Amish Country Arson by Fay Risner Page B

agreed. He started off after Rudy then stopped. “Is the
goat bred already?”
    “ Jah, she is bred. Do you have a buck
in with the ewes now?” Rudy asked.
    “ Jah, and we expect lambs in early
March,” John said.
    “ That will be perfect. This nanny goat
will kid in March,” Rudy exclaimed.
    Hal followed behind the men. She felt John
would take buying the goat better if he dealt with Rudy. If the
goat had any problems Rudy didn't mention, John might not tease her
so much if he made the choice to buy the goat.
    When they entered the barn, the door banged
shut, causing sharp bleats to come from a horse stall. Rudy said,
“She hears our voices. Goats do not like being alone, but she would
be happy with your flock. She is used to running with my
sheep.”
    Hal noted the brown goat had a trim of white
running around her face and four white stockings on her frail legs.
“What breed is she?”
    “ Toggenburg. Her name is Gano,” Rudy
said.
    Hal stared at the goat. “That is an odd
name.”
    “ Jah, that it is, but if you dislike it
you can change the name,” Rudy stated, not willing to elaborate on
the origin.
    “ Can I go in the stall with her?” Hal
asked as she watched the goat pace along the back wall.
    Rudy opened the door. “Go recht in. I milked
her this year, so she is already trained to stand still. She is
calmer than she looks.”
    Hal held her hand out to pat the goat.
“Hello, Gano. I'm Hal.”
    Gano ran to the far corner and watched her
through wide, dark brown eyes. With no where else to run, she let
Hal walk up to her. When Hal put her hand on the goat's head, Gano
ducked her head as if Hal hit her.
    “ She does not act very friendly,” John
stated bluntly.
    “ She just does not know what to make of
all the strangers. After she gets used to you, she will be a pest,”
Rudy assured him.
    “ All recht, I will buy her. Jim, you
want to hold on to the goat while I drive home?” John
asked.
    “ I think I can handle that,” Jim said,
grinning.
    Rudy led the goat to the buggy with a rope
around her neck. Jim climbed in and sat at the back of the buggy.
Rudy and John lifted the squalling and kicking goat. Jim grabbed
the rope around the goat's neck and pulled her to him. She eyed
Nora and Hal when they sat down. Her nose wrinkled up as she
sniffed their direction.
    When they arrived home, John drove over by
his barn and stopped. Aunt Tootie had Redbird and Beth by the
hands, coming to see the latest animal. Hal picked up Redbird and
Nora picked up Beth.
    Once Gano's hooves hit the ground, she only
had Jim holding onto her rope. She bucked and strained, trying to
get away. Jim held on tight and settled her down. Both girls held
out a hand, wanting to pet the nanny.
    Aunt Tootie gasped and sidestepped close to
Nora.
    “ For Heaven's sake, Tootie, don't crowd
me so,” Nora complained.
    Aunt Tootie huffed, “Sorry, but I was afraid
that goat would butt me.”
    Jim relaxed his hold on the rope while he
picked at the girls. Gano quickly stretched her neck and got a
mouth full of Aunt Tootie's skirt. The goat tugged to bring it
closer to her. Aunt Tootie's face blanched as she jerked the skirt
out of the goat's mouth. “Shoo, goat! Jim, hang onto her
better.”
    “ I'm sorry about that, Tootie. She just
wants to say hello. She won't hurt you,” Jim defended.
    John decided, “Jim, let's put the goat in a
pen for the night. It will easier to watch her in the day light to
see how she gets along with the sheep.”
    “ John,” Aunt Tootie said. “The
veterinarian stopped by this morning and said the test on the skunk
came back all right. The dog can be turned loose now.”
    “ That is voonderball gute news,” Noah
cried. “We can take Biscuit coon hunting now.”
    “ I will turn him out of the shed,”
Daniel said as he ran that direction.
    After milking, the barn went silent. Gano
cried from the minute the men left the barn and continued to
protest all evening.
    Finally, Noah offered to go see