"If it stops raining," said his mother.

Ted, Jan and Trouble ran up and down in front of the house while the
rain fell softly and the big drops dripped from the trees. Then the
clouds broke away, the sun came out, the rain stopped and with shouts
and laughter the children ran to the barn next to which, in a little
stable of his own, Nicknack, the goat, was kept.

"Come on out, Nicknack!" cried Janet. "You're going to give us a
ride!"

And Nicknack did, being hitched to the goat-cart in which there was
room and to spare for Janet, Ted and Trouble. Up and down the street
in front of their home the Martin children drove their pet goat.

"Whee, this is fun!" cried Ted, as he made Nicknack run downhill
with the wagon.

"Oh, Teddy Martin, don't go so fast!" begged Janet.

"I like to go fast!" answered her brother. "I'm going to play Wild
West. This is the stage coach and pretty soon the Indians will shoot
at us!"

"Teddy Martin! if you're going to do that I'm not going to play!"
stormed Janet. "You'll make Trouble fall out and get hurt. Come on,
Trouble! Let us get out!" she cried. Nicknack was going quite fast
down the hill.

"Wait till we get to the bottom," shouted Ted. "G'lang there, pony!"