Part 9 (1/2)

Then, before anyone could stop him, he gave a leap over Teddy's head, and into the water splashed Nicknack.

The goat had leaped overboard into the deepest part of Clover Lake!

CHAPTER V

THE BAG OF SALT

”Oh! Oh!” cried Teddy. ”Oh, there goes my nice goat! Catch him, Grandpa!

Stop him!”

Grandpa Martin stopped rowing and looked in surprise at the goat. So did the hired man.

”Well, just look!” exclaimed George.

”Oh, he'll be drowned! He'll be drowned!” wailed Teddy, tears coming into his eyes, for he loved Nicknack. ”He'll be drowned!”

Grandpa Martin rested his hands on the oars and looked into the water.

Then he smiled.

”I guess you'd have hard work drowning that goat,” he said. ”He's swimming like a fis.h.!.+”

”And right straight for Star Island!” added the hired man. ”That's a smart goat all right! He knows where he wants to go, and the shortest way to get there!”

Surely enough Nicknack was swimming toward the island. When he jumped out of the boat he floundered a little in the water, and splashed some on Teddy. Then he struck out, paddling as a dog does with his front feet. Nicknack turned himself about until he was headed toward the island, and then he swam straight toward it.

”Oh, won't he drown, Grandpa?” asked Teddy.

”I don't believe so, my boy! I guess Nicknack knows more than we thought he did. Maybe he didn't like the way we rowed, or he may have wanted a bath. Anyhow he jumped overboard, but he'll be all right.”

”See him go!” cried the hired man.

Nicknack was swimming quite fast. Of course a goat is not as good a swimmer as is a duck or a fish, but Ted's pet did very well. On sh.o.r.e were Nora, Mrs. Martin, Janet, Trouble, and the farm hand who had gone over in the first boatload. They were watching the goat swimming toward them.

”Did you throw him into the water, Teddy?” asked Janet, as soon as the boat was near enough so that talking could be heard.

”He jumped in,” Ted answered. ”Isn't he a good swimmer?”

”I should say so! Here, Nicknack! Come here!” Janet called.

The goat, which had been headed toward a spot a little way down the island from where Janet and her mother stood, turned at the sound of the little girl's voice and came in her direction.

”Oh, he knows me!” she cried in delight. ”Now don't shake yourself the way Skyrocket does, and get me all wet!” she begged, as Nicknack scrambled out on sh.o.r.e, water dripping from his hairy coat.

But the goat did not act like a dog, who gives himself a great shaking whenever he comes on sh.o.r.e after having been in the water. Nicknack just let it drip off him, and began to nibble some of the gra.s.s that grew on the island. He was making himself perfectly at home, it seemed.

The goat-wagon and the other things were soon landed, and then Grandpa Martin and one of the hired men went back for the last load. When that came back and the things were piled up near the tents, the work of setting up the camp went on. There was much yet to be done.