Now!"
The horses started at a gentle trot, and the goat followed very
closely. When within a minute of the depot, however, the train
swept in. I had intended to be on the platform to meet Tom and
Helen, but my watch was evidently slow. I gave the horses the
whip, looked behind and saw the boys were close upon me, and I was
so near the platform when I turned my head that nothing but the
sharpest of turns saved me from a severe accident. The noble
animals saw the danger as quickly as I did, however, and turned in
marvelously small space; as they did so, I heard two hard thumps
upon the wooden wall of the little depot, heard also two frightful
howls, saw both my nephews considerably mixed up on the platform,
while the driver of the Bloom-Park stage growled in my ear:--
"What in thunder did you let 'em hitch that goat to your axle-tree
for?"
I looked, and saw the man spoke with just cause. How the goat's
head and shoulders had maintained their normal connection during
the last minute of my drive, I leave for naturalists to explain. I
had no time to meditate on the matter just then, for the train had
stopped. Fortunately the children had struck on their heads, and
the Lawrence-Burton skull is a marvel of solidity. I set them upon
their feet, brushed them off with my hands, promised them all the
candy they could eat for a week, wiped their eyes, and hurried
them to the other side of the depot.
Pages:
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166