232 The 'Book of the Goat. 



Passing a butcher's shop where some joints were 

 exposed for sale marked at a comparatively low figure, I 

 entered and ordered a hind-quarter. The serving-man 

 took a joint from the interior without my taking particular 

 notice of it, weighed it, and packed it in a rush-basket, and 

 I carried it innocently away. Arrived at home with my 

 " lamb," I was called into the kitchen and asked 

 in a somewhat quizzing manner if I was aware that I had 

 brought home some goat for lamb. Such an assertion I 

 of course at once repudiated, but on examination of the 

 hoof that hung to the leg, and which was covered with 

 brown hair without the slightest resemblance to wool at 

 any part, together with the dark colour of the meat, the 

 absence of fat, and diminutive size of the chops, the matter 

 was soon placed beyond doubt. 



I accordingly returned next day with the meat to the 

 butcher, and gave him very plainly to understand that he 

 mistook his customer in attempting to palm off goat upon 

 me for lamb. The man of course would not admit the 

 fact, and indignantly denied the charge, endeavouring to 

 show me that the hoof had no resemblance whatever to 

 that of a goat. With the view of proving his statement 

 he called out several times for " Bill." I naturally 

 expected to see the summons answered by one of his men, 

 but in a few minutes, to my surprise, in trotted a medium- 

 sized billy goat, and I was requested to compare his hoofs 

 with the one on the leg I had bought and to observe the 

 difference. I made the comparison, but only to be con- 

 firmed in my opinion by the close resemblance they bore. 

 In fact, I could not help looking to see if the animal 

 under examination had a leg missing. This similarity 

 Mr. Butcher refused to acknowledge, remarking that I 

 had evidently never seen a goat be-fore! The fact, 

 however, of a goat being thus on the premises in this 

 part of London only served to strengthen my suspicions. 



