The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-25
A GOAT SAMARITAN
Bill, However, Was Lavish
With Affection.
Story of the Touching Weeks ReIa.
tionship Between Bachelors Hall
and TrusifuI Kid-.-A Frustrated
Young Man.

A certain Raleigh young man who
with hundreds of others has been
staying in the city to work while his
family flew away from home to seek
surcease from the heat, recently fell
upon an experience even more trying
than the condition of being the only
man about the place usually suggests.
Also, it was one of those trials which
come upon the inexperienced in a way
to force the shouldering of strange
duties from feelings of comon human
lty.
That the tale may start properly
ami without further sparkling, it may
be said in the beginning that the eXpe-
rience was an orphan billy-goat, with
an appetite and a thirst. Also he was
young, affectiOnatc and cOnfiding. AS
soon as he discovered his plight he
Dleated pitifully; when he discovered
the young man he bleated in joy,
fawned upon him like a dog, told him
plainly with his large and expressive
brown eyes that he considered that,
though an orphaned goat in a strange
i;lace, he believed that in him he had
found both mother and father.
And being of tender heart, the
young man, instead of taking the next
train, esSayed the role. Baa at him
now and then and he will run.
The first occasion on which the
young man had knowledge of the goat
was at an unseemly hour of the morn
Ing following the day on which he had
seen his family off on the train. AS he
fumbled with the latch of the front
door of the silent house, he heard on
the porch a quick Gathering of hoofs,
a Squeal like that of a famiShed baby
and there was projected against his
Ill,
that was soft and furry and sharp all
at one and the same. time. To say
that the young man was startled
would be to give up a descriptive
woodland it will have to go at that.
Just then. however. he seemed ia
Vored Of fortune. His key went In
its notch, he sprung the latch, threw
open the door and rushed into the
hail.
But horrors, Even as he entered he
felt that warm and alien body brush
past him and heard within the house
the scamper of those fiendish hoofs,
The young man jumped outside and
slammed the door. At the moment he
drew it shut, he heard a rush from
within, blow on the door as though
it had been struck with an AK. anoth-
er scamper of feet and again the blow
and a cry as of a child in pain.
i
the safety Of the house that had been
left in his charge. the young man wag
in quandary. With the squeals be
coming ever more pathetic, the bump
ing on the door more insistent. no
realized that something must be done,
First, however. he struck match and
looked at it intently. He saw only
one flame and gave a sigh of relief.
He at least was "all right and tho
hat Cd a
had hoofs like Satan was real The
young man took courage from its real
ness So that the danger was there,
he was ready to face the issue. With
one hand he inserted the latch-key in
the other he took his pistol With A
sudden twist he threw open the door.
leapt into the hall, turned on the
electric light and prepared to sell his
life bravely as a man should for his
home.
And then the goat jumped upon
him. standing like a dog on its hind
legs, bleating in joy of his company
the while its large, brown eyes filled