Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1855-07-05
A sHY~AT THE CATS.


We stated, long time ago. that there
would be trouble some moonlight night
among the cats that congregate on the long
shed in the rear of our dwelling. We gave
notice that we had wasted more wood on
them than we had been able to spare-that
we had used up all the brickbats that we
could lay our hands on-that we had thrown
away something less than ton Of coal-and
had smashed in window on the opposite
block. All this proving of no avail, we said
We had got double-barreled gun and per-
cussion caps, and powder and shot; and
some morning after moonlight night.some
body's cat wouldn't come home to breakfast,
or if it did it would be troubled with the
dumps. We gave fair notice of our grew
ances, and what We intended to do about
them.
Well, the moon came up on Monday night
with her great round face, and went walking
up the sky with queenly step, throwing her
light, like mantle of brightness. over the
whole earth! We love the calm Of a moon
light night, in the still Spring time, and the
cats of our part Of the town love it too; for
they come from every quarter-fiom the
sheds around the National Garden-from
the kitchens and the stabIes-creeping steal
thily and softly along the tops Of the fences,
aud along the sheds, and clambering up the
boards tina, lean up against the out-buildlngs
they sat themselves down in their old try
sting place-right opposite our chamber
window. If cat wishes to take quiet
walk by moonlight = if he chooses to go out
for his pleasure or his profit. i, is no particu-
lar business Of ours, and we haven't word
to say. Cats have rights, and we have no
disposition to interfere with them. But they
mus, keep the peace. They must get up no
disorderly meetings, no unlawful assemblies.
If they choose to hold convention, they
can do i, for all us-but they must go about
it decent!y and in order. They must talk
matters over calmly there must be no riot
ing, no fighting. The must refrain from the
use of profane language-they must not
swear. There's law against all this. and
we warned them long ago that we would
stand no such nonsense. We said we'd let
drive among them with double-barreled
gun loaded with powder and duck shot. and
we meant it. But those cats didn't believe
a word we said. They didn't believe we
had any powder OF shot; they didn't believe
We had any gun, or knew hos 10 use it If we
had. And one great Maltese with eyes like
tea plates and tall like Bologna sausage)
grnned and spu,,ered. and spit in derision
and defiance at our threats. "Very WELL"
said we. "very we'll, Mr.. Tom Cat, very
well, indeed! On your head be it. MIR.
Tom Cat Try it on. Mr.. Thomas Cat, and
see who will get the worst Of it,"
We said the moon came up on Monday
night with her great round face and all the
little stars hid themselves as it ashamed of
their twinkle in the splendor of her superior
brightness. We retired, after the baby had
been put TO sleep in his crib, and the rum.
BILE Of the carriages and carts had ceased in
the streets. and the scream Of the 10 o'clock
train had died away into silence, with quiz
ct conscience. and in the confidence that we
should find that repose to which one who
has wronged no man during the day is justly
entitled.
1t may have been eleven o'clock. possibly
midnight, when we were awakened from
PHEASANT slumber by babel of unearthly
sounds in the rear Of our chamber. We
knew what those sounds meani-they had
cost us fuel enough to have lasted us week
We raised the window, and there. as of old,
right opposite us, on the north end of that
long shed, was an assemblage Of all the cats
In our part Of the town.
We won't be precise as to numbers, but
it is our honest belief that there were less
than 300 OF them; and II one among them all
was silent, we didn't succeed in discovering
which it was. There was that same old
| Maltese, with his great saucer eyes and
sausage tail /; and over against him sat a
monstrous brindle; and off at his right WAS
an old spotted rat,er; and on his left was
one, black as a VOLTS mouth, all but his
eyes, which glared with a sulphurous and
urd brightness; and dotted all around ,over
space Of thirty feet square. were dozens
more Of all sizes and coIors--and such
growing, and splitting, and shrieking and
swearing, never before broke, with hideous
dscord. the silence of the night,
We 10 'ded our double.barreed gun by
candle-light. we pu, plenty Of powder and
handful of shot into each barrel. We ad.
lusted the caps carefully. and stepped out
Of the window upon the narrow roof upon
which it opens. We were then just eighty
rods from the cat convention, and we ad.
dressed ourself to the chairman (the old
| Maltesel in distinct and audible voice,
and cried "Sca.l'' He didn't recognize
| our HHHt W tHe H"pI. out "eut ilShe ""
with the business OF the meeting. ''Scat
cried we again. more cmphaticaliy than be
fore, bu, were answered by an extra shrek
from the chairman. and fercer scream
from the whole assembly. " Scat once =
cried we again. as we brought our gun to 2
present. "Scat twice!' and We aimed
straight at the chairman, and covering hall
a dozen others in the range. "Scat three
,imes!'' and we let drive. Bang! went
/ the RICH, hand barrrl-a.d bang! went the
left hand barrel. Such scampering, such
leaping off the shed, such running away
over the caves of the out buildings, ove'
the tops Of the wood sheds were never seer
before. The echoes Of the firing had hardly
died away when the whole assemblage was
broken up and dispersed.
"rhomas," said we, next morning, te
the boy who does chores for Us, - There
seems to be cat asleep out on that shed
go up and scare it away. Thomas ella n
bered upon the shed and went up TO wher.
tina, cat lay and lifting it up by the tail
haIioed back to US, "This cat can't be wa
ked up i, can't be scared away-its dead;'
After examining it a moments somebody