"No, we'll leave Nicknack here," said his father, as he cuddled the little fellow up in his lap. Trouble said nothing more just then but, afterward, Ted remembered that Baby William seemed to be thinking pretty hard about something.
A few days later, when some of the trunks had been partly packed, ready for the trip West, Mr. Martin came home early from the store and said to Jan and Ted:
"I think you'd better get your goat ready now and take him over to Bob's house. I spoke to Mr. Newton about it, and he said there was plenty of room in his stable for a goat Bob is delighted to have him."
"But hell give him back to us when we come home, won't he?" asked Janet.
"Oh, yes, of course! You won't lose your goat," said her father with a laugh.
But when they went out to the stable to harness Nicknack to the wagon, Ted and Janet rubbed their eyes and looked again.
"Why, Nicknack is gone!" exclaimed Ted.
"He is," agreed his sister. "Maybe Bob came and got him."
"No, he wouldn't do that without telling us," went on Ted. "I wonder where that goat is?"
He looked around the stable yard and in the barn. No Nicknack was in sight.