MOTHER NATURES GOAT 93 



in romping, and more time in hunting the best bites of 

 grass and brush. Not that she loses her interest in her 

 mother's bag. Far from it! But now the grass is not 

 quite so green, the herd moves farther each day — drier 

 feed and longer travel show their effects on mother doe's 

 milk. It does not come fast enough for the hungry, 

 impatient kid; she butts harder, and mother doe lifts 

 high her hind legs and walks away. The rough httle 

 husky kid turns philosophically to grazing again, and 

 fills the empty chinks, and before she is tliree months 

 old, her mother has weaned her in self-defense, and she 

 is doing very well ' on her own.' Now I know," says 

 Mother Nature, " that I could have made a lot better 

 goat out of that kid if I could have had a bottle and 

 could have given her milk, all she wanted, a month or so 

 longer. But I did the best I could. 



" Spring long since gone, summer followed, and 

 autumn is here. With the passing of the green spring 

 grass all the does have gone dry, and their udders have 

 shrunk from sight. But the brush is abundant, which 

 goats love, and while it will not supply them with milk, 

 it keeps them in good condition. A new uneasiness stirs 

 in the herd, manifesting itself first among the bucks. 

 Tliey eye each other askance, sometimes two or more of 

 them withdraw from the herd, and the still warm day 

 will be filled with the sound of their grunting cries and 



