Evening star., 1949-12-16
This and That
Bv Charles E, TyaceweH

bJ LHOJbSS e. f0CEWeU
What was Templeton Jones, kindest OF
men, doing out,so early with an cir rife?
r. Could 1t be that Jones. q cat lover. was
going to shoot at cat?
He was. bless my soul!
At some distance wss q beautiful gray
tiger cat, and there was Jones raising his
toy gun, and pointing 1t directly at the
beast.
The thing was unbelievable.
Ping!
The gun roared-this one really did, In
the silence Of the morning.
The BIB struck log on which the cat was
crouched.
For one amazed second. the handsome
cat seemed unable to believe It.. &c.
Then he rose In the air. darted forward.
and made OF % II the devil were after him.
The devil in the case calmly grinned.
"That cat" he said with emphasis, has
got to stay away from here"
Then Jones went on to explain that that
cat" had an evil desire to kill kitten in
the neighborhood.
1T is q tom," went on Jones, land this
big fellow resents its presence. Some cats
are that way. No matter how pleasant their
expression. how well they like humans. they
are jealous Of other cats.
SUCH y CSt WILL XIII, II possible, dll TlVAlS
for the affections Of the lady cats. Heaven
knows, there are few lady cats, but the
big toms do not know It,"
Jones looked down at his toy rifle.
These things are more dangerous than
they look" he said. "A BIB in an eye can
put it out, or might even kill the victim.
80 no one should think air rifles mere
toys Especially children should never be
permitted to play with them, no matter
how many official decisions are made to. the
effect that they are toys, not dangerous
weapons. They are very dangerous, par
ticularly when people think they aren't.
II find one excellent for running pigeons
away from place. These big birds come
around to feast at bird feeding stations
No one can blame them, of course. They
are as hungry as any, and need four times
as much food as smaller birds. That is
where the trouble comes in. I have found
that few BBs, properly placed, will run
the pigeons away and keep them away.
It is not necessary to kill them, or even
to injure them"
Jones smiled.
II stunned one, once, In the oldest way
II was trying to hit one. but you see. you
must calculate. when using one Of these
target, but always q little below. usually,
Or sometimes to one side, or even above
the mark, according to the rifle.
".Well, was popping away. when bullet
struck that log, and was thrown to one
side, striking the big white pigeon.
This white pigeon was my favorite OF
the bunch.
"And there I had slain her. thought
II knew If I ever hit one. it would be old
Whitey!
There she lay, all crumpled up. felt
like a veritable dog. Ever stop to think.
when we compare something with an animal,
the dog always gets the worst Of it? No
body ever says he feels like IN elk It is
always like q dog, and that, Is mankind
puts it, is very bad.
We'll there I stood, looking down on
the remains Of poor old Whitley.
II took her in, and put her in the garage
She finally moved bit and by morning
seemed as right as ever.
when let her go. she flew to the roof
Of the garage and looked down at me-
reproachfully, I thought.
after that, let the pigeons alone. to
eat up my expensive bird food. wasn't
going to run the risk Of killing Whitley
again.
"she lived for many years and at last
was run over by car ID the middle OF the
road. took her scattered white feathers
about Ill left Of her. and buried them Ia
the yard. Right over there under that bush" !"
pointed Templeton Jones. ST.