“I’ll do it!” said Billy, and they rubbed noses together to seal the bargain. “I hear a bugle. What is that call for?”
“Oh, that is our supper call,” said the Red Cross dog. “When they blow the bugle all the dogs that are running loose are supposed to go to the back kitchen door. There are long troughs there in which they put our suppers. Come ahead with us, and we will give you some food. There will be plenty for all of us and for you too, for they serve very bountifully here,” and all the dogs and Billy too moved off in the direction of the kitchen.
CHAPTER III
AN INOPPORTUNE SNEEZE
WELL, well, well! Whom have we with us?” exclaimed the cook at the dog hospital as he stood in the kitchen door in apron and cap ready to throw some more food in the dogs’ trough. “Bless my soul, I believe it is Billy Whiskers!”
Billy hearing his name spoken looked up, only to find himself gazing into the eyes of the cook who had once served the old General who had issued the strict orders for Billy not to be allowed to leave camp.
“Billy, you old rascal, come here and let me pull your beard for luck and old times’ sake! I will bet my whole month’s wages that you have run away from camp.”
All the time the cook was talking, he was walking toward Billy, wishing to get near enough to discover if the goat really wore around his neck a collar from which hung a medal engraved with his name.
“Here, Billy, is a nice big carrot for you. Don’t jerk back. I am not going to hurt you. I am only going to pat your head. Don’t you remember the good old times in camp when I used to give you nice juicy apples and crisp lettuce heads?”
By this time the cook was standing close by Billy, pretending to pat his head, but every time he put his fingers through his hair, he tried to feel for the collar and Billy would jerk his head away. He was afraid the cook was going to try to take off his collar and Billy had made up his mind many moons before this that if ever any one tried to take it off he would fight them to the death. Just then a little breeze blew Billy’s hair up so that it showed the medal with some engraving on it, and the cook saw it read: