The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-09-17

my, my men TO set myself right with them, and to
maze them, II could, throw off that super
S'.H Sg about the cat l called them aft
VOW, said l, ''you needn't look fright
I ia" I'm not going to say anything about
,ni. nights affair. | agree to call it all a
n 1itSStake II you you will give up your foolish,
olu-wiyes' notion about my cat here. / saw
h Ky cat, because | am determined to take it
hollie with me, and leave it with my little girl
HIT MeIe. NOW, look at it; hasn't it the incest
th lace cat ever had! How can We believe
'her e, Is devil in the creature?"
Inc devil" said one, ''often hangs out the
prettiest tigureheads, sr.n
Wen,m said l, "that's true. But now,
you're sailors; you can't refuse shelter, and
you can't surely think i'll of a poor dumb
creature that was twice thrown into that sea,
ana as. twlee came back TO the old ship, and that
aleer al licked the hand that threw her out
ay, and-look clicks it now"
!, aooray for the Captainl'
put, my hearties," said |, " there's anoth-
81 u ghlng" And this was my strong point.
a., gu see that bark out there. She's called
ene Lily, and | believe she's the same as Snug.
Sleu tnls cat aboard of us. Now, has she
gained anything by losing the cat! When she's
peen caught in the same hurricane as we have,
ana she's come worse out of it; she's driven
ously.n N"N VI
They turned and looked at each other and
nouued; they evidently thought there was
something in it.
Wekeep the cat, then," said To whether
agreeds' ''''''
rM.Ay, ay, SIR"
1t was bad sea, but we lowered the boat as
we and the Lily approached; l particularly
wanted to go aboard of her. / got the basket
out in which pussy had come to us, replaced
her as we had found her, and put the empty
champagne bottles on top.
The crew of the Lily were dropping with IA
Lgue when we went aboard, but, Lord to see
when they saw us. Astonishment is no word
for it.
GOOD CODE he exclaimed. I" And you are
the Seamew?n
"And you are the Lilly;" said I. "That
was nl,e present you sent me. Ihave brought
back thebottles and the basket" and so say
ing, L uncovered pussy, who, to my amaze
ment, Jumped out at once and bounded Off
had only Intended to show the skipper she was
there. The poor man stared, his jaw dropped
and he SAINT down on a coil of rope, with his
head in his hands. uttering long, hopeless
groan.
Come, nv friend, cheer up,'' said.
We've almost nothing to eat" said he I;
we've been at the pumps two days, and now
that brute has come backl There's no use
standing by them any more; our voyage comes
to an end here, and down, down we go. We
might as well have kept the beast; the old
wretch's words have come true, and we finish
in the middle, as she said''
doubted his mind was wandering. "Come.n
said |, "bestil yourself and give orders.
There's no use staying by the ship any longer;
you must abandon her and come with me.n
=" What Leave the Lily! She's good old
ship, and she's my own; no, I'll go down with
her and that cursed cat. Take off the crew.
however, and I'll thank YOU"
| could not make I'm m mind tn +b;pl- hin,
deranged, and yet Just then the cat came
bounding along the deck with something in
her mouth, and all the hands paused and
stared. She put it in the basket at my feet
where she herself had lain, and again bounded
away. 1t was kitten and alive! The skip
per stared stupidity. Presently pussy returned
with another.
"That's what's done it,'' cried the skipper.
with gathering fury; "after l got rid of her
they were here, and | never knew it!n He
rosei in his rage, and, Selling a crowbar, would
have smashed basket and all, but he was easily
restrained and disarmed.
Let me have them," said I ''my little girl
will like them.n
WhatP' he cried, in something like an &C.
stacy of gladness. And you will take the
mother. tooW Then, becoming again despond-
ent, "but it's of no use, now. feel we are
going down"
Pussy had returned with her third kitten
Nao anu HUI DeSuU TO Durr WITH
delight and to rub herself round my leg, when
he reused himself and ordered all hands to
take to the boats. We stood by them in our
boat with pussy and her brood in the basket
on the stern-seat), waiting to give them a
towline to our ship. When all the hands were
in the boats there was pause. Was not the
skipper coming! No. "Cast off" The Lily
was settling down rapidly, and the crew cast
off with little concern. The shippers last act
was to launch with curse broken pulley
block at the basket in our stern, as we rowed
off. 1t just missed the boat and slashed into
the sea, The Lilywent down before we reached
the Seamew
Next day we had fair wind, and our crowd
ed ship crowded all sail and went merrily rae
ing, dipping and splashing for home In our
new, bright hopes of our voyage we all, |
think, felt rather ashamed of our dreadful sus-
picions of pussy. At any rate every one
showed the utmost tenderness and solicitude
for her and her two kittens.
How had the kittens been kept alive on the
Lily all that week. you ask. don't know,
but have heard of a rat playing the part of a
mother under similar circumstances, and am
certain there were rats in the Lily.-Belgravia.
Nha Rav VVnIP