“There’s something funny about this,” said the butcher as he prepared to drive away in his truck after hearing the story. “First it’s a deer, then it’s a goat, then it isn’t anything. Talk about mysteries--this sure is one!” And as several days passed and there was no further sign or news of the deer, Teddy and his chums began to feel they had seen the last of the mystery animal. For a time they had hopes they might be called on to look for the big brown and white goat of Tony Pasqualla. But that family pet, after breaking out of the trap and leaping from Mrs. Traddle’s garden, finally made his way back to the stable where he was penned up. Teddy and his chums learned this when they called to inquire about the goat. They saw the animal tied in a stall eating peacefully. “One nighta she go away,” Tony explained to the boys. “No can finda my goat all night. Nexta da morn she coma home alla crazy like--you know, excite! Someting musta happen my goat.” “Something did,” Teddy said. And he and the boys explained. For they knew Tony would hear about the trap and they wanted him to know the catching of his goat had not been intended. “Oh, sure, dat’s alla de right,” smiled the Italian. “My goat Angelina no hurt any. But you say you want to get a deer?” “Yes,” Teddy replied. “A mystery deer.” “Oh, is dat a danger kind--dat mysdery deer?” “No. It only means there’s something strange about it,” said Joe. “Mysterious.” “It comes and goes,” added Dick. “Oh, I understan’,” laughed Tony. “Justa laik de sun! Ha! Ha!” Though Teddy and his chums made several trips to the woods, fields and the glen, they saw no further signs of the deer. Sometimes the girls went with them on hunts. Once in a while Fatty Nolan would go out with the boys. But he was so excited no one could depend on him. Once he caused great excitement by shouting: “There he is! The mystery deer! I see his horns!” But it was only the whitened, gnarled roots of an old stump in a field. Once Margie and Lucy came hurrying home from a berry-picking trip saying they had seen the deer in a field. Teddy and his chums hurried to the place only to see a cow, partly screened by the bushes. Meanwhile Mr. Crispen made his trap over and set it in Mason’s meadow near the place where the deer had first been seen. But though he put fresh bait in the trap every night, no deer went in to spring the trap and be caught. “I guess we’ve seen the last of the mystery deer,” said Teddy to his chums one day. They were returning from a trip to look for the animal. “Seems so,” admitted Joe. “We haven’t even seen that cowboy, or whoever he was, that lassoed you, Teddy,” remarked Dick. “No, we haven’t. And I’d like to meet him. Maybe he didn’t mean to rope me. He might want his lasso back,” Teddy said.