"Ef Ole Billy wan't so mean," said Chris, "we could fotch 'im hyear in
de omnibus. I wush we'd a let Chubbum an' Suppum come; dey'd been Lord
Bugon."

"I b'lieve Billy would let us haul 'im," said Diddie, who was always
ready to take up for her pet; "he's rael gentle now, an' he's quit
buttin'; the only thing is, he's so big we couldn't get 'im in the
wheelbarrer."

"Me 'n Chris kin put 'im in," said Dilsey. "We kin lif' 'im, ef dat's
all;" and accordingly the omnibus was dispatched for Lord Burgoyne,
who was quietly nibbling grass on the ditch bank at some little
distance from the hotel.

He raised his head as the children approached, and regarded them
attentively. "Billy! Billy! po' Ole Billy!" soothingly murmured
Diddie, who had accompanied Dilsey and Chris with the omnibus, as she
had more influence over Old Billy than anybody else. He came now at
once to her side, and rubbed his head gently against her; and while
she caressed him, Dilsey on one side and Chris on the other lifted him
up to put him on the wheelbarrow.

And now the scene changed. Lord Burgoyne, all unmindful of love or
gratitude, and with an eye single to avenging this insult to his
dignity, struggled from the arms of his captors, and, planting his
head full in Diddie's chest, turned her a somersault in the mud. Then,
lowering his head and rushing at Chris, he butted her with such force
that over she went headforemost into the ditch! and now, spying
Dilsey, who was running with all her might to gain the lumber-pile, he
took after her, and catching up with her just as she reached the