The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-08-24
THE MISCHIEF gIAKER.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.
(CONCLUDEpl


lizard. The fly was gorging himself with
honey. He alone partook not of the intense
anxiety ofthe lizard, the cat, and the dog
He partook only of-honey!
The crisis at length arrived. The lizard
made It's nimble pounce at the fly. The cat
sprang ct the lizard. The lizard missed its
footing in consequence, and would have been
the cats portion-fly, honey and all-but for
the dogs sudden attack upon puss. Here
was a scene! The lizard falling to the
ground, was at once involved in the coBse
quences of the quarrel between the dog and
cat. What were fly or honey 10 him at the
moment, when in state between life and
death he crept back sore and wounded to his
chinks and cobwebs! The fly might or might
not have escaped. Not so the cat, now sore
ly worried by the dog, in spite of all her out
crys and all she could do in the way of biting
and clawng; for 1t was an old score the dog
was paying her off, and that might soon cost
her her life, If her master had not rushed out
of his shop with broomstick, with which he
began to belabor the dog
Now the owner of the dog had been as long
at enmity with the man OF flour and honey
as the dog had been at enmty with the cat
and probably longer. OF course, therefore,
when he heard his animals cries, and saw the
punishment nflicting he armed himself with
broomstick also, and rushing across the
street, gave the flour-dealer such crack up
on his head, as knocked him down as fiat as a
pancake.
stake that, you villain" said he, 'for it's
a debt I've long ow ed you"
slave you ?" said the -four dealers son.
as he rushed out witt cudgel in his hand
"Then tell me how you like Mat''-giving
HIM such hearty whack across the shout
dcrs that he was lain tc drop his broom
stick.
Yet the blow had hardly been given, be-
fore a friend of the dogs master ran up with
drawn sword, and would have made mince-
meat of the hour-dealer's son, but for SOL
der, who cried out. "Shame, thou coward.
and a son of coward, who would attack a
youth with only a stick in his hand, and you
armed with sword! Shame on you It's
just like you rascally Hindoo fellows who
pretend TO be soldiers, and as much like SOL
ders as that poor cat. Why don't you try
meg"
"Why not 2" replied the man. 'Do you
think Pm afraid of such a bully as you q
Come on, you scoundrel and Ill show you
what difference there is between a cat and a
Hindoor'
Upon this the soldier drew his sword, and
both began to cut at each other in good
earnest.
On this all the people cried out, "Murder
Murderw and great many soldiers running
TO the spot, were soon engaged, always at
lacking the Hindoos, who were on the dogs
side, and the Hndoos the Mussulmans, who
were on the side of the cat; and wherever a
Hindoo and a Mussulman were fighting, the
Hindoos aided the Hindoo, and the Mussul-
mans the Mussuman and the consequence
was the death OF many Oh each side, and the
wounding of most Of the foolish, quarrcsome
people engaged.
OF course such a hubbub as this could not
be continued long witt out its being reported
TO the Raiah, who forthwith FASTENED from
his palace with his body-guard and some
horsemen, and soon put a stop to this terrible
| fray and all the ringleaders were forthwith
seized end tied together, and marched off to
prison. there TO be kept closely confined till
the sad business should be fully inquired into
and the cause of so dreadful riot ascertain
ed and fixed uron the guilty.
All that night. therefore. were the magis.
trates and police officers hard at work listen.
| Ing to evidence, but they did not advance a
single step in the business; now, nor for sew.
eral days after, Notwithstanding the great
impotence of the Rajah, TO whom they could
only report iiom time to time the hearing Of
nothing but the words, Cat. Dog"-" Cat
and Dog, -" Dog and Cat, -" Dog. %
- Cat. -
A very similar feeling, afro, was entertain
ed by the lawyers who were called in. and
who after intense application declared them
selves doubtful, rery doubttul-so much was
advanced and really to be said and supported
by various precedents, both on the side of the
cat and the dog, and consequently oil the own
er OF the Cat, aS well as the owner of the dog
and the partizans OF the owners of the dog
and cat-lnSomuch that the whole city was
split into most determined cat and dog FAC
tons; and all strangers that entered the gates
were Instantly absorbed in the dog and CAT
vortex, and whirled actually round and round
in this terrible fray, which every now and
then broke out with fresh fury. notwithstand-
ing all the Vigilance of the Raiah's guards
And yet even these valiant heroes were in
some degree infected. giving sly cuts at doc
or cat men, just as they themselves inclined
to support tile dog and cat question.
And so matters might have remained, ci
ther to the day of the final dcpopulation o.
Shorapor, or Doomsday itself, but for the wist
old Brahmin who had given such timely
warning to turn out the stranger
He had in reality been quietly chuckIing a
little, as many are wont to do who have livec
to see their prophesies first despised and ther
fulfilled; but his heart relenting he hasteneC
to the palace, and prostrating himself heior,
the Ralah, with his hands joined together, h,
thus spoke:
May be your sacrifice, o thou eater o
mountains and drinker of rivers have
petition to make i'll this matter of the cat ant
dog ~
1T shall be heard" replied the. Raiah.-
Thou art wise man; what dost thou say
-dog-cat-dog and cat, or cat and dog2-
FOr my own part | sill reSeryn my dnclSinn