sunny deck and applied "first aid," and it looked for a time as if
the shock to his nerves and the long salt bath had done their worst.
But the determined mettle of this hard-shell spirit was not so easy
to extinguish and as life surged back into nerve and muscle, and he
struggled back to consciousness, they found he was there with all of
his nine lives wide awake and still in good working commission. One
would have thought that after such an appalling doom had all but closed
in on him, he would have appreciated his good luck and the true value
of having such heroic comrades, and would have shown some thankfulness
for the risk one of them had run to save his life. On the contrary,
although he had learned to keep away from the porthole, a deeper gloom
than ever settled upon him, and, taking this unfortunate accident as an
added insult, he treated them all with more than his usual scorn.
The cat's peculiar characteristics of temper made him not only marked,
but famous. The very independence and aloofness of his dull life made
him tantalizingly popular with the young fellows, and in their leisure
hours they were continually seeking him out to pass the time. They
thought it great fun to tease him to furious anger and then laugh
at his quivering rage, but after they had had enough of this kind of
entertainment they would never let him go back to seclusion without
trying their very best to coax him to good temper. They never succeeded
in this commendable purpose, however, even with the most heroic
efforts, and would have hotly resented any insinuation that their
pastime might possibly be a cruelty. The captain, too, was guilty of
loving to display the cat's tabasco-like temper, being quite proud of
the strong personality shown in one so ugly and vicious and still one
so delightfully entertaining.
During their ship's stay in an English port, the captain entertained
on board a brother officer, whose ship happened to be in at this time,
and teasing the cat until he exhibited his fierce characteristics was
one of their chief after-dinner diversions. The brother officer was
very much entertained by the captain's hospitable amusement and took
a greedy fancy to the insolence and hardy independent ways of his
extraordinary pet. He liked the animal so much that he coveted the
mettlesome prize as one that would make things lively in dreary hours,
and begged the captain to loan him for just one voyage; but the captain
was indignant at such a proposal and refused to consider it for a
moment. It would be breaking a sworn and solemn covenant with his lady,
and besides, the cat was the pride of the whole crew, notwithstanding
their raillery, and he, and in fact all on board ship could not get
along these days without this important member of their mess, who
was getting more disagreeable and interesting every day. Shameful as
such baseness was, the brother officer watched his chance, and as his
ship was to sail first, he had the advantage. The captain was wholly
unsuspicious of his friend's secret intention and the first intimation
he had of his treachery was when he went on deck to wave him farewell.
As the brother officer's ship sailed majestically by the captain saw
him, evil and smiling, on the bridge, and as he returned the captain's
salute, he lifted the stolen cat in triumph in his arms. The captain
stood rigid, the dark blood creeping into his tanned cheeks and leaping
to his brain, while his keen eyes narrowed and scintillated with the
glitter of cold steel as he watched the ship sail slowly past.
To this masterful seafarer, there was no sense of humor in the childish
joke his facetious friend had played on him. At the moment he was
too angry for his whirling brain to think out any plan to avenge this
malicious injury, but he had always found himself commander in every
situation and his nature was not the kind to forget. He swore with
clenched teeth that he would get even with this traitorous fellow
officer even if it cost him his life. The man was beyond reach of his
wrath and strong arm at present, as he was sailing for distant shores,
and with him the unfortunate cat. But the captain would bide his time,
his anger growing with each hour, and there would surely come a day of
reckoning in which it would be better for the officer had he never even
dreamed this "practical joke."
This strange cat, unfriendly and militant, that had never shown
affection for anyone since that horrible day when he had been so
cruelly deceived by the lady on whom he had lavished his whole heart,
seemed despite his every effort, to make conquests where he least
desired and to be bound to lead a sailor's life to the bitter end, in
spite of himself. This last outrage of fate roused him to desperation
and took all semblance of civilization from his manner. It was war
and no quarter from henceforth, with all the world against him. Big,
strong, and full of salty battle, he certainly had not been stolen for
a pet, and it would have made the lady weep could she have known the
fate and seen the warlike wreck of her once gentle friend, although she
would never have recognized in this belligerent, savage old salt, the
kitten she had cuddled and loved.
These new sailor tormentors soon discovered that one of the cat's
diverting peculiarities was a strong and expressed dislike to
whistling. He hated the shrill notes with a hate that made him tremble
and which seemed to rouse the very devil in him. Even the lowest notes
would wake him from a sound sleep, and with angry, low, throaty growls,
which sounded remarkably like swearing, he would make a sudden rush at
the offender with eyes that flamed green, and gleaming teeth set as if
he had a tigerish desire to spring at the man's throat and settle for
all past insults, then and there. Once in the desolation of his soul,
he _did_ bite fiercely at his tormentor's shoe; and it would certainly
have fared ill for any of them had he dared make a determined attack.
But the sailors, finding sufficient entertainment in the impotent,
savage temper they were able to rouse, bore no malice in their hearts
nor any animosity toward the cat for his violent dislike of them. So
when they had teased him to the limit they would make all sorts of
amends in friendly overtures, which were met with snorting scorn, and
then indifferently allow him to go back to hiding, in peace. It seemed
nobody's special mission to prevent this cruelty and the cultivation
of all that was brutal and ugly in the poor outraged animal's nature
or to see whether this continual tormenting were a real agony or if his
habitual, infinite wretchedness were being made greater than necessary.
It was simply a thoughtless love of diversion in which the helpless
pay tribute to power. So in misery the endless days dragged into weeks
and it seemed to the cat, so sick of sea life and sea smells, as if
the world would never end. Although he was beginning to show the wear
of his long, dull, sullen revolt, neither disappointment nor ugly
temper had broken his fierce sense of injury or his indomitable spirit.
Helpless as his position was, he never cowered before his adversary,
but ever maintained an air of cool contempt and defiance, counting
always on a chance. Every day on board ship holds unknown possibilities
and always there is hope for those who watch and wait, and the cat's
weary rage was waiting--slowly, silently, steadily,--but just waiting.
In the early spring, the ship ran into a rough channel and fell on
continued evil winds which at last developed into a terrible gale.
Wild, stinging wisps of salty wind came roaring right out of the
north, flapping and bellying the sails and lashing the ship about like
a plaything in a fury of wind and water, until, with rudder gone,
totally disabled and helpless, it was being sent with each pounding
breaker nearer and nearer the dangerous, rocky shore. The only ones to
witness the screeching horror of this black night were two helpless old
lumbermen, who had been roused from their sleep by the ship's signals
of distress, and had run down from their camp to the pounding beach.
But they were powerless to answer the crew's beseeching cries or to
help them in any way, as they were alone in these wilds and had no
means at hand of rescue. Through the blackness of the storm they could
only imagine the distress, as they heard the roar of the heavy black
demons, fighting the stubborn craft steadily with wind and water as if
it were an evil thing which they were bent on destroying. At last, with
terrible strength, as if impatient of this impotent play, the water
rose in a tremendous wave, booming like thunder, took the battered
fighter in its arms, lifting her high from the heavy sea, and flung
her pounding on a jagged rock that held and crunched her with its cruel
teeth like a hungry beast, scattering the splinters far and wide. The
men, fighting to the end for their lives, were jerked and flung about
like chips, their screams and prayers drowned in the roar and pounding
of the storm, until the greedy sea once again broke over the rock and
swallowed their screams and mangled bodies in a swirl.
By daylight the storm was over and the sea as calm as if there had been
no tragedy, the surf beating steadily on the rocky shore its solemn
requiem for its deadly passion of the dreadful night. The angry tempest
had done its very worst and now the sun, so cruel in its brightness,
danced joyously over the shining water, showing in the silver gray
sheen of the sea the broken hulk of the wreck still clinging to the
bald rock with but one sign of life. This was the rather pathetic
figure of the sailor cat, sitting with his head high in the air, on
one of the highest timbers, well out of the water, sunning himself,
his nostrils dilating and swelling as they filled with familiar
land smells. His overwrought nerves seemed wondrously calm under
the harrowing circumstances, and in fact, on close scrutiny, there
seemed to be a decided air of grim triumph in his lonely figure seen
silhouetted against the vast expanse of blue sky and dancing waves.
He had discarded entirely his sullen manner and one could almost see
the hungry gleam of joy in his wide-open, level eyes, as they looked
and lingered on the welcome sight of the beautiful world of grass and
green growing things so near. This sweet and subtle fragrance blowing
in his nostrils, sent its solace straight to his embittered heart and
gave him the comfort and confidence that he would soon be one of the
little furry creatures scampering in the woodsy haven. The steady throb
and creak of the horrible vessel was no more, and he had at last been
left free, once more to work out his own destiny, and his heart, in
spite of his unmoved exterior, was thumping in triumph, and his whole
body tingled with excitement. How delightfully safe, and steady, and
firm, the cool retreats of this forest world looked to his sea-sick
eyes! And over all brooded an enchanting silence, with no sound of
everlasting machinery, just an occasional sweetly tremulous note from
the blue above, and a chirp from the depth and mystery of the pungent
land fragrance below, that could be heard above the heavy beating of
the surf.
His heart bounded in response to the possibilities of this Promised
Land of his long desire. But there was a wide space of flashing, angry,
turbulent ocean between him and this secure, friendly world of plenty
and enticing sweet-smelling shrubs: a hard problem and a fearsome
risk for an ordinary cat and a difficult one for even this desperate
creature with his fearless nature and the proclivities of a duck. But
in cringing fear of some further stroke of relentless fate, that might
come along and rescue him enslaving him for another dismal voyage of
excruciating experience, he determined not to be overtaken by any such
horrible doom, but to make that stretch of water at any cost and to
make it without delay.
He picked his way gingerly to where the water washed the timbers,
quivering with anticipation, gathering all the strength of his
big bones and tough muscles for a leap to the shore rocks, and
then--hesitated! It was a deadly plunge and his heart was doing
double quick in fear, but the compelling power of the near-by free
range of greenness, with its sweet breath of liberty, fired him anew
with the strength of despair. With a hoarse cry, that seemed to come
from the bottom of his throat, and every muscle stiffened, in fierce
recklessness he at last launched himself into the washing waves and all
his whole-bodied, lusty youth was put into the life and death struggle.
It is vouchsafed that some great mysterious power shall watch over and
guard helpless animals, brave with desire, and it carried this stout
heart, that would have died but for it, straight to the shore and back
to the living fertile earth he loved, to live his own free life once
more in the shadow of its satisfaction.
The cat had arrived in port at last and had thrown off the fetters of
his tragic fate forever, going into the mystery of the wild, where no
curiosity can follow.
[Illustration]
MAIDA
It was when Maida, a rarely beautiful Maltese, was about a year
old that she became the mother of a collection of variegated little
mongrel babies, with spotted fur of all sorts, except one, which was
pure white. Maida was all mother, and very proud of this disreputably
mixed progeny, but evidently especially pleased with the white one.
Her preference for the milk-white blonde was plain, for she always
picked this one out for extra care and scrubbing during the short time
they were allowed to snuggle together in the nursery she had selected,
which was a soap box tucked away in the back corner of the stable loft.
But this is a cruel world for little unwelcome kittens and so it was
destined that this shameful offspring should mysteriously disappear,
and the natural instincts of Maida's big mother-heart be frustrated.
On the afternoon of the babies' third birthday, after only a short
absence, the devoted mother came hurrying back in anxious care to the
home box, to find nothing there but the thick straw bed. There were no
little bunches of soft fur to feed and cuddle not even one left to save
her suffering swelling breasts. No one told her why or where; simply
the cruel fact remained that she was desolate, her home empty, and her
babies gone. Her grief over this heartless depredation, so inhumanly
human, was painful to witness. Frantically she called in long-drawn,
wailing cadence for her babies, from morning till night, in an agonized
search. Up stairs and down, in and out, her mournful _meows_ echoed,
until everyone knew of her trouble, and even the most unsympathetic
were indignant over the cruelty of it.
All of a sudden Maida ceased her mourning and settled down into quiet,
regular habits again. Everyone drew a sigh of relief at her serenity
and peace, but her mistress, more curious than the rest, determined to
know the cause of her resignation and followed her to the loft. What
she found there sent the cold shivers down her spine, for, snuggled to
the poor mother's babyless breasts, were four small, ugly, pinky-white
ratlets, with long tails and eyes like a Chinaman's. The consoled
mother looked up at her mistress with beating heart and eyes straining
with such pleading human anxiety that there was no mistaking that they
held a challenge. But she need not have feared for no one with any
kind of feeling could have the heart to let anyone interfere a second
time with Maida's arrangement of a family however grotesque her ideas
were in this respect. Where these shocking substitutes for her own
unpopular babies came from, where they were born and what had become of
the rightful parent, no one but Maida will ever know, as they were the
only descendants of this rather curious breed of rodents that were ever
seen in all the country round. But Maida, the kidnapper, looked proudly
upon them, doubtless as her one white offspring returned fourfold, and
neither excused nor explained. If their advent was dark with a cruel
deed, no one knew and no one felt that they had the right this time to
deprive the aching breasts and perhaps a conscience-stricken heart of
this compensation.
As the numerous rodents grew and began to take notice, they became
quite troublesome to the anxious foster-mother, for they were wild
little things, uncommonly healthy and uncommonly restless and rather
fierce as well. Time proved however that they were the very best
specimens of their kind, their baby coats bright and shining, their
slim wee eyes clear, and their little noses alert with the most furious
inquisitiveness. It was not long before the boldest of them could climb
to the edge of the box on an investigating tour into the attractions
of that little surrounding world of theirs, but Maida was ever on the
alert, and in a twinkling would seize him and drop him in the box with
a bump. Poor little ratlet would look scared to death and rather shaky,
but Maida would gently lick him with her tongue, purring in the dulcet
tones of a cooing dove, until she had him soothed.
The ratlets grew day by day into more independent and astonishing
ways, and Maida's mistress decided that this rather frisky family
had better be transferred to more commodious quarters. So the rather
unique nursery and household was removed to a large empty room over the
stable, where they could have plenty of room and still be confined.
Mother-Maida, doubtless feeling that she had troubles enough before,
did not appreciate this freedom of a wider range for her lively
children, and would have been glad had her mistress been less generous.
Now it required double the effort to keep her strange brood from the
tempting space about, and her strenuous struggles to restrain them
within the prescribed limits of the box were sometimes painful, but
always very funny. At times, in a very frenzy at their confinement the
small rodents would bound, all in a white streak, one after the other,
over the edge of the box and all over the room. Then poor Maida's
maternal excitement and her efforts to drive, carry or frighten them
back to their home, made pandemonium, the ratlets running helter and
skelter in all directions and Maida after them. Catching one, she would
jump back into the box with it, leave it there and go for another, but
before she could make a capture, the one she had left in the box would
be scampering in gay frolic with the others.
[Illustration: MAIDA
In Long-Suffering Patience Maida Would Stretch Herself in a Streak
of Sunshine and Survey the Riotously Incorrigible Mites, Indulging
in Their Favorite Pastime of Playing Tag All Over Her Body]
This rather serious game for Maida of "in and out" would go on until
her nervous system was a wreck and she was utterly exhausted. Finally
realizing that her efforts to subdue her riotously indecent family were
useless, she would drop breathless to the floor, stretch herself in
a streak of sunshine near the box, and survey the incorrigible mites
with disgust. No longer pursued, the fun ceased for the youngsters,
and they would come to where she was having a little interval of peace,
and nip and maul, challenging her into another contest, playing tag up
and down her tail, and indulging in other tantalizing pastimes, until
even her self-sacrificing, long-suffering patience could no longer
endure, and she would indignantly shake every one of them off, spring
to her feet with a contemptuous _meow_ of impatience, and seek another
place for relief. Then the apparently conscience-stricken little
rascals would meekly come, one by one, anxious and conciliatory, humbly
begging her notice, scrambling solicitously over her, and by and by
the four tired-out white beggars would be sleeping quietly with their
sharp little noses snuggled in the soft fur of her body, all love and
forgiveness.
Although animal children are generally supposed to be much better
behaved and to cause their mothers less anxiety than human children,
this poor foster-mother was kept very busy disciplining and training
her strangely troublesome family. She truly mothered them, not as
adopted aliens, but as the real thing, and taught them the proper
things kittens ought to do and ought not to do, with much vigor and
many a box on the ear; for generally what the rodents wanted to do,
seemed to be just the thing they should _not_ do in the progress of
their strange education.
One day the closet door having been left ajar, baby ratlets in their
search for mischief, climbed way up to the ceiling and perched on the
topmost strip that held the hanging hooks. Maida, on finding them so
far above her reach, was painfully distressed, meowing and making the
greatest kind of a commotion in trying to scramble up the smooth wall
to their rescue, as she thought. The ratlets seemed to be heartlessly
indifferent to her anxiety and had to be driven from their lofty roost
by the mistress. The first one to land on the floor was grabbed by the
enraged cat and given such a shaking that he wobbled about in dizzy
unconsciousness for several minutes. The next one she caught with a
firm paw, as he was scurrying back to the box, hoping to escape his
punishment, and held him tight to the floor, in spite of his whimpering
protest, till he was quite still. This one lay for a long time as if
dead, but after a while he slowly lifted his giddy, swimming head and
crawled patiently and sorrowfully back to his bed, and never again
did any of these naughty babies attempt to break this strange law of a
strange mother, by climbing in the closet.
Once a window of this room was lowered from the top, just a tiny way
for air. Maida's mistress, happening to be in the barn, heard a great
meowing and disturbance going on in their room overhead and rushed
up to find her beloved cat racing about like mad, apparently frantic
with grief and not a ratlet in sight. The lady was very much puzzled
over this total disappearance of all four of the ratlets and imagined
all sorts of things, even the worst, and started in to investigate. In
her search, she happened to glance out of the window and there on the
roof were the whole bunch, plainly going mad in their unusual freedom.
The weather was splendid and they were all out enjoying it, jumping
and running on the separating wall in mad frolic, apparently just for
the sake of falling back in somersaults on the roof, scuffling and
doing all sorts of nimble acrobatics in reckless stunts, and surely
making the most of their glorious holiday in the sunshine. The window
was no sooner raised from the bottom, giving Maida a chance, than she
dashed out like a flash, plainly determined on revenge. The instant
the naughty runaways caught sight of her, they could not get back into
the room and their box quickly enough; they raced for their very lives,
stumbling and knocking each other over in their eagerness to get there,
fairly shivering in their fright. Maida selected one poor pink-eyed,
trembling sprinter for a thorough shaking and let the others profit by
his sorrowful example, saving herself further exercise.
The ratlets lived to be independent, well-behaved grown-ups, with
wonderfully polished and silky coats, owing to their frequent and
thorough grooming by their faithful foster-mother, who seemingly
never grew weary of her maternal duties or their companionship. They
were great successes as rats, though doubtless Maida had her own
interior disappointment and cat wonder as to why, with such faithful
bringing up, they were not animals of a more comforting nature. Now
she has real babies of her own, and this time there is no mistake, for
their fur is pure Maltese, so her mother instincts have been allowed
legitimate vent. Her alien foster-children have the freedom of the
whole country and, owing to their strange adoption and the zeal with
which they were brought up in the way good kittens ought to go, they
seem irreproachable in behavior.
[Illustration]
A MEMORY