Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-01-07

Maybe you don't remember that It's
not healthy to lie tc The judge with all the
people round listenin' to the story you
tell. Go way and leave me be, Joe La
bouche u
"So-o-o-o-ol You could have turned
the tables easy enough if you had wanted
TO; but you Swore me into prison, into
the black hole OF prison at Thomaston,
and there have been tor twenty years.
We-e-ell, Barty, that was long time ago,
and now"
Bary's fingers closed on stick ofcord
wood.
"No-o-o ye don't, Barty" Joe La
bouche slowly level-d his revolver. and
the old man drew ba,k into the fartheSt
corner of the cabin
"Ye-o-ohv" Joe Labouche laughed
uproariously. "l'll shoot your toes off.
and then I'll shoot your fingers oil, and
then I'll shoot your feet off so ye can't
run and then I'll lock the caoin door.
You'll remember long Jim perhapS-snd
how the flames danced all red and angry,
and how the smoke crawIed round him
and over him TIL Blrty came and pulled
him out. him tha, done me dirt Ah-h-h
there'll be no one to pull Barty out.
Some day man'll come here and find
black hole in the ground and The cats all
gone"
When Joe Labouche said "cats," Baty
ran his fingers though his beard and
stared strangely al The figure in the door.
A crafty light giuted in his blue eyes.
Apparently overcome by fear he sank
back into the corner with wild wailing
cry, so that the stranger first jumped and
then laughed.
Something brushed by Labouche'S
feet. Again il happened, and again
swift, silent bodies that moved like dart
ing shadows slipped into the room. A
great tomcat leapcd lightly 10 the window
sill and paused, with twitching tail A
yowl that made Joe Labcuche'S flesh
creep rose in the yard. From the bunk
1.-THE, fierce creature spat al the intruder.
Joe Labouche started. Leaping forms
that grazed his legs ashley flashed through
the door, were filling the cabin. The
rank smell OF many cats stung Joe La
bouche's nostriS. and he fingered his re-
volver nervously. Agar Barty Nicneven
uttered that waiag >fy, ald sill cats
came pouring IN from the surrounding
W DDS. They StredmeI down the hin
they swarmed to the cabin roof; they
spat. and snarled, and yowIed, and
scratched. Their backs were bent like
bows, their tails were swelled TO huge
brushes. Barry NIcneven was still
crouching in the corner, poor old man,
but TO Joe Labouchr he see Ied a magl-
clan OF terrible p'rer
Ioe Labouche h'andlShed hi reyo'v,'
wildly He glareI a, B-sty N irerzy Of
fear and shook hi, isi II the multitude OF
moving furry forms "rake 'em off, " he
yelled, take 'em awaYW
The light Of hope vas in BaHy Mic
neven's eyes. With quick motion he
flung stick ofcorJ~ I'd At Joe Labouche
and at the same lime gave hiss between
his teeth-a weird sound that seemed 10
fill with ferocity every one OF the swarm
ing cats. Then .hc old man jumped for
ward, ducked, dodgeJ, and swung round
Joe Labouche's leveled revolver.
Bary's move threw the room into a
tumuIt Joe Labouche fired and missed
Turning franticslly in the narrow space,
he unccnsciously drove the cats up into
the closed end OF The cabin. They had
come in answer 10 the call that always
had foretold food hey were Wild and
terocious, yet, in spite OF their splitting
and snarls, they mi, -, rot have made an
attack had not Joe LsUouche. Wheeling
cumsily, stepped on the paw OF lean
Maltese. Ascream olfeline agony shnlled
loud and the animal leaped straight al the
Frenchman's face Instantly the tomcat
in the window Sprang for Lsbouche's
throat; tawny cre7ture ran up his back
All at once he was tuned under an ava
lanche OF cats. He yeledirsnlicalY, fired
hrs revolver, and nuIled II from him in a
vain attempt 10 rfu,1 oil the lifting.
scratching beasts II flung himself on
the floor and roll, . over aid over, howl
ing piteously. He vas buried rom sight
by The cats.
Bsrty snatched up the revolver and
lesped into the midst " the fray Fling
ing aside the cats, he Cough, JCe Labouche
by the collar and dragged hlm toward a
little cupboard bsHi The bunk. All the
time the cats tore at the PROSTATE man.
who was utterly beaum0ed 5Y fright and
pain. Pulling the cts away Barry thrust
Labouche into the h,.e closet and slam
med the door. Then rs sat down on
low bench and began TO fondle his wild
pets.
Presently low, pleading voice came
from the cupboard. "Bahy, Bstyl What
be you goin' 10 do ?"
The old man said roi1ing.
Barry" called the voice again, "telI
me what be you gOIn' 10 do 2" In the
long hush that followed the only sound
was the low humming noise made by
purring cats.
Barry made no reply.
There was no latch on the cupboard
door; hut BsrY, in ominous silence.
closed the windows OF the cabin, mur-
INJURED uninielligible things TO hi cats,
shut them into the room behind him, and
went of down the road, and up across
A.