This was good logic, so the farmer stopped his scolding. In the first -place he knew it was not her fault but like some men he tried to lay -everything that went wrong on some one else. Whoever happened to be -near at the time usually got the scolding. - -“Gee, how I hate a man who lays everything that goes wrong on his -wife!” said Duke. - -Button had hid under some currant bushes and was having great fun -watching them hunt for him. When supper time came they put his supper -outside the kitchen door on a plate but left the door part way open, -so they could open it quickly and grab him if he came to eat the food. -But they waited in vain, for Button had seen the crack and knew what it -meant. - -[Illustration] - -“I am not very hungry, and I can wait for my supper until you go to -sleep. You will have to go to bed,” he thought. - -At last the farmer could stand waiting no longer. He wanted to find -that cat and lock him up so he could go to bed and be ready for an -early start to headquarters in the morning. With no cat, there would be -no use in going. - -“I have it!” he at last exclaimed to his wife. “I’ll go unchain Towser -and get him to smell out the cat for me. That dog is a crackajack for -finding cats. He hates them so--or most of them. This cat is the only -one I ever saw him make friends with.” - -So Towser was unchained and set to looking for Button. He ran around -and around, smelling everywhere and he barked up the tree that Button -had climbed. But still he had not found the missing cat. At last he got -the scent, but just before he got to him Button shot out from under the -bushes and ran up a tree. - -“He has found him, found him!” called the farmer to his wife. The -farmer had been close on Towser’s heels all the time, a bag in his -hand. He had intended to put the cat in it when Towser caught him by -the nape of his neck as he did most cats. But Button was too quick for -them. He was up a tree before they could wink. The next thing was to -get him down. The farmer, his wife and son coaxed and coaxed Button to -come down but he just sat on a limb and blinked at them. - -“Climb the tree and see if you can’t catch him,” said the farmer to his -son. - -[Illustration: One thing Billy butted was a basket full of clothes. - (Page 67)] - -This the boy did, and Button let him come within reaching distance of -him. Then he climbed a little higher up the tree. This kept on until -he was away up in the topmost branches, and away out on a limb so thin -that it would not bear the weight of the boy. When he saw this he took -hold of the limb and tried to shake Button off by swinging the limb -backwards and forwards with all his might. But he might just as well -have tried to dislodge the bark itself as Button. He simply stuck his -sharp claws down deeper into the tree and enjoyed the swinging of the -branch. - -“Come down, Pierre!” called his mother. “We will try smoking him out.” - -Pierre climbed down and they all busily set about building a big smudge -fire under the tree. As it was a still evening, with no wind, the smoke -rose straight in the air to where Button sat, but by shutting his eyes -he did not mind it much and he sat on. The smoke made the farmer, his -wife and son sneeze and cough and their eyes smart and water. That was -all the good their fire did, for when the fire at last died out and the -smoke had cleared away, they looked up in the tree and there sat Button -as composedly as ever. - -“Darn that cat!” exclaimed the farmer. - -“Father, you must not swear, and before our son at that.” - -“I can’t help it, for I am so mad at that cat I could kill him. And if -he doesn’t come down pretty soon, I’ll shoot him and take his hide to -headquarters.” - -“That would do no good, for they say in their letter the reward will -only be given if the dog and cat are alive and well,” replied his wife. - -“Well, what next can we do to get him down? I am at the end of my -string of suggestions.” - -The three sat down under the tree, their heads on their hands and -elbows on knees, to try to think of some way to capture Button. After -sitting there for about ten minutes, the son exclaimed, “I have it! I -know how we can get him down and not hurt him in the least.” - -“Let’s hear your plan, quick!” said the father. - -“I’ll go up and saw off the limb he is sitting on, while you and mother -hold a net under the limb. Then when it falls, the cat and limb will -fall in the net and the cat won’t be hurt.” - -“An excellent idea, my son,” commended his mother. - -“But where are we going to get the net?” asked his father. - -“We can use my tennis net.” - -“Run and get it while I go for a saw and, mother, you stay here to keep -him from escaping while we are away,” said the father. - -Presently the father and son were back with the saw and the net. The -boy climbed the tree, while the father and mother stood under the limb, -waiting to catch Button when the limb should be sawed off. Button never -stirred while the boy sawed the limb, for he had made up his mind what -he was going to do when the limb fell into the net. This it did in -about two minutes. The branch had scarcely touched the net when Button -with a bound ran up the side of the net, jumped to the ground and ran -up the next tree. And could you have looked into the faces of those -three people, you would have said you never had looked into three more -disappointed ones in your life. - -“That cat is possessed of the devil!” said the father. - -“I truly believe he is!” said the mother. - -“Well, gosh darn his skin, I say!” exclaimed their son. - -“I have another idea,” said the father. “You go get your fish net and -then you can climb the tree he is now in, and throw it over his head, -and we will have him.” - -[Illustration] - -The boy went after his round net on a long pole, climbed the tree and -threw it over Button’s head, but just as it came down Button gave a -leap for the next tree which was six feet away and lit on a limb as -nicely as if he had been a flying squirrel and used to jumping from -tree to tree all his life. - -“Well, that cat surely beats the devil! He can stay in that tree for -all of me! I shan’t try to catch him any more. But I’ll just go and get -some sleep, and in the morning we will go to town and get the reward -for the little dog and say nothing about ever having seen the cat. Then -when we come back, if he is still seen around the premises we will try -some other plans to capture him.” - -When they had all three gone to bed, Button came down out of the tree -and ate the supper they had put out for him early in the evening. After -finishing it he went over to the office and jumping up on the window -sill he talked to Stubby and Duke through the window and told them how -he had been having some fun with the family. - -“Don’t worry, boys! You will be able to give him the slip as he takes -you to town. And if you don’t, you can get away in a few days. I will -go on and tell Billy what has happened and then the two of us will come -back and help you escape.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE CHUMS ON A CANAL BOAT - - -“No need to go for Billy or to tell him what has happened,” said a -voice behind Button, “for I have heard it all.” Turning around, Button -saw Billy standing under the window. - -“Billy!” the three exclaimed in one breath. “Where did you come from?” - -“The town where I was to meet you. I waited and waited and at last made -up my mind that something must have happened to you, so I went back to -the hospital, or at least I got nearly there last night when I saw ten -or fifteen aeroplanes circling over the hospital. I made out that half -were German planes and half American. The Germans evidently were trying -to blow up the hospital by dropping bombs on it, and the Americans were -trying to fight them off. As I looked, I heard a terrible explosion and -by the light of the fire that followed I saw a big building go up in -smoke and flames, and as I watched I saw distinctly two human figures -outlined on the sky, flying up in the air with the débris. But when -the smoke cleared away, I saw that the hospital still stood there and -that it was the big barn they had blown up. So the two figures I saw -must have been those of the two spies who were going to try to bomb the -hospital--those whose eyes you scratched out, Button. So you see they -got their just deserts and were blown up themselves just as they had -planned to blow up others. I was so thankful to see that it was the -barn instead of the hospital that I ran straight on regardless of bombs -dropping all around me. All I thought of was to see if Stubby was still -in the hospital, and trying to save him, but before I reached there -the American aeroplanes had driven off the Germans, and I saw three of -their machines lying in wrecks on the ground, the work of the Americans. - -“I went on to the hospital, and ran straight to Stubby’s ward to see if -he was there, well knowing that in the confusion nobody would molest -me. I passed the cook on the stairs and he was so excited and scared he -did not pay the slightest attention to me. When I reached your ward, -Stubby, I found your bed empty so took it for granted that you had -started to meet me and that I had missed you somewhere on the road. So -I started back, stopping at every farm I passed to look the place over -to see if I could hear or see anything of any of you. A rooster at the -next farm told me he had seen two dogs and a black cat pass their place -at sunrise five days ago. Then I knew that you were either prisoners -somewhere or I had passed you on your way to meet me. Now tell me how -it happens that you two dogs are locked in and Button still running -outside.” - -Between them they told Billy all that had happened since he left them, -ending by relating how they were to be carried to headquarters early -the next morning. - -“Well, I guess not! Not if my name is Billy Whiskers will you two stay -prisoners another minute. I’ll just hook the glass out of this window -and you two can crawl out and then we will make a merry chase for the -next village.” - -[Illustration] - -Billy did this, and as they passed the house, the soft-hearted Stubby -said to the farmer and his wife, “I am sorry to make you lose your -reward for my capture, as you have been very good to all of us. But -even for you I can’t be a prisoner just so you can get some money by -delivering me to headquarters. So _au revoir_, old friends!” - -“Good-by,” meowed Button. “And may you have better luck the next time -you try to catch a black cat! Had you only remembered that black cats -are said to bring bad luck, you would not have wasted so much valuable -time in trying to capture me.” - -“And many, many thanks for the good meals you gave us,” barked Duke. -Then the four passed on into the darkness and were lost to the farmer -forever. - -“I think the best thing we can do,” said Billy, “is to push on to Paris -just as fast as we can, and that won’t be very rapidly, as we shall -have to travel by night most of the time and lie hidden in the daytime, -since there are so many looking for us who are sparing no expense in -advertising and searching for us. We are like regular escaped prisoners -with a price on our heads.” - -“The nearer we get to Paris,” said Duke, “the harder it will be to keep -hidden, for the country is very thickly populated for miles and miles -outside the city. But an idea just flashed across my mind that, if -carried out, would get us inside Paris without much trouble.” - -“What is it?” asked Billy. - -“It is this: that we enter Paris by boat instead of on foot.” - -“And how can we do that?” inquired Stubby. - -“I’ll tell you. We will go to the banks of the river Seine, about five -miles out of Paris, and try to get on one of the flat canal boats that -run right into the heart of the city, and we might be lucky enough to -get on a boat that would pass right through Paris and continue on to -the sea, where we could embark for America, as the river empties into -the sea at a very large shipping port called the city of Havre. From -this port there are big merchant ships sailing to all parts of the -world, and we would get on one bound for America. If we could only -accomplish this it would save us all that long, tiresome walk of about -one hundred and twenty-five miles.” - -“Gee!” exclaimed Button. “Your plans sound good to me! Saving a hundred -and twenty-five mile walk, dodging people, bad boys and troublesome -dogs, is worth trying.” - -“I should think it did sound good!” said Billy, “and I feel quite -sure we can carry it out, for Stubby, Button and I have had lots of -experience sneaking on ocean-going vessels, steamers, and so on. We -have stolen on board a vessel going from Japan to America, and on still -another sailing from Boston for Constantinople, and another plying up -and down the Mississippi River, with others too numerous to mention. So -I guess we can manage to get aboard a slow going canal boat.” - -“Of course we can!” said Stubby. “I feel like thanking you for thinking -of such a plan. It is such a good one for us all but more especially -for me with my lame leg.” - -“About how far do you think we are from Paris now?” - -“I should say fully twenty-five miles. But only about seven from the -river if we take a straight line to the east until we come to it.” - -“Then me for the straight line to the river!” declared Billy. - -“Same here!” said Button. - -“And I follow wherever you lead,” avowed Stubby. - -The four made such good time that by daybreak they were in sight of the -river, catching their first glimpse of it from the top of a high hill. - -And joy! they saw straight ahead of them a small town at whose dock -lay a long white-and-green boat with a flat top. It was so early in -the morning that no one was astir in the town when they reached it, so -they were not molested as they ran through it straight for the boat. -When they came close to the dock they proceeded more cautiously and hid -behind boxes and barrels until they could find out what kind of people -were on the boat. But no one appearing and the dock being deserted at -this time of the morning, they decided to chance finding nice people -on board, and crept on deck. This they did easily as the owner had -neglected to pull in his gangplank before he went to bed. - -“It looks as if our good angel was with us and it was intended we were -to make this trip in this way,” remarked Stubby. - -“Now we must all secrete ourselves and keep hid until the boat is -loaded and pushed off shore. Then they will have to take us with them -until they reach the next stopping place, and if the worst comes to the -worst we can jump overboard and swim, for it is not far to shore and -the boat is not high above the water line.” - -Billy secreted himself behind a pile of bags filled with hops, while -Stubby and Button climbed on top of them and hid themselves between two -of the top bags, and Duke squeezed himself under them in a hole made -by two of the bags which had not been packed closely. So by the time -the sun was well up and the people began to arise, they were all stowed -away as comfortably as could be. - -The first person on deck proved to be a big, comfortable looking fat -man, followed by his grandson, a little fellow with curly, flaxen hair -and big, blue eyes, whom it was easy to see the grandfather fairly -worshiped. - -Then three men came up from below and began fussing around on deck. -About this time the delicious odor of boiling coffee, fried potatoes -and bacon was wafted up the hatchway. - -“Gee! The fumes from that cooking make me hungry as a bear!” said -Button. - -“Me too!” agreed Stubby. - -“And it reminds me that none of us has had a bite to eat for hours. We -were so busy getting away from our pursuers that we forgot to stop to -look for something to eat,” said Duke. - -“That may smell good to you fellows, but that white clover beside the -dock, with the dew still on it, smells better to me. And when they go -in to breakfast, if they still keep that gangplank out, I am going to -come out of this hiding place, skip ashore and eat a mouthful or two -before any of the people on board are through their meal and come up on -deck again,” said Billy. - -“You are lucky that you can live on grass and green things,” replied -Duke. “I wish _I_ could.” - -“That is the only trouble dogs and cats have when traveling,” said -Stubby; “this matter of food. One has to steal it, or eat it raw, and -run the risk of being clubbed or stoned unless he falls in with some -one who is kind to animals and doesn’t think it is too much trouble to -feed and water them.” - -“Most people seem to forget that animals have to eat and drink the same -as human beings. They know better, but they just do not think,” said -Button. - -Billy did as he had planned and slipped off the boat and made a hearty -breakfast of clover and took a good drink of water out of the river. -Then he was fixed for the day if need be. - -“Mew! Mew! Mew!” - -“Hark! I hear a cat mewing!” whispered Button to Stubby who were close -together upon the pile of hops. - -“I see her,” said Stubby. “It is only a little kitten. Sh-sh-sh! Here -comes a woman up from below with a plate of food for the kitten.” - -“Kitty! Kitty! Kitty!” called the woman, looking around for the cat and -paying no attention to the mewing kitten at her feet. - -“Evidently she is looking for the mother of the kitten,” whispered -Button. - -As they watched, they saw a big yellow cat jump out from a pile of rope -up near the prow of the boat and walk lazily toward her. A black and -white spotted cat also came running from the opposite side of the deck. - -“They seem to have a whole family on board,” remarked Stubby. - -When the woman saw them coming, she set down a heaping plate of food -for them and said, “Well, lazybones,” addressing the yellow cat, “did -you catch that big wharf rat I saw run on board last night? If you did -not, you better hustle and get him if you want any more to eat from -me. I am not going to feed you anything until that rat is killed. Do -you hear me? Old Mouser has been doing all the work lately in catching -the rats and mice, and it is time you did something, for we want no -free lazy passengers on this boat. Baby,” addressing the kitten, “stop -crying and mewing around my heels. If you are hungry, eat something -on the plate. Oh, I forgot, you are too young to care for meat and -potatoes. Come with me and I will get you some milk to drink,” and she -picked up the kitten and went below. - -The cats were evidently not very hungry, for they scarcely touched the -food on the plate, but walked off and left it, the spotted cat going -down the hatchway and the yellow cat back to the pile of rope up front. - -[Illustration] - -“Now is our chance, Stubby,” whispered Button, “before any one comes up -from breakfast!” - -The two of them climbed down from the hops and made a good meal of what -the cats had left, as the woman had brought up a plate heaping full. - -“Tell you what, that tasted good!” said Button. - -“Indeed it did!” replied Stubby. “I did not know I was so hungry. But -I was as thirsty as the very dickens. I hate to chance going off the -boat for a drink, but I’ve simply got to have water. I think I can -chance it to run off and lap a few mouthsful before they come up and -pull in the gangplank. I am going to try it anyway. Are you coming?” - -“No; cats drink very little water, and I do not feel the least bit -thirsty now.” - -Stubby succeeded in getting his drink and was safely back on board -before any one appeared. But he did not have a minute to spare as his -short, stubby tail only just disappeared out of sight when all the men, -including the Captain, came on deck. Then the Captain bawled out in his -big voice for them to heave in the gangplank and cut loose. In less -than fifteen minutes the old boat was out in the middle of the river, -floating down toward Paris on the swift moving current. - -“Gee, it seems good to be in a safe place once more,” said Billy, -“where one can sleep without keeping one eye open for fear of capture -or of being blown sky high by a carelessly dropped German bomb. I am -just going to sleep and sleep and sleep while on this trip and get good -and rested.” - -“And I am going to do the same,” replied Duke. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -BUTTON HAS A FIGHT WITH A WHARF RAT - - -All day long the four of them kept hidden. At noon Stubby, Duke and -Button ate what the cats left, and Billy ran ashore and ate a little -grass by the river bank, where the boat had tied up for noon. - -The Captain and his crew seemed in no hurry to get to Paris or anywhere -else, for that matter. All they seemed to do was to eat, sleep, tell -stories and smoke. - -It was getting to be about half past nine, and the dogs and Button -were growing hungry for their supper which they could see on the plate -by the gangway, but could not go to get it as the sailors were still -lounging on deck talking and smoking. - -“Will they never stop their silly talk and go to bed?” sighed Button. - -He could not hear a word of what they said, but he called it silly -because he was so cross at them for not going to bed. And as they -talked, a big black wharf rat sneaked up behind them and began to help -himself to the meat on the plate. It was too much for the hungry Button -to lie there and see his supper or what he considered his, eaten up -before his eyes by a nasty old rat. Forgetting that he might be caught -by the sailors, he sneaked off the pile of hops and crept to within -jumping distance of the rat. Then with one long flying leap, he landed -on the rat’s back and buried his teeth in his neck and his claws in his -sides. It was a powerful rat, as I said before, and gave fight. Soon -the two of them were rolling around on the deck, with first one on top -and then the other. The scuffle they made added to the squeal of the -rat brought all the sailors to their feet and there they stood watching -the fight and wondering where the big black cat came from. - -All of a sudden the rat let go of Button’s ear and buried its teeth -in his neck, causing the blood to flow freely. On seeing this Stubby -forgot all caution and came running to Button’s assistance. - -“Holy Moses! And where did this dog come from?” asked the Captain. “He -must have dropped from the sky.” - -Stubby tried to grab the rat by the back of its neck as it clung to -Button’s throat, but he could not as they kept rolling over and over -each other so that first one was on top and then the other. At last in -trying to stoop and get a grip he turned his broken leg the wrong way -and the pain was so intense that he fainted dead away and the sailors -thought he was dead. So did Duke, who was watching the struggle from -the top of the hop pile with Billy. When they saw Stubby roll over and -stretch out they both bounded off the hops and appeared on the scene. - -“Jumping Jupiter! What have we here? A menagerie?” exclaimed the -Captain. The sailors all stared at Duke and Billy as if an elephant had -appeared in their midst, while from the other end of the boat came the -yellow cat and Mouser. And still the fight went on, with the Captain, -three sailors, two cats, one dog and a goat watching, all having formed -a ring around the fighters. - -[Illustration] - -Billy saw that Button was growing weak from loss of blood and though -he did not wish to interfere in Button’s fight, still he felt it best -under the circumstances to do so. So he watched his chance and ran one -long horn right through the rat, killing him instantly. Then with the -rat still sticking to his horns, he walked to the side of the boat and -scraped it off, and it fell into the water. - -This was such a smart thing for a goat to do that the Captain clapped -his hands and cried, “Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!” in which all the sailors -joined him. Their clapping and cheering brought the Captain’s wife on -deck to see what all the commotion was about, and when she saw the -strange animals on board, she said, - -“When did you buy this menagerie? I never laid eyes on them before.” - -“Nor any of us,” answered the Captain, “until two or three minutes -ago,” and he related to her what had taken place. - -“This fight never would have happened if that lazy yellow cat of ours -had done his duty and caught that rat.” - -“But if he had, none of us would ever have witnessed the most desperate -bloody battle any of us ever saw between a cat and a rat.” - -“I wonder to whom these animals belong and when they came on board,” -mused the Captain’s wife. - -“They must have come on board the night we forgot and left the -gangplank out,” said the Captain. - -“That is just when it must have happened,” agreed the sailors. - -“They probably belong to some one person as they are all together, and -I should judge from their appearance that they are very valuable. See,” -said the Captain’s wife, “they all have medals around their necks, and -one dog wears a Red Cross badge sewed on his body.” - -The Captain stooped down in front of Billy and began to read what was -on his badge. - -“Wife, come here! Come here!” he called in excited tones. “What do you -think I find engraved on this badge? This goat is the celebrated Billy -Whiskers, the Mascot of the --th New York Regiment!” - -“You don’t mean it? Not the goat that the big reward is offered for? -You don’t mean _that_, do you?” - -“Yes, I do! The very same!” - -“And this little dog and the black cat are mascots, too, other -regiments offering a big reward for their return. I read about these -very animals in one of the Paris papers this morning. I’ll go get the -paper and read it to you,” she said. - -In a jiffy she disappeared inside the boat but came out again, waving -the paper. “Here it is! Now listen while I read to you all what it says: - - LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN - - One large white goat, belonging to the --th Regiment of New York - - One small yellow dog, belonging to the --th Regiment of Pennsylvania - - One big black cat, belonging to the --th Regiment of Illinois. - - Any person or persons returning the same to their respective - Headquarters will receive $1,000 reward for each animal alive and - well.” - -She jumped up and went springing and dancing around the deck. - -“Here we have all three of them right here on our boat! Ho for the -reward! I see where we get it when we return from this trip. We will -take the best of care of them, but keep them hidden from others until -our return trip. Then we will take them to Headquarters and claim the -reward.” - -“Well, you won’t get any reward for either the cat or the dog if you -don’t fix up the wounds where that rat bit them, for they are losing so -much blood it will kill them,” said the Captain. - -“Here, some of you give me a hand and help me dress their wounds,” said -the Captain’s wife, who was as good as any trained nurse when it came -to dressing wounds and looking after the sick. “I’ll go ahead and get -warm water, witch hazel and bandages ready, while you carry them down -to my stateroom and lay them on the bunk.” - -When Stubby came out of his fainting spell, he found himself lying -on a bunk beside Button, who had a bandage wrapped around his neck, -and smelling strong of witch hazel, besides having several crosses of -adhesive plaster on his sides and on the tip of his nose. - -“How did we get here and what has happened to us?” he asked. - -“What a fool thing for me to faint just when you needed me most!” said -Stubby. - -“How did you happen to do it?” asked Button. - -“I turned my broken leg the wrong way, and over I went.” - -“But who helped you in the end? Did some of those men come to your -rescue? I should think they would have helped you before and not stood -there and see that monster rat biting you with its poisonous teeth.” - -[Illustration] - -“No, Billy came to my help as usual. He forgot he was in hiding and -jumped in and ran his horn straight through the rat, which made it -let go my throat, as he had killed it instantly. I never met such a -big rat before or one with such long, sharp teeth. When it cried, its -voice sounded like a baby’s. I shall be all right soon as the Captain’s -wife has fixed me up fine so the poison from the rat’s teeth won’t -hurt me. As it turned out, this fight was the best thing that could -have happened, for since they read our medals, every one is as keen on -keeping us on board as we are in staying. They have found out who we -are, and are now looking out for the reward. But they intend to take us -along with them to the coast and on their return will hand us over to -our respective regiments and claim the money.” - -“How did they know there is a reward offered for us?” - -“Why, the Captain’s wife had just finished reading about us in one of -the Paris papers.” - -“We certainly are in luck! Here we shall have the best of care and get -clear through to Havre without walking one step. And when there we can -give them the slip as we did the farmer and his wife.” - -“I know; but it does seem a shame that we always have to run off and -appear so ungrateful to our kind friends, doesn’t it?” said Stubby. - -“Yes, it does; but it really can’t be helped,” replied Button. “Where -are Billy and Duke now?” - -“Oh, they are having the time of their lives being petted and fed by -all on board. You see we will fare like princes for the rest of our -journey.” - -Button was right. Nothing was too good for them and the way they were -fed, watered, combed and brushed would have satisfied a king. - -“My, don’t they all look fat, sleek and shiny!” said the Captain’s wife -after they had bathed and curried all four of them. She had taken off -the dirty bandage that was around Duke’s body and put on a nice clean -white one with a lovely Red Cross embroidered on it. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -A DOG CEMETERY IN PARIS - - -The rest of the journey to Paris was quite uneventful. They arrived -there one evening just as the sun was setting behind the city, throwing -the Eiffel Tower and the big square dome of Notre Dame in bold relief -against the deep red sky. - -Just on the outskirts of the city they came to an island on which was a -good-sized cemetery. - -“What a nice place for a cemetery!” exclaimed Stubby. - -“There seem to be a good many people buried there from all the -monuments I can count,” said Billy. - -“You may count the monuments and walk or drive down the broad paved -roads and walks but you will never pass one grave where a human being -is buried,” said Duke. - -“You are joking!” said Button. “What do you mean? That there is no one -buried there now and that all the bodies have been removed? Bet I hear -men chiseling monuments at this minute and soon can see them at work in -their shops.” - -“True again. But for all that there is not a human being buried there, -for it is a dog cemetery where only pet dogs are buried.” - -“Well, wouldn’t that beat the Dutch!” exclaimed Billy. “A regular -cemetery with flowers on the graves and flower-bordered walks and -fenced-in lots and monuments just like people have! It certainly does -take the French to think of odd things!” - -“Why shouldn’t pet dogs have a nice resting place?” inquired Duke. -“They are man’s companions and guard and watch over him as if they were -human. Yes, and they are more faithful than the dearest human friends, -for they stick when adversity overtakes one, when often a human friend -one has counted on proves false. But never a dog! There is one monument -there that has this inscription on it in French, but I will translate -it for you into English. It reads: ‘The more I see of men, the more I -love dogs.’ Pretty hard on his friends, wasn’t he?” - -“I bet some one he loved played him false, don’t you?” - -“It would seem like it from that inscription,” answered Billy. - -“But hush! I hear a bell tolling,” said Button. - -“Yes, they toll the bell when a funeral enters the gate just as they do -in all cemeteries,” explained Duke. - -“Look, fellows!” said Stubby. “There comes a little white hearse just -like the ones they use to take babies to the cemetery, and see the -autos that are following! Why, it is a regular funeral, with a wreath -of flowers on the casket and everything else complete!” - -“Certainly! Everything is done just as it is in a cemetery for people -and not one thing is left out,” replied Duke. “If you should walk -through, you would see on some of the graves the playthings the dogs -liked when alive.” - -“Really?” said Stubby in amazement. - -“Yes, really!” replied Duke. “I had hoped to be buried there myself -some day, but now I expect my grave will be a shell hole on the field -of battle.” - -“Oh, no, it won’t now since you are going to America with us.” - -“Over there your grave will probably be made under a rose bush or in -some nice quiet orchard or back yard of the family with whom you live,” -said Billy. - -While they had been talking, the boat drifted away past the cemetery -and they were getting near Paris. They had just fixed themselves -comfortably on deck to enjoy the approach to the city and watch the -people on the banks and wharfs as the boat floated by when the Captain -appeared and said, - -“Sorry to disturb you, fellows, but it is necessary that we shut you -below while we are in the city. If we don’t, some one may see you who -has read the papers offering a reward for you and they would come -aboard and take you off.” - -“Oh, bother that old reward!” from Billy. “I don’t want to be shut in -out of the air in that stuffy cabin. I want to be out here where I can -stretch my legs and breathe good fresh air.” - -Just the same, Billy with the others was shut in a stuffy little cabin -scarcely large enough to hold them. There the four of them fretted and -grumbled and pouted, but to no purpose. - -They had been there about two hours when they felt the boat scrape -along the side of a dock, and they found their porthole looked out on -the wharf side of the boat. Button soon took advantage of his powers of -climbing and sat in the porthole, from which place he could look out -and tell the others what he saw. - -The boat had come to dock right opposite the Eiffel Tower and on that -side of the river. By sticking his head out of the hole he could also -see the big Hippodrome with its grassy lawn and flower beds and benches -for tired pedestrians to rest on. - -“Gee!” exclaimed Billy, “but I would like to get out of this and kick -my legs on that lawn and eat some of the grass, for I am awfully tired -of the food on this boat. It is all right for people, cats and dogs, -but rather dry for goats.” - -The next morning the Captain appeared at their door and said, “Now, -Chums, here is a good breakfast for you, and a drink of water. Awfully -sorry to shut you in, but I have to under the circumstances. Ta-ta -until night! We are going up into the city to do some shopping, but -One-Eyed Dick is going to stay aboard to look after things. Again -ta-ta!” and he slammed the door and was gone. - -[Illustration] - -“Drat him!” exclaimed Billy. “I want to go walking in the park!” - -The four ate their breakfast in silence, then lay down to sulk the -day away, when all of a sudden Button jumped up and climbed into the -porthole again. - -“Heigho, fellows! The way this boat lies now I can jump from this -porthole onto the dock. And if I don’t leap as far as I mean to do, I -will only fall back on deck and not go into the river. I am going to -try it anyway. So here goes!” - -With a long, flying leap he made it, landing right in front of a dog -that chanced to be wandering along the dock just then. The dog made a -bound for Button. But Button, contrary to the ways of most cats, stood -his ground instead of running and before the dog knew what had happened -to him, Button had slapped his face and scratched his nose, leaving a -long, red mark down its length, and had disappeared up the path leading -to the park. - -“I heard Button spit as if he were mad, and then a dog barked,” said -Stubby. “I bet he met a dog.” - -“I know what we can do,” said Billy. “I can stand under the porthole -and then, Duke, you and Stubby can get on my back and jump through the -porthole. I am quite sure I am high enough so you can make the jump.” - -“But what good will it do even if we can reach the hole? We don’t want -to go ashore and leave you here alone.” - -“That is just like you, Stubby, to spoil your whole day to stay with -a friend that can’t get out. You are too generous. I shan’t let you -sacrifice yourself like that for me. You and Duke go, and then you can -come back and tell me what you saw. If you stay, I have to stay just -the same, and lose the fun of hearing what you fellows do ashore. So -jump up on my back and let’s see if you can make the hole.” - -Stubby demurred, and so did Duke, but Billy at last prevailed on them -to go. - -[Illustration: The first thing Billy knew, he was rolling over -something soft that squealed like a stuck pig and that kicked like a -calf. (Page 155)] - -Stubby made the hole and landed on the wharf all right, but Duke was -large and the first jump he made he hit his head and fell back into the -cabin. He was so fat he made a tight squeeze for the hole but on the -second trial he made it. Then he attempted to push and squeeze himself -through the hole. To do this he had to go head first, which made him -fall on the deck on his nose. But it did not hurt much and no one saw -him. He barked back to Billy that he was all right and was going to run -up into the city and visit some of his old haunts. - -“I’ll steal a bunch of carrots for you from some vegetable stand,” he -barked back. - -Billy fussed and fussed and kicked around until the cabin looked as -if a whole drove of kicking mules had been shut in it. Then all of a -sudden he stopped and said to himself, - -“What a fool I am, kicking and butting things around here! Why don’t I -butt down that old door? It will be easy to do and then I too can go up -into the city.” - -To think was to do with Billy. And crash! went the door and out through -the wreck went Billy. When he arrived at the top of the hatchway he -met One-Eyed Dick coming down to see what had caused all the noise. On -seeing Billy, he tried to shut the hatchway to keep Billy in by sitting -on it. But the next thing he knew the door was lifted up under him and -he found himself slipping off. Before he could get to his feet Billy -was out and off the boat, and that was the last he saw of Billy for -that day. - -Duke had just reached the front door of his old home when who should -come out of the house but his old master, the one who had taken him to -war with him and made him a Red Cross dog. - -[Illustration] - -“Duke, you old sport, where have you been and how did you happen to -turn up here just now when I was returning to the front and planning to -stop at the dog hospital to get you?” - -His master picked him up in his arms and hugged and hugged him until -Duke thought his ribs would be crushed in. - -“I am so glad you came for now I shall not have to go out of my way to -get you. We are on the eve of a big battle and we will both be needed -at the front.” - -“Here is where I give up going to America,” thought Duke. “But it is -all for the best, for since I have seen my old master again and found -how he loves me, I think it would have been a mean trick to desert him -while he is in danger of his life every moment. But I _do_ wish I could -have gone back first and said good-by to Billy, Stubby and Button. They -are the three finest friends a dog ever had.” - -While Duke was thinking this, his master was carrying him to a big -touring car and in a few seconds they were breaking the speed laws of -the city. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -WHAT THE CHUMS DID IN PARIS - - -As soon as Billy found himself on shore he ran as fast as ever he -could up into the city to try to find a grocery store where he could -get some fresh juicy vegetables or fruit. He was tired to death of dry -hay, straw and carrots that had been fed to him on the boat, though the -Captain thought he was giving Billy just what goats like best. - -Stubby and Button saw him disappearing down a side street and started -to follow him. - -“How in the wide, wide world do you think he managed to get out of that -cabin?” asked Stubby. - -“I am sure I don’t know,” answered Button, “for I am sure he could not -possibly crawl through that porthole even if he could reach it. He is -too big.” - -“You don’t suppose he butted down the cabin door, do you?” asked Stubby. - -“I should not wonder in the least if he did, and come to think of it, -I bet that is just what he did do, for that is the only way he could -possibly leave that cabin. Perhaps old One-Eyed Dick opened the door -to give him a drink or to get something out of the cabin, and Billy -butted him over and escaped. However, we will soon find out when we -overtake him.” - -“But where is he? I don’t see him anywhere,” said Stubby. - -[Illustration] - -When Stubby and Button reached the side street down which they had seen -Billy disappearing, no Billy was in sight. But as they stood there -debating what had become of him, and wondering where they would look -for him, they saw Billy run out of a fruit store with a big apple in -his mouth, followed by an angry Frenchman madly jabbering and waving -a broom over his head, with which he was trying to hit Billy. He was -just about to bring it down on Billy’s back when Stubby ran between the -man’s legs and tripped him. He got up with an oath and started to chase -Stubby when Button ran in front of him and down he went again. He was -so busy watching Billy and Stubby that he had not time to cast his eyes -down to see what was under his feet or where he was stepping. This time -he fell flat on his stomach, which knocked the breath out of him so he -could not rise again and chase them. And he sat there trying to get his -breath until he saw them turn a corner and disappear, though he had -the fun of seeing a man knocked over as he himself had been by Billy -running into him as he turned the corner. Billy did not see the man -as his head was turned to see if the fruit dealer was still pursuing -him. And when he looked ahead, he was surprised to find both Stubby and -Button following him. He still had his head turned when he ran into a -fat woman going the same way he was, a big basket of clean clothes on -her head. The first thing Billy knew, he was rolling over something -soft that squealed like a stuck pig and that kicked like a calf. He -lost his own balance and rolled over in the gutter. All this commotion -caused a crowd to gather around them in no time, and Stubby had to bark -and growl and nip the heels of the people to make a clearing so Billy -could get up. Soon the police were upon them, swinging their clubs and -crying out in French for the crowd to make way and clear the street. - -The fat woman was crying and trying to gather up her wash which had -spilled in all directions, and she was afraid the people would steal -some of the pieces or step on the clean snow-white bosoms of the -shirts. - -“Here, don’t you put your dirty hands on that shirt!” she called to a -boy who was going to try to help her pick up her scattered things. - -“Police! Police! Stop that woman! She is trying to hide a lady’s skirt -under her shawl!” - -Stubby felt sorry for the poor laundress and he watched to see if any -of the crowd tried to steal her things. - -Presently a bootblack picked up a nice fine white dress shirt and -attempted to hide it under his short jacket, but the shirt was too long -to conceal even when folded, and when it unfolded a long white tail -stuck out. A policeman made a grab for it but the boy dodged and ran -down the street with the shirt dangling between his legs. When Stubby -saw this, he started in pursuit and soon overtook the boy. He made a -snap at the flying tail, caught it in his mouth, gave a jerk and the -shirt slipped from the boy’s hold, wound itself round his leg and -tripped him. The policeman coming up just then caught the boy and gave -him two or three sharp raps with his club together with a kick and told -him to go about his business while he carried the much prized shirt -back to the laundress. - -“Thank you! Thank you, sir, for saving that shirt! It belongs to the -man at the head of the Police Department and I’ll tell him how smart -you are on your beat and get you promoted for helping a poor working -woman out of her troubles,” and she wiped her eyes and began to count -her pieces to see if they were all there. - -While the police was keeping the crowd from bothering her, the three -Chums sneaked away and decided to return to the boat for they did not -want to be left in Paris. Their destination was Havre for the present -and America next. - -About six o’clock when the Captain, his wife and the sailors came back -to the boat, they found Billy, Stubby and Button all lying out on deck -enjoying themselves. - -“Look, will you?” exclaimed the Captain. “There are those animals I -locked in the cabin quietly lying on deck. One-Eyed Dick must have let -them out. I’ll fix _him_ for disobeying orders!” - -But when he came aboard there was no One-Eyed Dick to be found. - -“So-ho! When we left, Dick must have decided to go too and while he was -away these animals have broken out of the cabin.” - -While the Captain was talking, his wife had gone below to take a look -at the cabin and find out if possible how they got out. She found, -as you know, everything kicked and scratched to pieces and the door -smashed to bits. She called to the Captain to come see what had -happened. But just as he was leaving the deck he saw old One-Eyed Dick -running toward the boat, all excitement. - -“What is up, Dick? And why are you running?” - -“Come quick! Come quick! I am on the track of the three of them!” - -“Three what?” asked the Captain. - -“Why, the runaway animals! Don’t stop! Don’t stop to talk a moment or -we will never catch them! I’ve been all day trying to get track of them -and now I have, come quick or we will never lay eyes on them again!” - -“Are you crazy, man, wanting me to run find animals that are already -found?” - -“What do you mean?” asked Dick. - -“Look over on the other side of the deck and you will see what I mean.” - -“Jupiter! How ever did they get here? And me following them from place -to place only to be told they had just been seen turning a corner here -and a corner there!” - -“But why did you let them out in the first place?” - -“_Me_ let them out? Why, bless your life, that big goat let _himself_ -out after breaking up the whole of the inside of our boat and butting -the door down as if it had been made of paper and me off the hatchway -as if I had been a bale of cotton. You don’t know that goat, you -don’t!” - -“Come down here, I say, and see all the damage that goat did,” called -the Captain’s wife again. - -“Well, thunder and lightning! He _did_ leave a pretty mess, didn’t he?” -exclaimed the Captain when he saw what Billy had done. - -“Oh, Captain, come up! There is a man wants to see you,” called -One-Eyed Dick down the hatchway. - -When the Captain went on deck, he saw standing talking to Dick a poorly -dressed, shifty-eyed individual. “Well, my man, what can I do for you?” -asked the Captain, but as he passed one of his sailors he said in a low -voice to him, “Get those animals below as fast as you can, and keep -them out of sight!” - -The sailor obeyed, and he got Stubby and Button down but when he came -up for Billy he heard the man say, - -“I’ve come for me pets. And you need not try to hide them. I tracked -’em here not half an hour ago and I been waitin’ for youse to come back -as I didn’t like to take ’em without tellin’ ye that them belongs to -me.” - -“You hear? Get off this boat or I’ll have Billy butt you over the -Eiffel Tower! What do you mean by coming here and telling me such a -cock and bull story as that?” - -“’Deed them _is_ my pets! And if you don’t give ’em up to me I’ll call -me chum and prove it.” - -“Get off my boat, you stupid liar, or I’ll call the police!” - -“I’ll go get the police meself and have you arrested for holdin’ stolen -goods!” - -“You will, will you? Well, here, on your way there you better take a -bath in the river and wash up. They’ll be better pleased to see you -after you have had a clean-up than the way you look now,” and with -that the Captain walked over to the man, took him by the seat of his -trousers and the collar of his coat and threw him overboard into the -river. The fellow being a regular wharf rat swam ashore, swearing -vengeance on the Captain, but he never showed up afterwards. - -“Well, that fellow displayed more cheek than I ever saw before, -asking me to give up Billy, Stubby and Button on the strength of his -saying they were his pets. But it goes to show that he had read the -advertisements in the paper, and since others may have read them also, -I guess we better pull up anchor and proceed on our way.” - -It was an hour after this when all were at supper but Dick, who was -sitting whistling and braiding ropes, when a dapper young American -orderly appeared at the gangplank and called out: “Hey, there! Have you -seen a big white goat, a little yellow dog and a black cat around here -any time to-day?” - -“No, sir; I haven’t laid me two eyes on them,” said Dick with a -straight face, though his good eye did wink once or twice at the fib. -“Why, sir? Have you lost them?” - -[Illustration] - -“No, _I_ haven’t, but one of them belongs to my regiment and the other -two to two other regiments. And we have been looking everywhere for -them and advertising in all the papers. But every time we hear that -they have been seen in a certain locality and go to get them, they are -gone. And I just heard this afternoon that three animals answering to -their description had been seen coming this way.” - -“Well, I have been here nearly all day, and I haven’t laid me two eyes -on any goat, cat or dog.” - -No, to be sure he had not laid his _two_ eyes on them for he had but -one eye with which to see. - -The young orderly went off, inquiring on every boat that lay along the -dock if they had seen a goat, dog or cat anywhere around there that day. - -“Captain! Captain!” called Dick down the hatchway. “We have had another -close call. A young orderly from the very regiment Billy belongs to was -here inquiring for him and the other two.” - -“And what did you tell him?” - -“Just said, ‘No, I have not laid me two eyes on them.’” - -“Haw, haw, haw!” laughed the Captain. “You did well to turn him off in -that way, even if it was half a lie. But it shows we must not tarry -another minute here or the next thing we know they will be sending the -police for them. Here, call the other sailors and let us heave to and -be off.” - -And presently Billy said to Button, “We are moving! Thank goodness we -have started on our homeward journey once more!” - -Nothing of interest happened on the rest of the trip to Havre except -when a little bird flew on deck with a message for Billy from Duke. - -“Why, I did not even know he was gone!” exclaimed Billy. “I took it for -granted he had returned to the boat when I was away, and was now asleep -somewhere on it. What did you say he said, and where was he when he -told you?” - -“He was in a big touring car, just leaving the outskirts of Paris. He -was with his old master who is a celebrated surgeon at the front and -they were both going back to his hospital. Duke told me to tell you -that he was very sorry to leave you all without a chance to thank you -for being so good to him and to say good-by. When he left the boat -he had only intended to run up in the city and take a look at his -old home, but when he got there who should he see coming out of the -house but his old master, who was just going to get him at the dogs’ -hospital, where he thought Duke had been all this time. And Duke said -to tell you that when he saw his old master again, all his love for him -came back and he could not bear to leave him to run away to America.” - -“Well, if that doesn’t beat all!” exclaimed Button. - -“I think it is just as well he left us,” said Stubby, “for I am afraid -he would not understand our free and easy life in America after living -all his life with formal people.” - -“Guess you are right,” agreed Stubby and Billy. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -BLOWN UP BY A SUBMARINE - - -You will be surprised to learn that the Chums had no trouble whatever -in sneaking off the canal boat and secreting themselves on a packet -bound for Queenstown that night. - -Before boarding the boat Billy said, “This boat is not sailing for -America, but we must take any boat we can get on to escape from France -where we are so well known. If we don’t, we will be captured and sent -back into the army in no time. When we get to Queenstown, we can ship -on another bound for the United States of America, for many boats stop -there before crossing the ocean to pick up the last mail from England.” - -The boat they were on left the dock at about half past nine, with all -lights out, as was necessary to avoid attracting the attention of the -submarines that infested those waters. For a wonder the Channel was -smooth as glass and as the night was clear, with a big moon shining, -anything afloat on the water could be seen for miles. - -“Keep your weather eye peeled for submarine periscopes!” said Billy to -Stubby and Button as they lay on the forward deck, looking out over the -water. - -[Illustration] - -It was after midnight and every one was in bed but the officers of the -ship and the sailors on the lookout for submarines when Billy’s sharp -eyes saw something that looked like a log of wood standing straight up -in the water. Before he could call out, “A periscope!” a black object -was seen skipping over the surface of the water and the next thing he -knew he was flying up in the air amid a spray of water. When he came -down he struck the water about a hundred feet from where he went up and -he felt himself going down, down, down toward the bottom of the ocean. -But it was too deep for him to strike bottom here, so after going down, -down, down, he began to come up, up, up, and when he got to the surface -and shook the water out of his eyes, he looked around to see if he -could discover Stubby or Button. And oh, joy! there they both were -swimming towards him unhurt. - -Luckily for them, not one of them had been injured in the least. Just -then a big piece of wreckage that would act as a raft floated near -them and they all crawled upon it, and were just in time to see what -was left of the packet sink beneath the waves. They also saw that two -lifeboats were afloat toward which many black heads could be seen -swimming. Soon the swimmers reached the boats and climbed into them, -and Billy saw they were the Captain and officers of the ship along -with some of the sailors and passengers. As soon as they were in the -lifeboats, they began picking up the people they saw in the water, -and as there were but few passengers aboard all were saved. For a -wonder the U-boat did not send another torpedo after them which in all -probability they would have done had they not been frightened away by -a guard boat coming to the rescue. After it had chased the submarine -away, it came back and picked up all the passengers of the lifeboats -and steamed away toward Ireland with them as they happened to be very -near Queenstown. - -Now none of the people had seen or heard the Chums on their raft though -Billy baaed, Stubby barked and Button mewed. - -“Well, there are two or three things to be thankful for,” said Billy. -“First of all, we are alive and unhurt. The next is that the tide is -carrying us inshore instead of out to sea, and the wind is blowing -that way too. But most important of all is the fact that we are not far -from land, and if the tide doesn’t turn and carry us out to sea, we -should reach land at the rate we are floating now in about two hours. -If we see the tide is turning, we can jump off the raft and swim for -shore.” - -“You would see some good in every situation, even if your home was -burning,” declared Button. - -“Well, wouldn’t you?” asked Billy. - -“No. I nearly always feel despondent when in bad luck until I get mad -and think what is the use. Then I make the best of whatever comes, -while patient little Stubby here says nothing but just saws wood, as -the saying is.” - -Soon after daylight the raft touched the shore, and the Chums lost no -time in leaving it, I can tell you. In the distance up the shore they -saw a number of fishermen’s cottages. Stubby and Button proposed to -walk up to them and see if they could not get something to eat, while -Billy waited for them near by and made his breakfast of shamrock, for -they were on Irish soil, the native heath of the shamrock. - -The fishermen received them kindly, and gave them plenty to eat and -drink. Then a quarrel arose as to who should own the dog and cat that -had come to them so strangely. At last it was proposed to auction them -off. The bidding was in kegs of fish instead of in money, however. - -While the excitement of the bidding was going on, Stubby and Button -thought it a good time to steal away and join Billy. The last Stubby -heard were these words, “I’ll give three kegs of fresh fish for the -little dog!” - -When they got back to Billy, they hurriedly told him what was up and -explained that the men Billy saw waving their arms and shouting were -only bidding in the auction and not preparing to fight each other. - -“But we better scoot out of here before they miss us or we will be -captured and tied up.” And for the next half hour the Chums ran -straight inland, only stopping long enough to get their breath, then -running on some more. They were not followed, however, and at last they -slowed down beside the roadside to listen to the passersby, to try to -find out what part of Ireland they were in and how far it was to the -nearest seaport from which large vessels sailed. Imagine their joy when -they found they were only four miles from Queenstown and on the direct -road that led there! - -It was no trick at all to reach that city and when they arrived they -went straight to the wharf to look for a boat to carry them still -nearer America. - -“Look! Billy, look!” exclaimed Stubby. “There is a big camouflaged -troop ship lying at the dock. They can’t fool _me_ with their -camouflaged ships; I have seen too many of them.” - -For the next few minutes you could not see the Chums for dust as they -ran toward the ship. Sure enough, it was just as Stubby said. It was -an empty troop ship returning to the United States of America for more -soldiers, and had only stopped here for coal and provisions. There not -being any troops aboard, it was easy for the Chums to steal on board -and hide themselves until the ship was away out to sea before showing -themselves. - -“I bet you,” said Stubby, “that that old submarine that blew us up was -waiting for this troop ship in the hopes of blowing it up and while -waiting for it to put to sea, they just blew up the packet we were on -to keep their hands in.” - -“I shouldn’t wonder in the least,” replied Stubby, “if that was just -what they were up to. And perhaps we will be torpedoed again.” - -“Well, I will take my chance, won’t you, fellows?” said Billy, “for I -am anxious to set foot on American soil once more, and I want it to be -the U. S. part of it, not South America or Mexico.” - -“Listen!” commanded Button. “I hear the propeller beginning to move.” -This so excited Button that he jumped up and ran up and down the big -coal pile beside which he had been hiding. This started the coal to -rolling so that it nearly buried Stubby and Billy under it, and filled -their eyes with coal dust. - -“You stupid, stop that!” barked Stubby. “Do you want to bury us alive, -or have some one come to see why the coal started rolling?” - -“No, of course not, but I am so glad to be on the last lap of our -journey home that I had to express myself in action or blow up.” - -“I should think you had had enough blow-ups for one while. And you are -likely to have another before we reach New York harbor, for which port -I hear this ship is bound,” said Billy. - -“New York, did you say?” asked Stubby. “Oh, I am so glad we are sailing -for New York instead of for Philadelphia, Baltimore or some other port. -I always like to return to America by way of New York and have the -Goddess of Liberty welcome me home with extended arms.” - -The trip across the Atlantic was a fast and pleasant one and the Chums -made friends of all on board, just as they always did wherever they -were. - -They waited until the second day at sea before they showed themselves, -and when they came slowly walking up on deck and stood before the -Captain as much as to say, “Here we are! You may do with us what you -will,” he nearly fell over with surprise and then took pity on them, -for they were a sorry, hungry looking trio after having been shut in -the coal bunker for a day and a night. He ordered them scrubbed and -fed, and when he saw them again he did not recognize them at once, for -he thought they were all three black. Now the dust was washed off them, -he found only one was black, while one was yellow and the other white. - -As he stood looking at them, the sailor who had been ordered to wash -them came up and after saluting the Captain said, - -“Captain, will you kindly read what is on the medals around their -necks? They each have one, but they do not show unless you look for -them as they are concealed by their hair. When we went to work on them -we found each wore a medal around his neck.” - -While the Captain was reading the medal Billy wore, he had a good -look at the Captain and was surprised that he had not noticed before -that this Captain was the very same one with whom he had crossed when -he sailed for France with his regiment. At the same time the Captain -recognized Billy. - -“Well, well, Billy, old boy, how are you? But no need to ask, for you -are looking fine. And the only thing different I see about you is that -you have lost the end of your tail. Blown off by a bomb, I bet! But -where did you pick up your two friends? Wait; I will read what their -medals say and perhaps that will throw some light on who they are. -Lieutenant, come here!” called the Captain to a second lieutenant who -was passing. “Just read these medals and see whom we have with us.” - -“Holy Moses!” exclaimed the lieutenant. “This is a find! Didn’t you -know that there is a reward of one thousand dollars offered for each of -these animals by the regiments they belong to?” - -“Jumping ginger! You don’t mean it?” exclaimed the Captain. “They must -have gotten homesick and run away.” - -“You have said it!” baaed Billy, “and there is no place like home when -that home is in the United States of America.” - -[Illustration] - - -THE END - - - - -ZIP - -The Adventures of a Frisky Fox Terrier - -BY FRANCES TREGO MONTGOMERY - -The Well-Known Author of - -THE BILLY WHISKERS SERIES - - -Zip is the adventure-loving, frolicsome pet of the popular doctor of -a small village. He goes wherever his master goes--and ventures to -undertake much at which the physician would shake his head in fear. In -fact, Zip dares anything and anybody. He is known and beloved by all -the village folk, who are kept on the _qui vive_ wondering what will be -Zip’s next outbreak. - -His life is far from one of peace. The unexpected is continually -happening--every page bristles with the unusual adventures of this -active little, dear little, frisky little Zip. He will be found to be a -splendid story-book play-fellow by every boy and girl. - - - _Quarto, bound in boards, with cover, jacket and four full-page - illustrations in colors--$.60 postpaid._ - - -The Saalfield Publishing Company - -AKRON, OHIO - - - - -Billy Whiskers Series - -(TRADE MARK.) - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - -By FRANCES TREGO MONTGOMERY - - -BILLY WHISKERS - -Billy Whiskers is a mischievous creature, full of wickedness and folly, -whose antics have furnished fun for a million readers. The child enjoys -every moment after he is introduced to the irresistible fellow. - - -BILLY WHISKERS’ KIDS - -“Recounting the adventures of Day and Night, twin kids of the -nursery-famous Billy Whiskers. This is a stirring tale of travel and -trouble and mischief that will delight the little world.”--_Galveston -News._ - - -BILLY WHISKERS, JR. - -“Night, now grown, is known as Billy Whiskers, Jr. and as he has -all the personal traits which made his father’s career one round of -surprising activity and astonishing adventure, the son will be quite as -well beloved as his sire.”--_Chicago Record Herald._ - - -BILLY WHISKERS’ TRAVELS - -In which the ever active Billy tours Europe, each city in turn -furnishing ample opportunity for fun for sight-seeing Billy. - - -BILLY WHISKERS AT THE CIRCUS - -“Everything goes well enough with Billy until a circus comes to town, -and then just like the small boy, he made up his mind to go, come what -might and cost what it would. He made preparations for a week and went, -there to meet with all manner of adventures, becoming so infatuated -with the life that he joined it.”--_Des Moines Capital._ - - -BILLY WHISKERS AT THE FAIR - -In going to the Fair, Billy Whiskers didn’t leave a single prank at -home. He had more fun to the minute than most others have to the hour. -What he didn’t do and didn’t see is not worth relating. - - - Each volume bound in boards, cover and jacket in colors, six full-page - illustrations in colors, with scores of text drawings, quarto, - postpaid, per volume $1.25 - - -THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO., AKRON, OHIO - - - - -Billy Whiskers Series - -(TRADE MARK.) - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - -By FRANCES TREGO MONTGOMERY - - -BILLY WHISKERS’ FRIENDS - -This story of how Billy Whiskers and his wife Nannie journey west in -search of their son, Billy Whiskers, Jr., teems with exciting incident -and ludicrous situation. - - -BILLY WHISKERS, JR. AND HIS CHUMS - -The Chums are a black cat and a yellow dog, and together this trio make -a trip from San Francisco immediately after the great earthquake back -to Billy’s former home in the east. - - -BILLY WHISKERS’ GRANDCHILDREN - -Being a laughable record of the adventures that come to Punch and Judy, -Billy’s grandchildren. - - -BILLY WHISKERS’ VACATION - -Promising his faithful wife to be back within a year and a day, active -Billy starts on another ramble, to meet as many exciting adventures as -in his younger days. - - -BILLY WHISKERS KIDNAPED - -Because Billy is a valuable goat, two men determine to kidnap him, and -after many attempts they succeed. The Chums unearth the plot, and take -up the trail--but what happens it is the right of the author to tell in -her own charming way. - - -BILLY WHISKERS’ TWINS - -Billy’s twin children go to a famous summer resort, now being owned -by children who sojourn there each year. Father Billy and the Chums -follow, and the five make merry during the season, enjoying it fully as -much as any of the cottagers. - - -BILLY WHISKERS IN AN AEROPLANE - -Billy keeps step with the progress of the world, and here we find him -making a cross-country flight in an aeroplane race, with the Chums in -rival machines. - - - Each volume in boards, cover and jacket in colors, six full-page - illustrations in colors, with scores of text drawings, quarto, - postpaid, per volume $1.25 - - -THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO., AKRON, OHIO - - - - -_FRANCES TREGO MONTGOMERY’S BOOKS_ - - -The Wonderful Electric Elephant - -“A new and fascinating sort of fairy story.”--_Salt Lake Tribune._ - -[Illustration] - -“A book in which youth will take keen pleasure.”--_The Bookseller._ - -Among the tales of travel for boys and girls there are few which record -such strange adventures as befell the owners of the wonderful Electric -Elephant. - -By a fortunate chance, Harold Fredericks comes into possession of a -wonderful mechanical elephant, so ingeniously contrived that it will -pass for a real animal, even under closest inspection. The interior is -fitted up luxuriously, affording the finest accommodations for Harold -and the traveling companion whom he secures by another lucky chance. -The young folks have a journey quite unlike any on record, meeting -adventures both on land and sea. - -The boy or girl who wants something new in the story line will surely -find it in this chronicle. - - Elaborately illustrated with 50 full-page halftones, bound in cloth, - 12mo, postpaid $1.50 - - -ON A LARK TO THE PLANETS - -“The colored illustrations are a feature of delight.”--_Grand Rapids -Herald._ - -[Illustration] - -“This sprightly author holds the record for -inventiveness.”--_Philadelphia Item._ - - -Some time ago a book appeared which has been a delight to thousands of -boys and girls. It was “The Wonderful Electric Elephant.” Frances Trego -Montgomery has published a sequel to that book and calls it “On a Lark -to the Planets.” The contents of this new volume makes a feast for the -young mind, telling of a journey Harold and Ione took to the planets. - -“As a gift book to the children, nothing could be more desirable. It is -an assurance of happiness for any young person to be the possessor of -this charming story.”--_Birmingham Ledger._ - - Beautifully illustrated in colors, bound substantially in cloth, 12mo, - postpaid $1.50 - - -A CHRISTMAS WITH SANTA CLAUS - -[Illustration] - -_The Buffalo Courier_ says: - -“Frances Trego Montgomery has the happy faculty of knowing what the -small boy and his sister like in the way of fiction.” - - -“A CHRISTMAS WITH SANTA CLAUS” is the title of an ideal Christmas book -by Frances Trego Montgomery, illustrated in colors in a most bewitching -way. - -The story recites the adventures of Jack and Gladys, whom Santa picks -up and whisks away to the Northland. There they make the acquaintance -of Mrs. Santa, and help fill the Saint’s chimney bags. When all is -ready and the sleigh is packed, they accompany old Santa on his annual -trip. - -“If you doubt the joys of a ‘Christmas with Santa Claus,’ read of the -pleasures that awaited two little waifs the big-hearted Christian saint -gathered into his home. Mrs. Montgomery introduces you to his motherly -wife. She is as good as another grandmother. Try her!”--_New York -World._ - - -SANTA CLAUS’ TWIN BROTHER - -[Illustration] - -_Boston Ideas_ says: - -“Mrs. Montgomery’s ideas are touched with the sparkle of real genius. -It’s a delight to travel in her company.” - - -Can anyone make a better play-fellow than Santa himself? That is the -question every child ponders after reading “A Christmas with Santa -Claus.” And likely they would ask it in vain if Mrs. Montgomery had not -written “Santa Claus’ Twin Brother.” This lively story convinces them -that there is one other who enters into their moods just as thoroughly -as the merry old fellow with ruddy face and snowy beard, and why should -he not, for he is Kris Kringle, twin brother of Santa. - -Four little children are fortunate enough to have a frolic with these -two merry fellows, and their laughter rings through every page of the -captivating story. - - - Each volume illustrated in colors, with colored cover and jacket, - quarto, bound in boards postpaid, per volume $1.00 - - -THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO., AKRON, OHIO - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - -Italicized or underlined text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - -Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - -Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY WHISKERS IN FRANCE *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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