The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-04-01
Billy Whiskers
By Frances Trego Montgomery.

When the kidnapers saw the pro- cession of animals they had been searching tor so long they were cer- tain1y astonished.
 They came straight for the holes the men were in and Billy and Bet tina began to eat the straw, pulhns it out until the men were afraid the1r feet would be exposed.
 While Billy and Bettina were eat l ing Stubby wandered off toward 1 the farmhouse. which was near by' | to see if he could not find something 1 to eat while Button crouched down l to catch some unsuspicious rat or mouse that might run out from under 1 the stack.
 1T smell old leather" said Bettina, | curling her lip over her nose in a 1 disgusted manner.
 .sso do IT. replied Billy. t'There l must be some mouldy old shoes lying 1 around here somewhere"
 Just as Billy said this Jim reached 1 forward and grabbed Billy by the beard It took him by surprise that he Jumped back with such force that he pulled the kidnaper out or | the stack as if he had been shot from | a gun And there they stood - the goat and man facing each other. the man hanging to the goats beard
 You old son-of-a -a-gun!'' exclaimed  and it'll be a nightly long day before i YOU escape me. Quick, Tom, grab that burro before she makes off! which Bettina was about to do.
 Jim held on to Billy's head and Tom to Bettina's ear, while they led them over to corner of the fence 1 where they saw a rope hanging This they cut into two pieces and put around BiIly's and Bettina's necks | and tied them to the fence. And they took the precaution to tie the ropes so short that neither could chew 1 themselves loose.
 .sThere, old man, I guess you are fixed for a 7vhi1eI'' said Jim as he tied an extra hard knot in the rope. 'FNow you stay here until I get hold of that dog and cat and we will have a. rehearsal of that circus perform ance we saw you -four go through on 1 the road before you gave us this last slip. And you are to understand that you will go through these perform ances in your very best style if you want anything to eat or drink. Ii you don't we'll see that you get a lit tie judicious prodding with a, sharI pftchiforlz, which wxh help, you. think
 Well, Billy [ guess we are in fol it for g. while
 "It looks that way now. Bettina but we will find some way to escape soon- The best way will be to pre- tend we like to perform and gt through our tricks as if we enjoyed doing them. Then we must han: around and act as if we liked the me1 until they think would not ru1 away if we had the chance-'
 That will be mighty hard Nor m e, said Bettina. 'tfor my heels just ach now to fly out and kick them owe that chicken coop. Hee-haw! Hee haw. Heehaw!' which interpreted meant: Come over here. Button - we have som nething to tell you
 When Button joined them they tol him of their plan to appear docil and to act their best when the kid napers wanted them to perform un til the men were off their guard an left them united, when they woul all run away.
 While they were talking Stubh joined them, and they told him a they had confided in Button.
 (Tomorrow's story will tell 1lo the dog and cat led the wicked me a merry c1ase.)
 (Copyrighted by the SaaIfeld Put
 fishing Co.,, Akron, O.