The evening times., 1900-06-30
YARNS CONCERNING CATS.
ShreUd Sense Possessed by Members
of Feline Families.
(FrOm the New York sun

(FrOm the N,w York sum
1t is small wonder the old Egyptians del
fed and mummified cats. Even in these
times puss is a mighty uncanny bundle of
fur. claws. and antipathies Occasionally,
but only occasionally, she has also sympa-
thies.
Beyond all other animals her affection is
capTiciOus and time-serving. One pam
pered tortoise shell tyrant always mani
tested the most siIKen and lofty indifier-
enCe for her owner, except upon the GAYS
when he said casually. i think / shall 90
I fishing" No matter what she was dong,
tapping cream or washing her face in q e
sunshine, as soon as she heard that she
ran TO him, rubbed herself against his legs
and set up loud purring- She seemed to
know where he had gone and watched for
his return, often meeting him at the outer
gate, half a mile from the house II a
string Of perch and trout dang ed az his
saddle bow, she ran before him TO the doCr
mewing delight II he had been un.ucay
after one long. disdainful stare. sne skunk
on into the woods and was invisible III Il
! the next day Unless she got at once her
I MI Of FISH il was hardly worth while TO
dream CT having any for breakfast the next
morning. They were kept in the ice house
some distance away from the kitchen, and
try as the cook might 70 f2s,eu IL securely,
the marauding tortoise she'll comm on y
AANALAtA lALI pldlAtl sD-l4t NAAL-E III me
Then il was beautiful 10 see the looz Of
meekIy iHsOlent innocence she wore the
next morning
Another cat, q grey jige- striped grimal-
kin. loved fsh quite as wen but disdained
10 depend on stealing for the qualification
OF her taste. She became g fisherman on
her own account small creek ran
through her home plantation. and at one
point in il an elm tree sent 4 long root out
t z of nd
suckers haunted The pool, especially when
the stream got low. The grey cat would
crouch upon the root FOR half a day al a
time. as mOtiouless as the wood itself. eyes
seemingly closed tail tucked snugly at
one side, the pattern OF sleepy content
Then maybe d midge or beetle dropped in
10 the stream and and an incautiOus fish
darted 10 seize IT, He Vas quick. but the
grey c. { was quicker. In a wink she had
hiI. n her claws. dragged him TO the bank
in sr'te Of his fOunde-iIgs. and deyoured
! him with ferOcious delight
Syll she was not without STRINGS Of
generosity There was a little boy on the
plantation who played With her on her DAYS
on, and sometimes gave her a minnow Of
his own catching It fell out one spring
Just as dOgwOocs were in blossom. when
as all the world knows. IS the witching
time for fishing. that the little fellow hurt
his foot. and was kept a prisoner in his
chair through fortnight. One day the
grey cat leaped through the window and
laid hsh, half eaten. AZ HIS feet, looking
up at him the while with anxious eyes and
waving an enquiring tail.
This is the feline way OF asking ques-
/ tiOns. especially about its own conduct.
waving the tail from SIDE 10 side. A very
big black puss loved 10 fight and catch
rats as .eell as any terrier. She vas afraid
Of 10 rat that ever had a hole and gave
her days and nights 10 battling with them
But she never so much as gnawed one OF
her captives. She killed scientifically. By
a quick crunch az the back OF the neck.
Her fayO-ite hunting ground was round
about the corn cribs where rats were very
plenty and very fat. II was no uncommon
thing for her 20 finish seven big fellows
in a night. When they were dead she
lugged them all carefully 20 the house, a
distance Of 200 yards. laid them upon the
back steps and set Up mewiug that would
not be QuiPted until her master came out.
counted the dead rats and praised a1d pet
ted Eer scr her good nights work Then.
AID then only. her tail ceased from war-
ing. she pushed the vermin dislainly aside
with fore foot and went In 10 doze OF
/ the rug aud wait for breakfast
Another plantation cat vas deprived Of
I all her kittens but one In the NOR. Ing.
/ IN the afternoon her young master brought
| In three very young squirrels captured in
I the clearing lie laid the little erlms 6
4 down on the rug in front Of the fire. say
I ing something about being sorry the nest
! in his mouth when the bereft cat caught
I up one squirrel and dsrted of With IL TO
/ the box that held her remaining kitten.
! In a minute she came back fer the sec
| ord and then for the third. When all
were safe in the box she remained in
visible until morning. Her owners thought
{ she had supped on the tender squirrels
! They found out that instead she tai
I adopted the orphans In a week the little
| wcodlanders we're fTiskiEg ahou; the fo1r
/ tanner than the kitten and much NOR &C
/ tive. Trouble and fun began when Trey
were big enough TO go cut doors. e
| yard vas full OF very tall trees o ks d
I hiCkOTies. up and down which the fou- l.
| lings scampered in the Wf7d dest gIee. I
was both odd and pitiful 10 gee the ark
/ ious cat running about on the ground look
ing UP at them, and mewing piteous re-
! calls. which did no good at all. Once OF
| twice she rescrted to heroic measure rsu
up the trees herself and souadly cuffed he
! truants.
But. though she could climb as well az
any squirrel OF them all, she did not like
! the exercise. so after while she let the
| ingraJes go their own way. When they
! were OF tnS BI6HuC sES ITlel very harG 70
F! make kittens Of them. TO teach them to cat
| mice to catch them. % wash their faces
| properly. and sleep on their heads But
! when she discovered them eating nuts and
/ birds eggs she washed her paws of them
| possibly wishing that in the beginning she
| herself had eaten them.
| Negroes believe firmly that cats can see
the souls of dead bodies pass from the
bodies The belief is possibly grounded on
! the fact that cats are stirred 20 unusual ex-
! citement by the presence OF a corpse II
| happens sometimes in country houses
| which have been catless for months, that
as soon as death takes place there Is fe-
| line invasion. The cats leap inside through
| windows ten feet from the ground watch
for the opening Of doors, and dart through
| them like a fash. Once inside they e
straight to the death chamber, however re-
mote, 10 stand at the door Of it bristline
| and mewiRg until driven away
AN APE as A SERVANT.