“Come on and ride, everybody! It’s great! A penny for a little ride, a nickel for a bigger! Come on! Come on! Come on and ride!”
His shouts, the painted sign on Nicknack, the voice of Trouble singing his queer song now and then, and Jan and Ted walking beside the goat wagon drew the attention of the few people they passed on the country road.
But none of them seemed to want a ride, and at the few houses they passed, though some children came to the gates and looked very much as though they would like to ride, they shook their heads, for they had no money—not even a penny.
“Well, I’m havin’ lots of fun,” said Jimmie, after a while. “But maybe I’d better——”
Just then Nicknack saw a bunch of green grass beside the road he thought he would like to chew. He made a sudden jump for it, and so quickly that Jimmie toppled off the seat backward and fell with a “ker-thump” on the grass beside the road.
“Whoa!” called Ted.
“Look out for Trouble!” exclaimed Jan.
Baby William, too, had tumbled off the seat when Jimmie had fallen, but Trouble only rolled to the bottom of the wagon, and there he stayed, on his back, his eyes wide open looking up at the sky.
“Are you hurt, Baby?” asked Jan, anxiously.
“Nope,” answered Trouble. “Did de goat runned away?”