The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-08-22

tight as he could run. He heard the
racket, and the little rascal took
short cut through the bushes and
beat me to 1t. When I painted up.
John was jumping up and down and
clapping his hands. | didn't blame
him. There was two OF the finest cats
YOU ever saw. The tracks showed
that the biggest one had been caught
first, and probably warned his mate
when she came near. but | suppose
the smell OF that meat was such a
temptation that she thought she'd try
it, and got caught just as he had.
I'VE sat down right there and talk
ed over It. told him of the profess
sor who wanted to buy animals for
the museum, so We concluded to tele-
graph him, and IL he wanted them, to
send them by express right away. j
helped him fix cages for 'em that
night, and drove him to Frankfort
the next day. They wired John that
they'd pay him hundred dollars for
the cats il they came up to his de-
scription. l took care that he should
get the Government prize of forty dol
lars, so we figured that the deal was
not bad one. We shipped them by
express-my cousin was the agent,
and only charged him a dollar and
fifty cents. We put 'em in an empty
car and sent 'em along, but it seems
that at the next station, the train be-
ing rather full, the agent loaded lot
of barrels and kegs in with 'em. The
next man who opened that car shut
it quicker than he opened it, l can
tell you.
Somehow in the skirmish O. load
ing, the cages were broken, and when
the agent opened the door, the first
thing he saw was Mrs. Cat, eyes big
as saucers, sitting on a key in one
corner, and Mr.. Cat in one end guard
ing the United States mail He start
ed to go in, But the critters growled
and showed their teeth so vicious,
that he slammed the door shut, lock-
ed the car, and sent it a-kiting to Gin
natl. He wired the professor to be
prepared to capture the cats in the
car. The railroad officials did a lot
of bowling, | heard, because he sent
that car hundred miles for nothing
when the car got into the city,
the men were waiting, but they wasn't
quick enough. The cats got out in
the railroad yards, and there wasn't
a train moved for three hours. They
couldn't get men to run them. Final
ly trainer from the Zoo came and
captured the cats with a lasso
There was a funny piece in the
paper. John has the picture yet. 1t
was an express agent, one hand on
his hip pocket, the other holding a
revolver. He stood looking at those
wild cats like he was bewitched. 1t
was funny. But it ended all right.
John got his money, and went to
school. Not many of the folks at
home thought he'd do much, but he
graduated and went to practicing law,
had the finest kind of luck, and he's
Governor Of the State to-day because
he was too plucky to stop for trifles.
He lived in the country, too, Tom
They boy who had listened to the
story grinned sheepishly. That's
pretty good story, grandfather-a lot
better than the ones you read in the
papers" he said. 81 guess dad is
right; there is plenty of things I can
learn here. He wouldn't buy me the
book, because he said he couldn't
spare the money. He does have a
hard time, so I guess I'll just go out
and snatch up enough berries to pay
for one. So long,"
And grandfather smiled as Tom
went whistling away-Western Chris
tian Advocate.