s if we don't come back with Trouble."
So the two parties started on the search, one up and the other down the
street. Bob, Teddy and Mrs. Newton inquired at a number of houses, but
no one in them had seen Trouble and Nicknack that day. Nor did Janet and
her father get any trace of the missing ones.
"I wonder where he is," murmured Teddy, and he was beginning to feel
afraid that something had happened to Trouble.
"Let's go down the back street," suggested Bob. "You know there's quite
a lot of wagons and automobiles go along this main street where we've
been looking. Maybe if Trouble hitched up Nicknack and went for a ride
he'd turn down the back street 'cause it's quieter."
"Yes, he may have done that," agreed Mrs. Newton.
So down the back street the three went. There were several vacant lots
on this street and as the grass in them was high--tall enough to hide a
small boy and a goat and wagon--Bob said they had better look in these
places.
This they did. There was nothing in the first two vacant lots, but in
the third--after they had stopped at one or two houses and had not found
the missing ones--Teddy suddenly cried out:
"Hark!"
"What'd you hear?" asked Bob.
"I thought I heard a goat bleating," was the answer.
"Listen!" whispered Mrs. Newton.
They kept quiet, and then through the air came the sound:
"Baa-a-a-a-a!"
"That's Nicknack!" cried Teddy, rushing forward.
"I hope your little brother is there, too," said Mrs. Newton.
And Trouble was. When they got to the lower end of the vacant lot there,
in a tangle of weeds, was the goat-wagon, and Nicknack was in a tangle
of harness fast to it.
"Look at Trouble!" cried Teddy.
There lay the little fellow, sound asleep in the goat-wagon, his head
pillowed on his arm, while Nicknack was bleating now and then between
the bites of grass and weeds he was eating.
"Oh, Trouble!" cried Mrs. Newton as she took him up in her arms.
"Yes--dis me--I's Trouble," was the sleepy response. "Oh, 'lo, Teddy,"
he went on as he saw his brother. "'Lo, Bob. You come to find me?"
"I should say we _did_!" cried Bob. "What are you doing here?"
"Havin' wide," was the answer. "Everybody go 'way--out West--I not have
a goat den. I no want Nicknack to go 'way."
"Oh, I see what he means!" exclaimed Teddy, after thinking over what his
little brother said. "He heard us talking about bringing Nicknack over
to your house, Bob, to keep him for us. Trouble likes t
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