The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-22

fe1lers all knew that the poor kitty was
a goner.
We was sorry for the cat. too, and
thought twas pity that it had a ra W
hide. but our Mas had always told us
that children were. happier when they,
played with toys they made themselves.
Just about this time the very Old Nick
got IN me- for up and said: We
might shut him up In the cellar with
Jumbo and sick Jumbo on him..
.'Shut who UP In the CELLAR" asked
all the fellers. making believe they. didn't
know what was talking about.
The tomcat.'' said I, but somehow I
was sorry the minute that word 'tomcat'
dropped out my mouth Just then. jun
bo, who had been chasing our next
door neighbours ppminicker rooster. out
lie. loskin' at him. said !. We'll. old pard-
ners. we'll do ii Tomorrow after school"
All, children. I'm ashamed to tell the
rest. It's awful. Ben he stole piece
o. fhis Mas beefsteak next day and by
saying kitty. kitty kitty" in a real
sweet voice. managed to catch the tom-
cat Then we an went down to thu Gel.
lar with Jumbo, who was a. putin and a.
BLOWN like a steam milne and a-frisk-
Ing and ava gging his tan like he had
taken foolish powders. It's a. tprribnl
thing to watch e. cat die, children. and
to see Its green eyso. shinin' In the dark
and to hear Its meowin', and Its
erowlin' and moan1n'. It live to be-
ems, thousand years Old, Tn never sotn'
10 help kill another cat But Jumbo
didn't mind and he didn't take long
nsither, thank goodness, When twas al
over, we boys was 50 sneeptsh that We
OF baseball again. Even Charlie was
'mopylikeG but he acted as peart as he
could and say: Now, pardners. lets peel
the pussy and get the rawhide." This
in ter-est-ed US. SO we all went to work
to help. skin the tomcat and get our base
ball cover SHINING a cat isn't half as
much fun as you would think. It's so
bloody. and sticky. and greasy; and
when you get the skin off the head, the
cats eyes look like great big glass agates,
and stare at you awful-likc and keep
watchin' you every way you turn. The
meat part Is somethin' like a. skinned
rabbit ceptin' that the kltty's eyes Is
four times as big and mighty skeery,
specially II you have killed the cat. ~ We
boys did't know whether We was glad
or sorry bout It oil. On the SLY some
OF us was sorry the tomcat hadn't had
nine lives. but to tell the truth we wore
proud Of gettipgs a piece Of rawhide.
Charlie said the skin would have 70 ne
In soak like pickles for a little while
and that It might smell little. but we
mustn't mind So we all rushed of to
supper 'thout even takin' time to wash
cur hands, after we had thrown tho meat
part OF the cat out In the back alley.
/ didn't tell Ma what we had been dom.
! though she was mighty sniffy and kinder
watch me out the corner OF her eye. That
night when got tucked IN my trundls
bed and the light was turn down, got
to thinkin' bout that tomcat and how
he jump whom Jumbo tackle him: and
how his great big green eyes shine In
tho dark; and how he meow; and
how Jumbo snap at him; and hbw the
cats insidss kinder ratified when he died,
This more thought the bigger that
catsseyas kept settin, and the f}rst thins
! knowed there want nuthin' but eyes
shinin' everywhere IN the dark Ike spots
on g. peacock 8 tail, When tuck my
| head under the kyer, plague II them
ey,> didn't set az bis az saucers and