Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-12-16
The Lawyers and the Cat.

Two Arkansas lawyers were domesti
Gated ~ rude hotel of country town
The hotel was crowded, and the room al.
loted to or two heroes was also occupied
by SIX or eight others. Shake. down
beds, enough o accommodate the gusts,
were disposed about the room, against
the four walls, leaving an open $. ace 10
tue center of the apartment.
Judge Clark lay with bis head to the
north, on one side, and Judge Thomas
lay with his head to the south, on the
other side of the room. So far as that
room was concerned, it might be said
that their heads represented the north
and south poles. respectively. 81
All the other beds in the room were
occupied. The central part of the room
was deemed neutral ground, in which
the occupants Of the different beds had
equal rights. Here, in picturesque con-
fusion. lay the boots, hats, coats and
breeches Of the sleepers. There were no
windows. aud though the door was open,
there being no moon, the night was very
dark in that room.
The willy lawyers, who had been OPP
posing counsel in case tried in the town
court that day, and had opposed each
other with the contumacy of wild pigs
were now the very incarnation of meek
ness, for when the hungry swarm of mos
quitoes settled down and bit them on
one cheek, they slowly turLed the other
to be bitten also.
Shark hush bark p
A deep sound strikes the ear like ris-
ing knell!
.'Me ow owr' as
Judge Clark and Thomas were wide
awake, and sitting bolt upright in an in
slant. ~
Again the startling cry!
"Ye ow, ye-ow|
There's id cat!" whispered
Clark.
"Scat, your Kissed Thomas.
Cat paid no attention to these demou-
STATIONS, but gave vent to another yowl.
"Oh, Lordp cried Clark, 81 can't
stand this! Where is she, Thomas?"
"On your side of the room somewhere"
replied Thomas.
mo, she's on your side" said Clark.
"Ye .ow -ow-ow"
'There, 1 told you she was on your
side," they both exclaimed tn breath.
And still the "yowl!" went on.
The idea now entered the heads Of
both of the lawyers, that by the exercise
of certain strategy they nigh be enabled
to execute a certain flank movement on
the cat, and totally demoralize him.
Practically each determined to file ga
motion to quash" the cats attachment for
that room.
Each kept bis plan 10 himself, and, in
the dark, unable to see each other, pre-
pared for action.
Strange as it may appear, it is never
theless true, that the same plain suggest
ed itself to both. In words, the plan
would be about rs follows:
The yowler is evidently looking and
calling for another cat, with whom he
has made an appointment. will imi-
tate cat, and this cat will think t'other
cats around. This cat will come toward
me, and when he shall have arrived with.
in reach, I'll blaze away with any thing
I can get hold OF, and knock the new
sic out Of him.
So each of the portly judges, noiseless,
ly as craem comes to the surface of the
milk, hoisted himself onto his hands and
knees, and, hippopotamus fashion adyanc
ed to the neutral ground occupying the
central portion OF the room. 0
Arrived there, Judge Clark selected
boot jack, and Judge Thomas a heavy
COW hide boot from the heap, aud settled
themselves down to the work. s,e
Clark frightened his grip on the boot
jack, throwing up his head gave vent TO a
prolonged and unearthly "Ye-ow-ow"
that would have reflected credit upon ten
of the largest kind of cats.
"Aha" thought Thomas, who was not
six feet, away, "hs's immediately close
around. Now I'll inveigle him p and he
gave the regular dark night call of a
feminine cat.
Eacn ot the Judges now advanced a
little closer, and Clark paoduced ques-
tioning "Ow owr
Thomas answered by a reassuring
"Pur-ow pur-ow!'' and they advaced
little more.
They were now within easy reach,
and each imagining the cat had but
moment more to live, whaled away, the
one with bis boot, the other with his
boot jack. .... NJ.
The boot took Clark square ia the
mouth, demoralising his teeth, and the
boot, jack came down on Thomas's bald
head just as he was in the midsl of q
triumphant "Ye-owp @tis3t
When lights were brought the cat had
disappeared, but the catastrophe was in