"I think he'd like to get out where he can walk around and have something to eat and drink," said Mr. Bobbsey. "We must take him out of his crate."
This was soon done with the help of the express agent, and, when the last piece of wood was taken off, the goat stepped out of his crate in which he had traveled from a distant city, and gave a loud,
"Baa-a-a-a-a!"
Then he stamped his forefeet on the platform, and shook his head, on which were two horns.
"Oh, look out! He'll run away!" cried Freddie, who was afraid of losing his goat before there was a chance for a ride.
But the goat seemed tame, kind and gentle, and after walking about a little, stood still beside the crate and let the children pat him, while Mr. Bobbsey paid the express agent.
There was a piece of paper pasted on the crate in which the goat had traveled. One end of the paper was flapping loose, and, seeing it, the white animal nibbled at it, and finally ate it, chewing it up as though he liked it; as indeed he did, not so much for the paper as for the dried paste by which it had been stuck on.
"Oh, look!" cried Nan. "The goat's eating the label off his crate so we can't send him back. He likes us, I guess."
"We like him, anyhow," said Freddie, laughing and patting the billy. "Come on, Bert. Hitch him up and give us a ride."
"Shall I?" asked Bert of his father.