Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-17
The Argus Daily Story
Luck of the Cross Eyed Cat-By Clarissa Mache.
Copyrighted by

They looked upstream where the
white foam dubbed around mass OF
tumbling logs. 1t was a great sight.
especially when log was tossed twen-
ty feet in the air to come crashing
down upon its fellows in the water.
The two men were so interested in the
sight of the approaching logs that they
did not realize ut first what had hap
pened when PeterSon's voice was meg
aphoned across the river.
jam there" he yelled. "Jam!"
Sabin looked. II was true.
Across the river directly In front of
them and at its narrowest point the
logs had jammed into a wall that mo-
mentarily grew wider as more logs
were added as they foated down.
Somewhere in that maze OF tree
trunks was one log that formed the
key TO the situation. Locate that log
and pry it loose and the wall would
he broken. Then the rest of the drive
would follow like fock OF sheep.
Sabin frowned and swore a little.
There was q chorus Of Indignant yells
as suddenly there broke from the
woods on the west bank OF the river a
lean, black streak that shot out in one
flying leap and landGR on one of the
logs that formed the lower end OF the
barrier.
''The cross eyed cat yelled Peterson
through the megaphone. Then he
danced angrily up and down as he
continued: II knew it would bring us
bad luck, Mr.. Sabin. If | can borrow
a gun I'd like to knock it into flinders!
May To-
Don't be a fool, Peterson" shouted
back his employer. "One of you fell
lows get out there and start that jam.
and l guess the cat will get all that's
coming to him."
There was a moments conference
among the men on the west bank. and
then Peterson leaped to the nearest of
the closely packed logs and made his
way cautiously toward the outer edge
of the Jam. He carried a gun.
All at once the mmbermen met with
another surprise. From the. same
point in the woods from whence had
come the cross eyed cat there darted a
girls slender form. She wore a red
cloa':. and red knitted cap was toss
ed on the back of her wind blown
dark hair. She looked neither to the
left or right. Her gaze seemed trans
fixed upon the small black form of the
cross eyed cat and the gun in Peter
sons hand.
Almost on the heels of Peterson she
leaped fearlessly to the floating logs
| and then darted from one to another
| until she painted close behind Peter
sons big form. The boss lumberman
on the shore watched her with panic
stricken eyes. If the jam should break.
as it might any instant. what chance
would that frail girl have among the
! grinding logs? Peterson. big and
strong as he was. realized that he was
taking a chance in trying to break the
! jam.
Coward" cried the girl. her voice
ringing clearly above the boiling of the
! water among the logs AS she spoke
she snatched Peterson's gun from his
nerveless hand and flung it into the
stream. Then she leaped to the enor-
nous pine log on which the cross eyed
cat sat and clnsped the uncanny crea-
ture in her arms. Then she arose and
for the first time seemed to realize the
| situation.
Her life was not worth an instant's
purchase if the jam broke. She turned
terror stricken eyes toward Peterson.
who INDUCED in one of his fierce dts
of anger, laughed contemptuously at
her and leisurely picked his way over
the logs. pretending to scrutinize each
one-searching for the key log that
would break the jam.
Sabin watched the two for one long
! minute. Then. with an indrawn breath
of mingled rage and fear he set his
foot on the nearest log and went to
the rescue of the girl. AS he lifted her
fainting form in his arms. together
with the black cat. which she still car
ried wrapped in the folds of her red
cloak, he left the great pine log on
which the cross eyed cat had deigned
TO sit. Sabin's foot had barely left the
log when it shivered slightly.
The key log-she's breaking now"
shouted Sabin and raced for the near
est shore.
AS he stumbled up the river bank
with his double load of lovely girl and
cross eyed black cat there came "a
crashing boom from the river as the
jam broke and the logs went thunder
ing down to their destination.
After beautiful Maisie Woods had
departed for home with her lost pet
yes, the cross eyed black cat-big Pc
terson approached the lumber boss
shamefacedly enough.
Il suppose youll want me to hand
in my time, sir" he muttered. ITS all
the luck OF that cross eyed cat'
Nonsense" returned Sabln brightly.
a happy light in his dark eyes "Stay
on. Peterson, and try TO remember that
the cross eyed cat broke the jam. after
all. II anybody can show me better
mascot than cross eyed black cat I'd
like to be shown"
After Sabin had married Maisie
Woods and had become part owner %
the black cat they understood what he
meant