Part 21 (1/2)

We ran away out forward, away to the bow of the boat. Usually I think there is nothing so jolly as to sit far, far out in the bow, seeing nothing of the boat back of me, just as if I were gliding forward high up in the air. But to-day it wasn't the least bit jolly, for all that cream down on the sofa was frightful to think of. Karsten and I couldn't talk of anything else. He was angry, however, because I hadn't mopped it up.

”Well, but I couldn't wipe it up with nothing.”

”Oh, you could have taken your waterproof or something out of our trunk.”

I was really struck by that thought. Perhaps--perhaps I could get hold of something to wipe up all that disgusting cream with. We both got up from the box where we had been sitting. O horrors! There stood the dining-room stewardess facing us. No sight could have been more terrible to me.

”Oh, here you are, are you? Of course it was you who have got things in such a condition in the dining-saloon.”

I looked at Karsten and Karsten looked at me.

”Yes, the cat upset the bowl,” I said faintly.

”Well, it's a pretty business,” said the stewardess. ”And we are in a fine fix and no mistake. Dinner spoiled, no more cream for the multerberries, and they're nothing without it, the whole cabin running over with cream, the sofa absolutely ruined, gla.s.ses broken,--oh, you'll have a handsome sum to pay! Well, you've got to go to the Captain,” and she swaggered across the deck.

But now Mother had heard about it, and she came towards us with a face I can't describe,--and the Captain came; and there Karsten and I stood holding the goat and the cat in our arms.

Oh, it was an awful interview! The Captain wasn't gentle, not he, and Mother had to pay heaps of money.

”There is no sense in traveling with such a menagerie,” said the Captain.

The pa.s.sengers who had nothing but dry multerberries for dessert were certainly angry with us, and Mother was most unhappy. But the cat lay in my lap and blinked with its yellow eyes and purred like far-away thunder,--it was so happy; and Billy-goat rubbed its head with that silky beard against Karsten's jacket and looked up at him with its trustful black eyes; so neither Karsten nor I had the heart to scold.

And it wouldn't have done any good, anyway.

At the train, trouble began again, for just imagine! No one knew what the freight charges should be for a kid. The ticket-agent stuck his head out of his window to stare at the innocent little creature, and the station-master pulled at his mustache and stared too; and they turned over page after page in their books and whispered together. At last they made out that the cost would be the same as for a cow. Mother shook her head but paid. (I was glad I had my cat in a basket where no one noticed it, and it slept like a log.)

Since the kid was so very tiny, Karsten was allowed to take it into the compartment with us, for it was absolutely impossible to let that baby go alone into the cattle-car.

”Thank goodness!” said Mother when she finally got us all settled. ”Now there are only five hours more of this part of the journey.”

Two ladies were in the compartment--one very severe-looking who had a lorgnette, the other fat and jolly, with awfully pretty red cherries on her hat. Little Billy-goat stood on the seat and ate crackers, making a great crunching. The fat lady laughed at it till she shook all over, but the severe lady drew the corners of her mouth down, looking crosser than ever.

Karsten was so glad to have some one admire the kid that he made it do all the tricks it could. However, that was soon over, for it could not do anything except stand on two legs.

Just as it stood there on two legs, with the most innocent face you can imagine, it gave a little leap--oh, oh! up towards the hat of the fat lady; and that very instant the beautiful red cherries crackled in Billy-goat's mouth.

”Oh, my new hat!” screamed the fat lady.

”It is outrageous that one should be liable to such treatment,” said the cross lady.

”That's the time you got fooled, Billy-goat!” said Karl, ”for you got gla.s.s cherries instead of real cherries.”

Mother had lost all patience now and no mistake; and the kid had to go under the seat and lie there the whole time. And Mother offered the fat lady some chocolates and some of Mother Goodfields' home-made cakes that we had brought for luncheon, and begged her pardon again and again for Billy-goat's behavior; so that finally the fat lady was a little appeased. The goat had eaten four of the gla.s.s cherries and there were eight still left on the hat, so it wasn't wholly spoiled.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The beautiful red cherries crackled in Billy-goat's mouth.--_Page 236._]

”Well, all I know is I would never have stood it,” said the lady with the lorgnette.