Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-21
STRANGE ADVENTURES
OF BILLY BUMPUS
JOCCO
By Farmer Smith

"TIaye YOU been over to the fort yet?'
asked Jocco, the Monkey, Of Billy one
morning.
nm too busy to go anywhere just now
You do not seem to realize that I am the
mascot of the artillery and that you are
merely the trouble maker" replied Billy.
"Oh! I don't about that-you have made
some trouble yourself" answered the
Monkey.
"yhat have I done that should not
have done and what is there for me to DO
that ought to do?" asked Billy.
"You are too deep for me-" said Jocco
'I don't pretend to be what I am not. You
are always trying to be what you are not"
"Do YOU think I ought to be monkey
when l am only a goat? l think whole
lot of myself, the same as you think whole
lot of yourself, only l am not ashamed to
say so and you are. See?"
Jocco looked all around. "see what?"
he asked,
See the point" replied Billy.
"You mean the point of the remark? I
hear YOU, but you make too much noise for
me. I want to go TO sleep. Go out and trip
up on some more strings and set some more
cannon off," Jocco wlnked at Billy.
How did you hear about my setting off
that cannon?" asked Billy
There are lOtS anu lOlS Oh tnlHBS BolnB
on around here but l hear of them all
Don't be curious. It will hurt you. Did you
ever try to eat cannon ball?'
From the way you talk one would think
that there is nothing to me except my appe-
tite and that is where you mistaken. 1
have a soul" Billy looked very wise.
"You better look out--there is something
in the air-I feel that you had better look
out" said Jocco, climbing up over the
window out Of Billy's reach.
When Billy saw that Jocco was out Of
his reach, he lay down to think over what
there was he could do to make the monkey
let him alone. The little fellow had done
nothing to Billy, but he thought there was a
chance of having rival for donors as
mascot and so Billy began to think what
was to be done.
His thinking finished, he went out doors.
He had not gone far when he thought o
a grand idea. He would see what one of
the horses thought about II. He trotted
along until he came to one Of the horses
which drew one of the ammunition wagons
Good morning" began Billy bending
Vsry low.
look out Don't poke a hole in the
tasth" said the Horse.
"Never mind. ] want to get even with
that monkey back in the house. Have YOU
anything to suggeSt?"
"Why don't you take one of the cart.
ridges out Of the box and put it in his bed p
asked the Horse.
mot a bad idea but how can carry
one of those big cartridges? I'm not 3
| monkey"
Hold 1t between your horns will
help you get It there" replied the Horse.
II was not long before the cartridge wa.
| fast between Billy's horns and he started
| of for the house. He had not gone very
| far when who should come along but the
| general himself, When he caught sight Of
| Billy trotting along with a package o.
| danger he let out shout that was heart
| all over the place.
Run! RUM" was heard on all sides al
| men scattered and hid behind anythin,
| and everything. The general himself wa
| one of the first TO get out OF sight
| ''I don't know what there Is for us TO d,
| about that goat" said the general to his aid
''The one thing TO do is TO get rid OF him
| replied that gentleman. But at that mo
| ment the general took a look and Bill,
Bumpus Just then went straight into III
| generals kitchen.
''Toa may be right" said the general /
his aid.