Wichita eagle., 1888-10-02

PECAN TO QUAKE within him Farmers dogs
along the road ran out and barked at him,
end painting with his exertions, weary and
footsore, he reached the village at O'Clock.
He was faint and exhausted, and he sat down
upon the steps of the quaint little village
church to rest. The sheen OF moonlight lay
on the meadows oil around him and Like mol
ten silver lay the Esopus creek
The village was as silent as graveyard,
and it occurred to Mickey with a sudden
shock that ka did not know the name Of the
farmer who had taken the goat. The tears
cane into his eyes, but ke dashed them away
with his sleeve and started to bus feet. But
harhi What was that sound which rose
above the myriad insect voices OF the night!
So faint, so far was it that just the faintes5
echo reached his listening ear. Yet there
seemed something familiar in it. He closed
his eyes and concentrated al his faculties into
the sense of hearing. and then. borne to him
on q passing breeze be caught It again, just
the fag end Of q ma-aca-a!
How his heart beat, how his cheek glowed,
how his ewes cleaned no one will ever know,
for there was nobody there to see. but if
Venus could talk she could tell how little
figure with heaving breast and covered with
dust. ran Under the trees and across the moon
light spots between them, and across the
bridge toward the hill from whence those
sounds camel
At intervals the bleating came again, each
time growing louder, until there was no moro
doubt in little Mickey,s breast. He knew his
billy was calling him. At last he came to
big barn by the roadside. Running up close
TO it he put his lips TO crack and whis-
pered:
BILLY, billy, billy!'
There was a curious sound in the barn
half grunt, half dgh-and Mickey felt the
warm breath of the billy upon his cheek.
Then with footsteps as stealthy as those OF
the Indians who once roemed through Esopus
Mickey sneaked around tho barn until he
found the door, 1t was fastened with peg
of wood through hasp. Tbs he lifted and
opened the door on crack sufficiently wide
for the exit of the goat Then he closed the
door again, and he and the goat started on a
run down the nnoonlit road
There was no time for congratulations
now, because the farmer might overtake
them, but as they ran the billy rubbed his
side against Mickey's leg. When the village
had been left q mile behind, little Mike
stopped to rest. After regaining his breath
he took q turnip from his pocket-a part Of
the goats purchase barter-and fed the goat
with it. After ten minutes rest the journey
was resumed, and just as the first blush of
morning was reddening the east they arrived
at the Finn shanty.
When Mrs. Finn arose and went into the
yard to gather some wood to start the kit
chen fire she noticed suspicious looking
heap in the corner Of the yard. On apprcach-
ing it she saw the boy and the goat lying
side by side upon some straw, and over the
pair was stretched a piece Of old carpet.
There was dew on her sons hair, and the
crystal drops nestled in the gray beard of the
billy. She stopped down to awaken her son,
but she had no sooner touched the carpet
than the billy sprang to his feet. Mrs. Finn
painted as she threw her weight against the
kitchen door just in time to resist the shock
which came against it.
''Mikel Mike!" said she, "Here's that ould
divvil agin wild his wicked horns. "-Evening
Sun.