were indeed of a common Southwestern type; yet in him they suggested
something more. This was voiced by a miner who attended his first
service, and as the Reverend Mr. Withholder rose in the pulpit, the
former was heard to audibly ejaculate, "Dod blasted!--if it ain't
Billy!" But when on the following Sunday, to everybody's astonishment,
Polly Harkness, in a new white muslin frock and broad-brimmed Leghorn
hat, appeared before the church door with the real Billy, and exchanged
conversation with the preacher, the likeness was appalling.
I grieve to say that the goat was at once christened by Rocky Canyon as
"The Reverend Billy," and the minister himself was Billy's "brother."
More than that, when an attempt was made by outsiders, during
the service, to inveigle the tethered goat into his old butting
performances, and he took not the least notice of their insults and
challenges, the epithet "blanked hypocrite" was added to his title.
Had he really reformed? Had his pastoral life with his nymph-like
mistress completely cured him of his pugnacious propensity, or had
he simply found it was inconsistent with his dancing, and seriously
interfered with his "fancy steps"? Had he found tracts and hymn-books
were as edible as theatre posters? These were questions that Rocky
canyon discussed lightly, although there was always the more serious
mystery of the relations of the Reverend Mr. Withholder, Polly Harkness,
and the goat towards each other. The appearance of Polly at church was
no doubt due to the minister's active canvass of the districts. But had
he ever heard of Polly's dancing with the goat? And where in this plain,
angular, badly dressed Polly was hidden that beautiful vision of the
dancing nymph which had enthralled so many? And when had Billy ever
given any suggestion of his Terpsichorean abilities--before or since?
Were there any "points" of the kind to be discerned in him now? None!
Was it not more probable that the Reverend Mr. Withholder had himself
been dancing with Polly, and been mistaken for the goat? Passengers who
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