THE BRIDAL SUPPER
And now we will go back and see what the Chums did while the family was
at the church.
After they had watched the bridal party out of sight, they jumped
through the cellar window and running up the cellar stairs, they found
to their joy that in the hurry the family had forgotten to shut the
cellar door. So all they had to do was to walk into the kitchen. As
they did so, the delicious odor of roast chicken, spiced ham, salads,
jellies and untold goodies reached their nostrils. And there in the
oven, all ready to be served, were the chicken and mounds of mashed
potatoes whipped until they looked like heaps of snow they were so
feathery and white, while beside them were dishes of candied sweet
potatoes and pans of peas, turnips, and beets. On another table were
extra wedding cakes, some covered with chocolate icing and others with
white icing with English walnuts sprinkled on top, and piles of nut
cakes and little spice cakes. On another were salads, jellies, salted
nuts, sweet pickles, sour pickles and red preserves, while between
these dishes were plates heaped high with all kinds of sandwiches so
daintily made that they would melt in one’s mouth.
“My! Oh, my! Did you ever see so many good things all at one time in
your life?” said Stubby. “They have enough to feed a regiment. We could
all eat our fill and then they would have plenty left, but I think it
would be a mean thing to do, especially after all the trouble the bride
has gone through to-day. It would nearly kill her to come home and find
all her wedding supper messed up. Besides, we shall find plenty of
scraps to more than fill us up when they are through eating. And we can
get them without any trouble whatever for they will set pails full of
the scraps outside the door for Spot and the Saint Bernard puppy.”
“I think you are right, Stubby,” said Button and all the others agreed
it would be a shame to touch the things.
“Yes, I know,” replied the puppy, “but I am so dreadfully hungry and
these things smell so good, I wish I could bite just _one_ chicken
wing.”
“Oh, no! Then they would know that someone had been here.”
“Look! See what I have found!” meowed Spot.
They all looked and over in one corner of the kitchen under the table
was a big pail heaped full of scraps and good things to eat.
“Come here!” meowed Spot. “We can eat all this for this is the pail
that holds the scraps they feed to the pigs.”
In a jiffy they were all eating from the pail, each picking out the
morsel they liked best. They ate and ate until the pail was empty, and
they even ate up the scraps that fell on the floor.
“It is too bad Billy can’t have some of this good stuff,” said Stubby.
“I think I will go after him and bring him back so he can get some
before the family returns.”
With Stubby to think a thing was to do it, so he ran down the cellar
stairs, jumped out the window and ran to the field where he had seen
Billy and Nannie chasing the bull. After sniffing round a bit, he
picked up the scent of Billy and away he went across the field down
into the ravine where they had disappeared from sight when the wedding
party was watching them. At the foot of the hill the bull had run into
a little stream and Billy had followed him. Consequently Stubby lost
the scent, but he soon found it by running downstream until he saw
where the limbs of some low hanging bushes had been broken off and
there were some cattle tracks in the soft mud. Climbing out here, he
took up the scent again and was running rapidly up a hill when he heard
Billy baa: “Where are you going in such a hurry, Stub?” and looking up
he saw Billy standing on a ledge of rock high above him.
“Where is your bull?” Stubby asked.
“Oh, he is worn out and lying down a little way from here.”
“Well, leave him and come with me back to the farmhouse where you can
get a splendid supper of chicken, potatoes, jelly and vegetables of all
kinds.”
“Thank you very much, Stubby, for thinking of me, but you forget that
I prefer uncooked food and vegetables, grass and grain to meat and
potatoes.”
“You are right, I surely _did_ forget. I was enjoying them so, all I
thought was that I wished you could have some too.”
“Stub, you are the most generous dog I ever knew--you are always
thinking of your friends. I know if a friend were cold or in trouble
that you would give away your skin and your head also, if they were not
fastened to you. But I will come back with you anyway, and watch the
return of the bride.”
When they reached the farmhouse they heard the puppy barking to them to
come where they were. But though he barked and barked, they could not
see him. It sounded as if his bark came from the roof of the carriage
house. Presently, however, Billy spied him standing in an open door of
the second story of the carriage house. They hurried along until they
stood under the door, then they called up to him to tell them how to
get up where he was.
“Go around to the back and you will see a big hole under the house.
Crawl in that and you will see another hole in the floor that comes out
at the foot of a pair of stairs that leads to where we are.”
They hurried along but when they got there Billy was too big. He could
not crawl through the hole though they dug it deeper. And even if they
had succeeded in making it larger, the one in the floor could not be
made big enough for him to get his horns through.
“Never mind, Stubby; you go up to them. I’ll find some good place to
hide,” which he did. He saw one of the low loads of hay and he and
Nannie jumped up on it and lay down on one of the soft quilts. Both
were soon fast asleep for they were tired from chasing the bull.
[Illustration]
How long they slept they did not know, but they were awakened by
laughing, chattering voices beside the hay load and one girl was
coaxing another to climb up the ladder first onto the load.
“So they are coming up here, are they? Well, we will just duck our
heads under this quilt and if they see our fur they will think it a
white fur rug.”
That is just what they did think. But it proved disastrous to Billy and
Nannie, for a big fat girl weighing nearly two hundred pounds dropped
down on them, half on Billy and half on Nannie, and nearly broke their
backs. Billy let out a groan and raised his head. When he did that,
it frightened her so that in rolling off him she rolled clear off the
load and came down kerplunk on the opposite side of the wagon. At this
moment another girl appeared at the top of the ladder, but on seeing
the goats she screamed and fell over backwards, carrying the ladder
with her.
All this commotion brought their beaux to the scene and when they saw
two billy goats standing on the hay load, they all laughed and made fun
of the girls for being so afraid. One of the men jumped up on the load
to drive them off, but he made the mistake of taking a club with him.
Had he let them alone the goats would have jumped off the wagon and not
hurt anyone. But the young fellow wanted to show off before the girls,
so he hit Billy a crack with the club and the next thing he knew _he_
was flying through the air over the girls’ heads and when he came down
he landed in the pig pen, astride a big fat pig. He was not hurt in the
least, only surprised, but his pride had had a bad fall and the girls
all laughed at him, making it ten times worse.
Billy and Nannie now jumped off the wagon and, kicking up their heels,
they ran under the wagons and around the autos that were standing in
the yard so fast that none of the men could catch them, and soon they
disappeared behind the barn. From there they hid between three or four
strawstacks where they could easily dodge anyone that should follow
them. But no one did. Now the wedding guests had started to go home,
it took but a little while to clear the barnyard of all the wagons,
buggies and automobiles crowded in there.
Soon everything was as still as if there had been no wedding or any
other excitement. When it was nearly dark, the cats and dogs came
out of the carriage house loft and found Billy and Nannie behind the
strawstacks where they all spent the night. Early the next morning
before anyone was astir in the farmhouse, our Chums bade the spotted
cat and Saint Bernard puppy good-by and continued their pleasure
journey.
“Here we have been away from home over a week and we have fooled along
so that we are not more than one hundred miles from home yet.”
“But what is the use of hurrying?” asked Button. “We are only out for
pleasure.”
“You are right, Button. And what do you two say to our not going to
California as we have been there two or three times before, but to
going directly west from here, visiting South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana,
Idaho and Oregon? We would probably see a good deal of ranch life and
some magnificent mountain scenery as soon as we get beyond the desert
and treeless plains of Dakota and part of Wyoming. It will be a much
harder trip, but who cares? We are used to hardships since the Great
War.”
“We are with you!” barked Stubby and meowed Button.
“Billy,” spoke up Stubby, “I believe we would have a much pleasanter
time if we followed some main railroad track. If we go straight in a
northwesterly direction from here we will strike the Northern Pacific
Railroad at St. Paul and by following that it will take us just where
we want to go on the Pacific Coast. What is more, by simply going
a little out of our way we can visit the Yellowstone Park, one of
America’s largest and most interesting natural parks. There tame bear,
deer, buffalo and other wild animals rove about free, protected from
the hunter by game laws. And what is more, we can see the wonderful
hot geyser springs that throw sprays of boiling water up into the air
from one hundred and twenty to one hundred and seventy feet high, for
four-minute periods every sixty-five to seventy minutes. So regularly
does one of these springs throw up this spray that it has been named
Old Faithful. Then there are many other wonderful springs, falls and
rivers to see there besides the native forest of huge trees two or
three hundred years old.”
“That all sounds good to me, Stubby,” said Billy. “What say you,
Nannie? For it will be something entirely new that none of us has ever
seen before.”
Nannie being in favor of the plan, they traveled steadily this way
with few adventures or mishaps until they reached St. Paul. Here they
prepared to stop to rest and have several good meals of meat before
starting off on their long journey across the treeless plains where
there would be nothing but prairie dogs, sand birds’ eggs, and such
things for Stubby and Button to eat and sagebrush and long, coarse
grass for Billy and Nannie. As for water to drink, they did not know
where in the world they would get it, as there is only one river of
importance in North Dakota, the Missouri, and few streams in the
country they would be passing through. But for all that, they were
going to try it.
They were all resting in a quiet back yard they had found, Button
asleep on the top of a shed and Billy and Nannie on the ground beneath
him, when a big gray cat stuck its head through the gate that led
into the alley. When he saw Billy, Nannie and Stubby asleep, he crept
cautiously up to them and stood watching them as they slept. After he
had scrutinized them all he wished to, he meowed two or three times
in a low voice which did not awaken Billy, Nannie or Stubby, but did
Button. He stood up and meowed back to the cat which surprised it so
it was about to run away, for it had not seen Button.
“Don’t hurry away!” said Button. “Did you wish to speak to the goats or
dog?”
“Yes, if this one goat is the celebrated Billy Whiskers that has
traveled all over the world and been in the Big War in Europe. I have
an invitation for him.”
“He is the one you are looking for then, for that goat is none other
than the celebrated and world-renowned traveler, Billy Whiskers. And
the dog beside him is the same dog that has traveled with him and been
in all the wars with him. The other goat is Nannie, his wife.”
“You don’t mean to say that that little yellow dog is Stubby, Billy
Whiskers’ lifelong friend and companion? If that is so, you must be
Button, the celebrated big black cat that has also been his chum and
traveling companion.”
“You are right. I am his friend and chum but I don’t claim to be very
celebrated.”
“Well you are, and every dog, cat and goat in this city has heard of
you three. And I hear you are now making a trip to the coast alone and
on foot, and are going to brave the dangers of the desert and treeless
plains. You little know what dangers you are facing. Many, many dogs
and cats have tried but their bones now lie bleaching on the desert
sands or they have come back more dead than alive. I beg of you not to
attempt it on foot and without someone to look after you.”
“Oh, don’t fear for us! We are too experienced travelers to be afraid
of deserts and treeless plains. But I thank you for your solicitude in
our behalf.”
For quite a while Billy, Nannie and Stubby had been awake but had kept
their eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. Now they opened them and
spoke to the gray cat.
“My friend,” said Billy, “will you kindly tell us how you heard we were
coming here?”
“Certainly I will tell you. When you were in Minneapolis some sparrows
who had gone to roost in a cluster of lilac bushes in the park heard
you talking to several dogs and cats who had gathered there to hear you
tell of some of your adventures when in the Great War. And the sparrows
were so interested that in the morning they told the pigeons living on
the court house roof they must find you and hear you speak on the War.
“They flew in all directions but they could not find you until in
the late afternoon they met a cat who had heard you talking the very
evening before. She told the pigeon that you had all left Minneapolis
for St. Paul early the next morning before the city was astir. And
she added that you were traveling fast as you wished to get across
the treeless plains and semi-deserts you would have to cross before
reaching the Yellowstone Park, at which place you were going to stop
before continuing your journey to the Pacific Coast. The cat added that
she had told a carrier pigeon to take the news that you were coming to
St. Paul and for them all to be on the lookout for Billy Whiskers, the
world-renowned traveler, mascot and fighter, who was on his way there
with his two equally well-known Chums, Stubby and Button.
“And so you see that is the way the news reached St. Paul. The sparrows
told the pigeons, the pigeons told the cat, the cat told the carrier
pigeon and the carrier pigeon told me, and both of us told every dog,
cat, goat, donkey, horse and cow we met that you were coming and for
them to speak to you if they chanced to see you and try to coax you
to meet them in the park at twelve o’clock to-night and give them a
reminiscence of your adventures and travels.”
“I am sure it is more than kind of you to take all that trouble and
interest in me and under the circumstances I don’t see how I can refuse
to give a short talk.”
“Thank you so much! Now I am going to ask another favor, and that is
that your friends Stubby and Button will also give talks and relate
some of their hairbreadth escapes when on their travels.”
“Thank you very kindly,” replied Button, “but I am no speaker and I
refuse to take up the time that would shorten Billy’s talk.”
“Oh, no! You don’t get out so easily, Mr. Button,” spoke up Billy. “You
have to talk as well as I do. And you too, Stubby, so you need not try
to sneak out of that gate, for you also have to speak or I won’t.”
“That is it, Mr. Whiskers! Bring them up to the scratch so I can count
on you three being in the middle of the park at twelve o’clock sharp
to-night. I hope your wife also will honor us with her presence.”
“Yes, we will all be there unless we are locked up in the police
station or some other bad luck befalls us.”
“Au revoir then until to-night,” and with a profusion of thanks and
scraping and bowing, the gray cat backed out the alley gate and
disappeared to spread the news of the coming lectures to be given by
Billy, Stubby and Button.