Evening star., 1938-11-30
Bedtime Stories
By THORNTON w. BURGESS.

BY THORNION w. BUhGESS.
Bowser the Hound learned long
ago that to wait for a cat in tree
to come down is sheer waste of time,
SO after barking for a few minutes
at Yowler the Bob-cat he trotted
of to try to find some one else to
hunt. Had Farmer Browns Boy
been anywhere about Bowser would
have remained right at the foot
OF that tree and kept barking until
his master came. But he wasn't
about and so Bowser went on.
But Bowser didn't forget Yowler,
No sir, Bowser didn't forget him.
In fact he thought about YoWler
q great deal. Never had he seen
such big cat, before. Here was
some one worth hunting. So the
next opportunity Bowser got to slip
away he headed straight for the
place where he had first found
Yowler's tracks. For long time
he ran this way and that way, sniff
ing and snuf1ling among the dead
leaves, without finding so much
as a whiff of YoWler's scent. He
was about ready to give up when
at last he found it. 1t was rather
faint, but as he patiently followed
1t with his wonderful nose, it grew
stronger and Bowser began to run.
Straight to a great tangle of
fallen trees his nose led him. The
Id CT l,f ut thot tonoln
Bowser tried to crawl in, and as
he did so deep growl followed by
an ugly snarl greeted him. Bowser
backed away in hurry. He had
found Yowler sooner than he eX-
pected. The fact is Yowler had
been taking a nap there and he
was in bad temper, very bad temper.
at being so rudely disturbed. Bow
ser barked excitedly and Yowler
continue to growl and snarl and
occasionally to spit as only cat
can.
Leave me alone or I will scratch
your eyes out!' snarley Yowler.
Come out and try it," roared
Bowser. "Just come out and try 1t.
I'll shake you out of your skin. Just
come out and try it.
And Yowler did. He came out
so sddenly that he was right in
front of Bowser before realized
that he was coming. Yowler's ears
were laid fiat back and his lips
were drawn away so as to show his
long sharp teeth. 1t seemed as II
his eyes actually shot forth sparks
of fire, though of course they didn't.
Bowser was so startled that he
began to back away, but he didn't
have a chance to take more than
three or four steps. NO sir, ne
didn't. With a snarl such as Bow
ser never before had heard YoWler
sprang on him.
To this day Bowser is sure that
Yowler has 10 times as many claws
as an ordinary cat. At that par
ticular time it seemed to him that
Yowler had as many claws as
Prickly Porky the Porcuplne has
little spears. 1t seemed to him that
Yowler was all claws and sharp
teeth. Bowser was not a coward,
and he did his best to get Yowlers
throat in his great mouth and choke
him. But Yowler's fur was thick
and do what he would Bowser could
not get a hold. My my, my, such
a fight as that was Such a grow
ling and snarling and yelping as
there was! Such swapping and
clawing and biting!
But it didn't last long. Bowser
knows when he has met his match.
and the very first chance he got
he broke away and with his tail
between his legs and yelping with
pain and fright started for home
as fast as he could go. Yowler
chased him little way with a last
snarl of rage, turned back to finish
his nap in the tangle of fallen
trees.
II guess that fellow won't brother
me again in hurry he groWled.
Copyright. 1881