"There, do not disturb me and I will be with you presently."
Thus left to himself Bo went to his never-failing source of amusement—swinging on the gate. While enjoying himself, he heard the rumble of wagon-wheels, and jumped down to see what was coming. It happened to be the milk boy, Pete Hopkins—"Hello, Pete!" said Bo. "Hello yourself," said Pete. "Give me a ride," begged Bo. "I don't mind," said the good-natured fellow and jumping out of his cart, lifted the child to the seat beside him.
Bolax had often been allowed to ride to the end of the road with Pete, because Mrs. Allen knew him to be a respectable boy.
When he came to the usual getting-off place, Pete forgot somehow to put the child down, and, of course, Bo couldn't think, he was too much interested in a story Pete was telling about his pet goose, that always followed one of the cows, and came to him to have her head scratched.
Pete did not realize how far he was taking the boy, until the horse stopped before his own door. "Great Scot!" exclaimed he, "I'll ketch it, youngster. I didn't mean to carry you all this way."
"But as you are here, I'll show you the calves and my pet goose." Saying this, Pete lifted Bo out of the cart. The child clapped his hands and shouted with delight as he caught sight of a flock of sheep feeding in the meadow next to the barn, then Pete called Nancy, the pet goose, and Bo laughed at her queer way of waddling from side to side after her master, and gabbling as if trying to talk to him.
"I want to see your colt now," said Bo, Pete asked him to wait a minute while he went into the stable to make sure the colt was tied securely, for the animal was quite unbroken, and children were not to be trusted near him.
Bo waited a "hundred hours," which was always his manner of computing time, when in anticipation of pleasure; then spying a nice white pig in a field nearby, rubbing her back against the fence, he made a dash towards her, put one leg through the rails just across piggie's back. Up jumped the pig with the boy astride, whether by accident or design, no one could tell.
Bo was delighted at the unexpected pleasure of a real piggie-back ride, and laughed and shouted in his glee.