The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-16

"Say, Hump, if you amt one of the
luckiest boys in this world then I'll eat
my hat. L ma year older than you are,
and yet my father wouldn't have that
confidence in me. 1 tell you it takes a
noble boy to drown a cat. You can't
find it in the books that Washington or
Napoleon ever did 1t. The most they
ever did was to drown a rat in rat
trap. It's a terrible responsibility to
put on a boy Of your age. but you'll
go right through with it as slick as
grease. I'll come along.
Two minutes later the pair of them
met the Smith boy. who was carrying
home a can Of kerosene. and the Will
liams boy shouted at him:
you needn't be staggering along
because you have got a kerosene can
with a brass top. What dye 'spose
Hump Skinner has got in that bag ?"
"sawdust nothing! It's cat. and
he's going to drown her!"
Mol"
"Sure's you live and breathe. If you
want to come along he'll let you wit
ness her last struggles but you don't
want to try to boss the job. Hump is
the 1t, and we've got to mind him.
We amt no pumpkins beside him"
BY this time Hump was feeling the
dignity of his position and realizing
the temporary power that was his, but
he tried to act as if it was an every
day thing with him to carry old cat
to the river. The Watkins boy was
next picked I'D. He was out with his
goat. but when told of the cat in the
bag he gave Billy kick and started
him home and said:
What would this world be but for
such boys as Hump Skinner? If he
lets me go along he can have my gun
and throw stones at my goat"
The four were proceeding towards
the river, and the cat was miauling
and scratching at the bag, when they
came to the German saloon on the
corner. The saloonfst stood at the
door smoking his pipe, and as the
boys came up he asked:
"Do you hat something's in dot bag?"
I'VE do answered the quartet in
Sweil. I like to see him. Maybe it
vhas some children you hat abducted,
Ell. look in dot bag or 1 calls
ITS only our old cat.'' explained
"vheil vhas you do NIT your old
"Going to drown her. Father told
IF she vhas no good dot vhas all
right. but let see a leetle. Bring her
inside. If she must be drowned den 1
like to gif her glass of beer hrst-
Dots What like myself on my dying
bed. If she hat some beer she don't
be afriad to die"
The boys entered the saloon, and
afer drawing a glass of beer and
placing II on the DdI tic O-o man
reached down into the bag to lift the
cat out Her teeth were fixed in his
fingers when she emerged, and as soon |
as clear of the bag she leaDed on to |
the bar and from thence to the bottles !
behind 1t and ratified down and broke |
a dozen. She could not get out DOORS |
but she did ten dollars damage In
about five minutes. Then the old man.
who had been hopping around with MS |
bleeding fingers, cried out:
Put her in der bag und go AWAY |
some more ash fast ash you can! She |
vhas a cat mitout some gratitude. II |
/ hat a cannon I shoot her head on
IN one second"
After a dozen mugs and glasses had
been knocked down the cat was
captured and bagged. and the boys ran
two blocks without stopping. Then
they stopped because a big hoodlum of
& boy smoking the stub of a cigar he
had picked uD on the sidewalk. block
ed the way and cried out:
"Oh, no. but what have we here?
AIethfnks 1 see four boys and bag,
and If 1 mistake not the bag contains
some living thing. Villains. explain"
''It's a cat in the bag" replied Hum
"a feline. Ell. And where are thou
Transporting her to at this hour of the
dav? The truth. sirra-the truth, and
don't think to deceive me-
"Father told me to drown her. and
I'm takfne her to the river"
"Oh-hol The young varlet hath a
father, and the father hath no mercy
on cats? Gimme that bag. I am the
president of the society for the re-
lease Of captive yaller cats when on
their way to the realms of death, and
I cannot be interfered with
The bag was not handed over with
ctr the h00dliIm fin