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Billy Whiskers in France

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<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XIV WHAT THE CHUMS DID IN PARIS</h2></div> <div> <ANTIMG class="drop-cap" src="images/i-p007.jpg" alt="" /></div> AS soon as Billy found himself on shore he ran as fast as ever he could up into the city to try to find a grocery store where he could get some fresh juicy vegetables or fruit. He was tired to death of dry hay, straw and carrots that had been fed to him on the boat, though the Captain thought he was giving Billy just what goats like best. Stubby and Button saw him disappearing down a side street and started to follow him. “How in the wide, wide world do you think he managed to get out of that cabin?” asked Stubby. “I am sure I don’t know,” answered Button, “for I am sure he could not possibly crawl through that porthole even if he could reach it. He is too big.” “You don’t suppose he butted down the cabin door, do you?” asked Stubby. “I should not wonder in the least if he did, and come to think of it, I bet that is just what he did do, for that is the only way he could possibly leave that cabin. Perhaps old One-Eyed Dick[154] opened the door to give him a drink or to get something out of the cabin, and Billy butted him over and escaped. However, we will soon find out when we overtake him.” “But where is he? I don’t see him anywhere,” said Stubby. <div class="figleft"><ANTIMG src="images/i-p154.jpg" alt="" /></div> When Stubby and Button reached the side street down which they had seen Billy disappearing, no Billy was in sight. But as they stood there debating what had become of him, and wondering where they would look for him, they saw Billy run out of a fruit store with a big apple in his mouth, followed by an angry Frenchman madly jabbering and waving a broom over his head, with which he was trying to hit Billy. He was just about to bring it down on Billy’s back when Stubby ran between the man’s legs and tripped him. He got up with an oath and started to chase Stubby when Button ran in front of him and down he went again. He was[155] so busy watching Billy and Stubby that he had not time to cast his eyes down to see what was under his feet or where he was stepping. This time he fell flat on his stomach, which knocked the breath out of him so he could not rise again and chase them. And he sat there trying to get his breath until he saw them turn a corner and disappear, though he had the fun of seeing a man knocked over as he himself had been by Billy running into him as he turned the corner. Billy did not see the man as his head was turned to see if the fruit dealer was still pursuing him. And when he looked ahead, he was surprised to find both Stubby and Button following him. He still had his head turned when he ran into a fat woman going the same way he was, a big basket of clean clothes on her head. The first thing Billy knew, he was rolling over something soft that squealed like a stuck pig and that kicked like a calf. He lost his own balance and rolled over in the gutter. All this commotion caused a crowd to gather around them in no time, and Stubby had to bark and growl and nip the heels of the people to make a clearing so Billy could get up. Soon the police were upon them, swinging their clubs and crying out in French for the crowd to make way and clear the street. The fat woman was crying and trying to gather up her wash which had spilled in all directions, and she was afraid the people would steal some of the pieces or step on the clean snow-white bosoms of the shirts. [156]“Here, don’t you put your dirty hands on that shirt!” she called to a boy who was going to try to help her pick up her scattered things. “Police! Police! Stop that woman! She is trying to hide a lady’s skirt under her shawl!” Stubby felt sorry for the poor laundress and he watched to see if any of the crowd tried to steal her things. Presently a bootblack picked up a nice fine white dress shirt and attempted to hide it under his short jacket, but the shirt was too long to conceal even when folded, and when it unfolded a long white tail stuck out. A policeman made a grab for it but the boy dodged and ran down the street with the shirt dangling between his legs. When Stubby saw this, he started in pursuit and soon overtook the boy. He made a snap at the flying tail, caught it in his mouth, gave a jerk and the shirt slipped from the boy’s hold, wound itself round his leg and tripped him. The policeman coming up just then caught the boy and gave him two or three sharp raps with his club together with a kick and told him to go about his business while he carried the much prized shirt back to the laundress. “Thank you! Thank you, sir, for saving that shirt! It belongs to the man at the head of the Police Department and I’ll tell him how smart you are on your beat and get you promoted for helping[157] a poor working woman out of her troubles,” and she wiped her eyes and began to count her pieces to see if they were all there. While the police was keeping the crowd from bothering her, the three Chums sneaked away and decided to return to the boat for they did not want to be left in Paris. Their destination was Havre for the present and America next. About six o’clock when the Captain, his wife and the sailors came back to the boat, they found Billy, Stubby and Button all lying out on deck enjoying themselves. “Look, will you?” exclaimed the Captain. “There are those animals I locked in the cabin quietly lying on deck. One-Eyed Dick must have let them out. I’ll fix him for disobeying orders!” But when he came aboard there was no One-Eyed Dick to be found. “So-ho! When we left, Dick must have decided to go too and while he was away these animals have broken out of the cabin.” While the Captain was talking, his wife had gone below to take a look at the cabin and find out if possible how they got out. She found, as you know, everything kicked and scratched to pieces and the door smashed to bits. She called to the Captain to come see what had happened. But just as he was leaving the deck he saw old One-Eyed Dick running toward the boat, all excitement. [158]“What is up, Dick? And why are you running?” “Come quick! Come quick! I am on the track of the three of them!” “Three what?” asked the Captain. “Why, the runaway animals! Don’t stop! Don’t stop to talk a moment or we will never catch them! I’ve been all day trying to get track of them and now I have, come quick or we will never lay eyes on them again!” “Are you crazy, man, wanting me to run find animals that are already found?” “What do you mean?” asked Dick. “Look over on the other side of the deck and you will see what I mean.” “Jupiter! How ever did they get here? And me following them from place to place only to be told they had just been seen turning a corner here and a corner there!” “But why did you let them out in the first place?” “Me let them out? Why, bless your life, that big goat let himself out after breaking up the whole of the inside of our boat and butting the door down as if it had been made of paper and me off the hatchway as if I had been a bale of cotton. You don’t know that goat, you don’t!” [159]“Come down here, I say, and see all the damage that goat did,” called the Captain’s wife again. “Well, thunder and lightning! He did leave a pretty mess, didn’t he?” exclaimed the Captain when he saw what Billy had done. “Oh, Captain, come up! There is a man wants to see you,” called One-Eyed Dick down the hatchway. When the Captain went on deck, he saw standing talking to Dick a poorly dressed, shifty-eyed individual. “Well, my man, what can I do for you?” asked the Captain, but as he passed one of his sailors he said in a low voice to him, “Get those animals below as fast as you can, and keep them out of sight!” The sailor obeyed, and he got Stubby and Button down but when he came up for Billy he heard the man say, “I’ve come for me pets. And you need not try to hide them. I tracked ’em here not half an hour ago and I been waitin’ for youse to come back as I didn’t like to take ’em without tellin’ ye that them belongs to me.” “You hear? Get off this boat or I’ll have Billy butt you over the Eiffel Tower! What do you mean by coming here and telling me such a cock and bull story as that?” “’Deed them is my pets! And if you don’t give ’em up to me I’ll call me chum and prove it.” [160]“Get off my boat, you stupid liar, or I’ll call the police!” “I’ll go get the police meself and have you arrested for holdin’ stolen goods!” “You will, will you? Well, here, on your way there you better take a bath in the river and wash up. They’ll be better pleased to see you after you have had a clean-up than the way you look now,” and with that the Captain walked over to the man, took him by the seat of his trousers and the collar of his coat and threw him overboard into the river. The fellow being a regular wharf rat swam ashore, swearing vengeance on the Captain, but he never showed up afterwards. “Well, that fellow displayed more cheek than I ever saw before, asking me to give up Billy, Stubby and Button on the strength of his saying they were his pets. But it goes to show that he had read the advertisements in the paper, and since others may have read them also, I guess we better pull up anchor and proceed on our way.” It was an hour after this when all were at supper but Dick, who was sitting whistling and braiding ropes, when a dapper young American orderly appeared at the gangplank and called out: “Hey, there! Have you seen a big white goat, a little yellow dog and a black cat around here any time to-day?” “No, sir; I haven’t laid me two eyes on them,” said Dick with a[161] straight face, though his good eye did wink once or twice at the fib. “Why, sir? Have you lost them?” <div class="figright"><ANTIMG src="images/i-p161.jpg" alt="" /></div> “No, I haven’t, but one of them belongs to my regiment and the other two to two other regiments. And we have been looking everywhere for them and advertising in all the papers. But every time we hear that they have been seen in a certain locality and go to get them, they are gone. And I just heard this afternoon that three animals answering to their description had been seen coming this way.” “Well, I have been here nearly all day, and I haven’t laid me two eyes on any goat, cat or dog.” No, to be sure he had not laid his two eyes on them for he had but one eye with which to see. [162]The young orderly went off, inquiring on every boat that lay along the dock if they had seen a goat, dog or cat anywhere around there that day. “Captain! Captain!” called Dick down the hatchway. “We have had another close call. A young orderly from the very regiment Billy belongs to was here inquiring for him and the other two.” “And what did you tell him?” “Just said, ‘No, I have not laid me two eyes on them.’” “Haw, haw, haw!” laughed the Captain. “You did well to turn him off in that way, even if it was half a lie. But it shows we must not tarry another minute here or the next thing we know they will be sending the police for them. Here, call the other sailors and let us heave to and be off.” And presently Billy said to Button, “We are moving! Thank goodness we have started on our homeward journey once more!” Nothing of interest happened on the rest of the trip to Havre except when a little bird flew on deck with a message for Billy from Duke. “Why, I did not even know he was gone!” exclaimed Billy. “I took it for granted he had returned to the boat when I was away, and was now asleep somewhere on it. What did you say he said, and where was he when he told you?” [163]“He was in a big touring car, just leaving the outskirts of Paris. He was with his old master who is a celebrated surgeon at the front and they were both going back to his hospital. Duke told me to tell you that he was very sorry to leave you all without a chance to thank you for being so good to him and to say good-by. When he left the boat he had only intended to run up in the city and take a look at his old home, but when he got there who should he see coming out of the house but his old master, who was just going to get him at the dogs’ hospital, where he thought Duke had been all this time. And Duke said to tell you that when he saw his old master again, all his love for him came back and he could not bear to leave him to run away to America.” “Well, if that doesn’t beat all!” exclaimed Button. “I think it is just as well he left us,” said Stubby, “for I am afraid he would not understand our free and easy life in America after living all his life with formal people.” “Guess you are right,” agreed Stubby and Billy. [164] <hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> [165] <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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