Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-08-14

50 you We COAc W yOuI SeuscSs AS
muttered, with savage triumph. Bring
on the thousand, thenv'
"Yes-' hesitated Fred, as slowly
as he dared. "Yes-I'u get it for you
f-if you'll promise me my share
"You precious young rascal" The
robber started forward. There was a
fash, report, confusion of sounds
and the room seemed to whirl round
with Fred.
When his wits came back again, he
found himself standing just where he
had stood a few seconds before. He
was certainly alive and unhurt. But
the robber? Beyond the spread smoke
puff the boy saw a form lying motion
less at his feet, while nearby, Tom, the
big grocery cat, sat with his back up,
splitting at thin stream of blood that
crept over the floor.
Next moment the locked door was
violently shaken. Fred" shouted his
fathers voice. ''Open the door, Fred!
What's the matter?'
Fred ran to open the door. Mr.. Har-
kin's anxious face cleared, for he had
heard the shot, and feared some acci-
dent. Then he bent over the still un-
conscious form on the floor.
whats the matter?" he repeated.
ga burglar" stammered Fred, ex-
citedly, pointing to the open safe. Hes
got all the money!"
"Give me that rope" said his father.
"He's more stunned than hurt, guess.
Lay the revolver on the counter. Now
tell me just what has happened"
While the robber was being securely
bound, Fred described what had taken
place up to the point when the pistol
went off.
"But how came he to shoot him
self?" asked Mr.. Harkins. did he
stumble, or what?"
Fred's puzzled look changed to sud-
den comprehension. He burst out
laughing. "Why, that's just itv' he eX-
claimed. "It must have been Tom"
'Tom? l don't see how cat could
fire a pistol" said his father, laughing.
"Well, he could make somebody else
fire it, If twas already cooked" per-
sisted Fred. 81 know the first thing 1
saw afterwards was Tom splitting, with
his tail as big as two. l guess he was
asleep upon the shelf, and when the
man went for me it walked him up, and
he jumped down right in his face, and
then he jumped, too, and hit himself
instead" Fred hurried on, with a reck-
less confusion Of pronouns. Anyhow,
there was a big noise just before the
pistol went off," he added.
Him." said his father, who mean-
while had been 'emptying the robbers s
pockets. "Here, Fred, lock this money
up in the safe, and then run over for
Mr.. Greene. This fellow is going to
wake up before long"
Fred soon came back with their
neighbor Greene and Charlie into the
bargain. Charlie seemed to regard the
whole affair as a first-class entertain
ment.
Caught burglar." he repeated, in
delight. That's jolly sight better'n
my woodchuck"'
AS Mr.. Harkins thought, the desper-
ado was more stunned than hurt, the
wound proving very slight. When he
came to himself they put him, tied
hand and foot, into the team and took
him over to the county town to be
safely locked up. They learned after
wards that he was notorious crimi-
nal, whose appearance had assisted him
in all sorts of villainy. In fact, he
was evading arrest in distant State,
when he was suddenly brought to pun
ishment by Tomas Fred believes.
Mrs. Harkins believes SO, too. She
is convinced that the cat and nothing
else saved her boys life that night.
So nothing is too good for Tom, and he
is always sure of kind word and a
dainty morsel whenever she goes into
the grocery.
AS for Fred himself, he makes a
great pet of his companion in that STIR
ring adventure. Charley Greene and
he have rigged up red leather collar
with brass bells and have renamed
him "Thousand-Odd," in memory of
the scene in which he was the hero.
This has been shortened for convent
ence, and he is known simply as
"Odd." Only when Fred begins to talk
big" his father just says Thousand
Odd" and Fred subsidies at once!-In-
diana Farmer.