The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-10-29

SIX W. a cat that was struggling
&EkSGExK back to conscious life,
PEBBLES having chloroformed her to
As the cat finally opened her eyes she
looked at Bob inquiringly, as if she
would ask: what is the matter with
me? l feel queer" The man, too,
looked inquiringly at the brute, as if he
would say: "Well, have you any re-
marks to make? I am listening"
The cat was not feeling well. She
still was dizzy from the effects of the
drug, her head ached, and there was a
peculiar feeling OF fulness in her
throat. So she looked at Bob PEBBLES
and gave vent to her emotion in a vocal
noise.
The animal was somewhat disap-
pointed and more surprised at the re-
suit of her effort She had intended to
express her feelings in a long-drawn
meow which would tend both to main
tain her established reputation as a
songster and to unsettle and agonize
the people of the neighborhood In
stead, the sound she made was a pro-
tracted and peculiar whistle. Her feel
ings were hurt, and she sat up to think
about the matter. Had the execrable
man deprived her of her gifts as a vo-
calist? She looked at PEBBLES reproach-
fully and beseechingly, and then tried
her voice again. Despair seized her;
whistle was the only result.
But if the cat was made unhappy by
this surprising exercise of her vocal or
gans, Bob PEBBLES was not. AS he lis
tened to the shrill MARBLE he seemed
fairly abandoned to bliss. He laughed
he threw his arms wildly in the air, he
got up and walked the room, laughing
all the time.
"All rightp' he said. 'That's all
right! You may not be much of
songster, my beauty, but guess you'll
do. Hereafter you'll necessarily live
on milk, but I'll live on the fat of the
land, Or I'm no prophet
The cat wildly clawed at her throat
and whistled in response, and, in his
happiness, Bob PEBBLES stopped and
Etroked her.
1t did not take long for the people of
Firesteel to learn that Mr.. PEBBLES had
a whistling cat. The quadruped her
self served as an advertising agent of
the fact. With her change of voice
had come no corresponding change of
her feline nature, and naturally she
still felt an inclination to join in mid
night concerts, and did so. At first she
showed some disposition to fall off
fences or housetops in her surprise at
the sound she emitted when she had
intended to make remark in choicest
cat language, but gradually she ap-
peared to come to the conclusion that
it perhaps was a bad cold that allied
her, and she let it go at that Still, it
was noticeable that she yet clawed at
her neck at odd times in an unsatisfed
and inquiring way.
On the morning after the first feline
concert in which PEBBLES cat Joined,
Tom Bowker met Bill Collins and said
to him:
Say, did you hear that queer noise
minglin' in the strains of the cat or
chestra last night-sort OF a cross be-
tween the croak of frog and the
Squawk of bluejay."
Eyes, heerd it," Bill responded, ''but
it seemed to be more like combination
Of the MARBLE of canary an the
dyin' gasp of a locomotive"
This brief conversation gives fair
idea Of the attitude of the populace to-
ward this nightly phenomenon, but as
the people learned that Bob PEBBLES &C
tually had a whistling cat surprise
merged in quiet and persistent curiosity
and a constant stream Of sightseers
haunted his dwelling.
But, although Mr.. PEBBLES whistling
cat was recognized popular success
he himself did not appear to be entire
" satisfied with her efforts. He sat in
the sunshine by his house one day and
watched the cat as she washed herself
after the manner OF her species. AS he
watched, he thought, and at last his
thoughts were expressed in a mono
logue.
LOU w NcA G1Ougu IOT dU ANA
teur,' he said, addressing the cat, 'but
i don't believe you'd be worth a whoop
as a professional. Now, if you could
whistle some notes-not necessarily a
time, but enough notes to make a
pIeasin' variety"
Bob PEBBLES stopped talking. After
a moment of reflection he arose, went
over to the cat, and, on his index
finger, took some measurements of her
throat.
81 b'lieve." he said, 'sthat by using
longer tube ] could get room for bout
three or four notes."
Then he took the cat upon his arm,
and with a fr0wn of reflection upon
his brow went into the house.
Three days later a wave Of excite
ment overrnn Firesteel at a report
brought in by Sile Stewart.
"A mob of CATS" he,said, started up
a concert outside of my window last
night, an was preparin' to applaud
them with stovehook when noticed
some peculiar sounds, an there stood