The Water Goats, and Other Troubles
dejected than a goat usually looks—more dirty and down at the heels than a goat often looks—but they were undoubtedly goats. As specimens of ordinary Irish goats they might not have passed muster with a careful buyer, but no doubt they were excellent examples of the dongola.     

       “Ye have done good, Mike,” said the mayor. “Ye have done good! But ain't they mebby a bit off their feed—or something?”      

       “Off their feed!” said Toole. “An' who wouldn't be, poor things? Mind ye, Dugan, thim is not common goats—thim is dongolas—an' used to bein' in th' wather con-continuous from mornin' till night. 'Tis sufferin'       for a swim they be, poor animals. Wance let thim git in th' lake an' ye will see th' difference, Dugan. 'Twill make all th' difference in th'       worrld t' thim. 'Tis dyin' for a swim they are.”      

       “Sure!” said the Keeper of the Water Goats. “Ye have done good, Mike,”        said the mayor again. “Thim dongolas will be a big surprise for th'       people.”      

       They were. They surprised the Keeper of the Goats first of all. The day before the park was to be opened to the public the goats were taken to the park and turned over to their official keeper. At eleven o'clock that morning Alderman Toole was leaning against Casey's bar, confidentially pouring into his ear the story of how the dongolas had given their captors a world of trouble, swimming violently to the far reaches of Lake Geneva and hiding among the bulrushes and reeds, when the swinging door of the saloon was banged open and Tim Fagan rushed in. He was mad. He was very mad, but he was a great deal wetter than mad. He looked as if he had been soaked in water over night, and not wrung out in the morning.     

       “Mike!” he whispered hoarsely, grasping the little alderman by the arm. “I want ye! I want ye down at th' park.”      

       A chill of fear passed over Alderman Toole. He turned his face to Fagan and laid his hand on his shoulder.     

       “Tim,” he demanded, “has annything happened t' th' dongolas?”      

       “Is annything happened t' th' dongolas!” exclaimed Fagan sarcastically.       “Is annything wrong with thim water goats? Oh, no, Toole! Nawthin' has gone wrong with thim! Only they won't go into th' wather, Mike! Is       
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