The Washington herald., 1908-06-21
Cat, Who Jumps Like Scat,
Can Sail Steamer, Too.
CANNON GoBBLED BY WHALE
Not the Worst of This sad Tale.
Octopus Steals Engine Room, and
Crew Gives Up to Coming Doom.
But Tabby Loco saves the Day in
Brand-new Misunderstanding Way.


and old. bu: his eye still twinkled and
his voice yet had the ring of man who
has fought his way about the world.
Noticing the strangers look az the anil
nal that lay in the back part Of the shop,
with one eye half closed. the old shop
keeper turned reminiscent eye back that
way and nodded.
LOCO. calls him." he said. that bein'
short for locomotive. i'm bein' a powerful
cat
He's the only cat now in existence
wot as the proud record of saving a ship
from pirates all by himself" he con-
tinued. as the customer sat down.
Loco stirred slightly, az II he heard this
comment. rose half way from the floor.
stretched his long legs so that the mus
cIes-such muscles as never were seen on
a cat before-came out slowly. and then
once more subsided into a semi-sleep.
1T must have been thirty year ago.
wen was a-sailin on the revenue cutter
Baron Munchausen, that Loco saved us
all from sure death at the hands OF
bloodthirsty pirates.
I'VE had been out two months. with
never a sign Of a pirate. wen one mornin'.
bright and early. the cap'n sights n low
lyin' bark with steam rig-out two points
off the>starboard bow.
All Hearts Not Black.
We'll. 10 shorten sail bit. the schoon-
er proved 70 be the Gay Paree, manned
by that black-hearted pirate, Johnny Jim
son. and 300 other pirates. whose carts
We're just a little less black. cause they
hadn't been IN the business so long.
The cap'n beln a young man and hot
on the chase. soon got near enough to
send a shot from one Of our guns acrost
the pirates bow. Nary a heave-to for
Johnny Jimson. Instead. he sent one
back wot knocks off a bit OF our bow
spirit into the sea.
Well. the cap'n was giyln' the order
to fire once more, when big whale stuck
his nose over the side Of the Baron
MunChausen and gobbled down that gun,
with its whole bloomin' crew. We after
ward found out that he was a pet whale
that had been adopted by Jimson when
quite young and trained 10 eat cannon.
Put on full steam ahead and ram
HI out OF him" shouts the capn wen
he sees wot's goin' on.
The Baron showed her nose into the sea
and began to hum. We was a-goin' right
for the Gay Paree. maxim the water boil.
wen a giant octopus puts one of his
feeleTs over the bow, sticks II down into
the engine-room and lifts the engines. still
worldn'. right out Of the cutter.
"A shout from the pirates makes all OF
us feel pretty sick. and We as visions
Of the yardarm and the plank, for jim
sons repute amt none too good. wen a
bright idea hits me IN the head. sort OF
suddint like.
Must IA Been store Teeth.
"All the while the Gay Paree Is crowdin'
us closter and closter. till we could see
the gleamin' teeth Of Jimson shinin' out
like a lighthouse.
quick as a flash. ! runs below and
finds Loco ourled up. asleep on a bunk
I'm not bein much interested in pirates
and thinkin' heap more Of is beauty
sleep. Putin me arms around i'm, / car
ries I'm on deck.
Ere, says I 70 the cap'n. rs Were
we fools the pirate crew.
'Wots that kind Of talk. man7 roarS
the cap'n IN a loud voice i'm bein' a little
hurt 10 think OF wot misfortune as befel
i'm.
Begin your pardon. sir. for bein' 81
disrespectful and suddint like, says 1
but 'eres the bloomn' engine wot's goin
To save us all
Not waitin' no longer for the cap'n tC
speak. l carefully 'ands Loco over TO 3
sailorman standin' near. with his moutf
open like the Tidal Basin. runs 20 the
mainmast, grabbin' hammer, a piece OF
meat and some nails at the same time
and yellin for the cook to bring som,
grease I'm a 'urry.
II shns up the mast in no time tacks
the meat right in the center Of the sail
and smears the grease all around IT,
Let go belowl' l bawls. and the sailor
man wot's holdin' Loco looses I'm.
Loco Goes Into Action.
We'll. / ad seen that animal bumT
into an elefunt onct and knock I'm over
wen he spied a nice-lookln' fly on top OF
is back. but never really seen I'm II
action till that day
The first time he jumped clean from
the deck, about forty feet and hit tha
sail square In the middle. II bulsed on
like a balloon. That stroke carried "
1000 feet. by eye measurement
After that II was easy. We all Just sa
down on the deck and watched Loco trl
20 get that meat. You see, every time h,
jumped he would get TO the right place
all right but the grease kept I'm from
gettin a foOthold. and he slipped back. t,
try again.
The Cay Paree was most on US wei
we started Loco worSln', but In five min
utes she was just as big as mans 'ant
IN the rear.
Il suppose we'd been goln' yet. o
wrecked some'ers, If an accident hadn'
han ana WNrr
east wen Loco started In. and in abou
twelve hours we was in sight Of the ives
coast OF Africa. wen Loco happened L
think out a new way.
He Just stopped jumpin' VILE we wa
all asleep and climbed up that mast
After he ct that meat you couldn'
make I'm act as a engine any more.
LucICy n Tug Happened Along.
oh yes; we got 'ome all right Towe
back all the way.
Loco jumpin' any moro now? No >
'ad a sad accident some years ago. II
was runnin' around down by the Wash
ington Monument one day wen e see
one Of his favorite kind OF flies half wa
up the shaft.
''E jumps as usual and gets the n
all right, but the monument amt got n
give In It like a sail or a elefunt. and
strains Is Observation-Disclosures is jumr
IN muscles. He amt jumped much sine,
Pretty old for a cat. since that 'apper
ed thirty year ago. Yes. he is pretty ole
but, you see, e amt never took a drin
il OF liquor nor used tobacco I'm any form
Mebbe that's wot did IT," and the sailor
man chuckled as the customer departed.
VIII Select Works of Art.
Berlin June 9o-The roinIstr,. 90 ii,