“Bunny!  Oh, Bunny!  Make him go away.”

“I will,” said her brother.  “Go on away, you old goat you!” he cried.  “Go away or I’ll throw a stone at you.  I don’t want to hurt you, but I’m not going to let you hook my sister with your horns.  Go on away!”

But the goat only bleated, like a sheep, and came on.  Seeing Bunny coming toward her made Sue a little braver.  At least she found that she could run, so she did, hiding behind her brother.

“I’ll take care of you,” he said bravely.

On came the goat.  Bunny’s heart was beating fast.  He raised one hand in which he held a stone.

“Look out!  I’m going to throw it, you old goat!” cried the little blue-eyed boy.

“Whizz!” went the stone toward the goat.  It struck him on the horn, and of course it did not hurt, for a goat’s horns have no feeling on the outside, any more than have your finger-nails.

“Bounce!” went the stone off the goat’s horn.  The animal shook his head, as if he did not like that.

“Go on away!” called Bunny.  “I got another stone for you if you don’t go!”

But the goat still came on.  Bunny threw the second stone, but it did not hit the goat.  The little boy was looking around for another stone, when he and Sue heard a loud barking behind them, and up rushed Splash, their big dog.

“Oh, good!  Now he’ll drive the goat away!” cried Sue.  “Oh, Bunny; aren’t you glad!”

“That’s what I am!” Bunny answered.  “Drive him away, Splash!”

Splash rushed, barking, at the goat, and the horned animal at once turned about and ran to the other end of the lot, kicking up his heels.  Splash kept on after him, barking, but not trying to bite, for the dog was gentle.

“Splash!  Splash!” called Bunny.  “Come back!  Come back!”

Splash minded very well and back he came, quite proud, no doubt, at having driven off the goat.

“Hurry and get out of here!” begged Sue, as she ran toward the hole in the fence.  Bunny turned to follow her.  He looked back to see if the goat was coming, feeling not half afraid, now that Splash was with them.

In another minute Bunny, Sue and their dog were safely out in the street.  The goat, at the far end of the lot, looked toward them and made his queer, bleating noise.

Afterward Bunny Brown and his sister Sue learned that the goat was a very kind one, and used to playing with children.  It would not have hurt Sue at all, and the reason it walked up to her was because it thought she was going to feed it, as the little Italian children often did.  So Bunny and Sue had their fright for nothing, though of course, at the time, Bunny thought the goat might hurt his sister.

“And I’m sorry I hit him with a stone,” said Bunny, when, afterward, he was told how gentle the goat was.

“Oh, well, you didn’t hurt him,” said Aunt Lu.

Bunny, Sue and Splash were late for their dinner that day.