The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-12-30
How Dan Cauah the Kitten.

How Dan Caught the Kitten.
Dan had set out to catch the black
kitten. Now this is something which
had never yet been done, which was, in
fact, the main reason why Dan wished
to do it.
The birthplace oil these kittens had
been snug, warm corner OF the hay
loft; but, In their tender infancy, the
black cat, jealous of Dams frequent
visits to her nursery, had secretly con-
veyed them to hiding-place out of the
way of the boys, under the barn floor.
This worried Dan good deal. 1t wasn't
that he cared so very much about the
kittens, but he hated to have the cat
get ahead of him. One by one, after
many daring adventures and hair
breadth escapes, he had caught all the
kittens but the black one. He was not
n cruel boy, though he was rathera mis-
chievous one, and the kittens, finding
that he only gave them little rough
usage, and after that was pretty sure to
treat them to a saucer of milk, gradually
learned to rather like him.
All but the black kitten. She still
held out. No persuasion, no flattery,
y
| her. Day by day, as she scudded across
his pathway, always with blaze of
green lightning in her eyes, aud q ter
rife splitting and frothing at the mouth,
| Dan had matched his skill against hers
| to no purpose. Ii he climbed the hay
loft i'll pursuit of her, she fled to the
high beams in n twinkling, and if he pa
tiently pursued her thither at the peril
of his bones, she would claw her wayup
the rafters to the far-away peak of the
roof, and there hold herself till he was
tired waiting for her to come down.
There wasn't a nook about the place
that she didn't know as well as Dan did
to know them better was impossible
and she had decidedly the advantage OF
him in size and speed.
"If L only was a weasel, said Dan,
"Fd catch her, I'll bet. But you see
| she's smaller'n L am, and she knows it,"
"Why don't You catch her III trap?"
said Fred, Dams elder brother.
81 did catch her in box-trap once"
replied Dan, "but she got out quicker'n
you could say Jack Robinson"
''Knock her over with stone, then,
said Fred.
'I don't went to kill her." replied
Dan, Indignantly, 81 want to catch her.
But fortune smiled on Dan at last,
Sister Bell had gone to Aunt Rays to
spend the afternoon, taking the baby
with her, and Huldah the hired girl,
| had run over to neighbours. The
kitchen was clear, and Dan, being hun
cry, had gone TO the closet to get
piece of bread and butter. OF course,
L L II "a L L.. l. Il. 4
pantry door wide open, after which he
had gone out under the apple tree,
where he was busy rigging a boat to
sail upon the pond. Now the black
kitten had a curiosity to peep into the
kitchen and pantry, from which as she
had learned came milk and other good
les not to be found in the barn. Slowly
and stealthily, therefore, she edged her
way along keeping close under the shell
ter of the fence, one eye on Dan and one
on the kitchen door. She hadn't gone
in this way rod before Dan saw her.
But Dan had not skirmished with the
cats so long for nothing. He had
become wise in all the arts of cats.
"Just you wait, my lady gray" he
said to himself, It'll L get you fairly
into that kitchen and the door shut on
you. Well see then who'll come out
ahead"
So Dan went on rigging his boat, or
pretending to. He even turned himself
around SO that he could but just see the
kitchen door with one eye over his
shoulder. The kitten, cheated by his
and quickened her pace, till at last, with
two or three light leaps, she reached the
kitchen steps. Dan then became more
basily engaged in boat-rigging than ever.
The kitten stood upon the threshold
and peeped and peered, and worked her
whiskers back and forth. But the
kitchen was still Not mouse stirred.
Only great blue fly buzzed on the
window pane, and kittie was not afraid
of flies.
Softly at last she crossed the thresh-
old. Still Dan waited. He knew that
pan of milk covered with nice, thick
cream stood just within the pantry
door, and that wicked boy coolly calcu-
lated upon her making her way to that
tempting spot. Then, when her tongue
was well tickled, and her whiskers well
smeared with the cream, he would spring
lightly and softly to the doorstep, close
the door behind him, and then
eff L don't catch that black kitten
this time" he said to himself, Il don't
deserve ever to catch her."
He went to work cautiously. He
stopped and took off his shoes and stock
ings then he stepped as softly as the
cat herself, taking care not to tread
upon twig or leaf, whose cracking
might betray him. He went up the
steps on tip-toe, taking long and careful
strides. He crossed the threshold He
shut the door And there was the cat,
her whiskers colored beautiful cream
color, as he had anticipated, and her
red tongue tapping up the cream With
great haste. But the shutting of the
door frightened her. One quick glance
showed that she was a prisoner and her
enemy near, aud then the fun began.
The kitten sprung to the top shelf,
but Dan knew the way to the top shelf
very well himself, for it was there that
pies were put to keep them out of his
way. and bowls of jelly that had been
partly used. In fact, there was dish
of boiled custard there at that moment,