"I say, I say, what is it? you r-r-rascal!"
"Well," said Tabby, "it wasn't with me that the catching of trout
originated, nor with Warlock either. It happened thus. In a cottage
near the forest, a year or two ago, there came an old maiden lady to
live, who was very fond indeed of cats. She had three altogether, and
she very wisely permitted them to roam about at the freedom of their own
will. Two of her cats were ladies, the other was a fine red fellow, of
the name of Joe.
"The gamekeepers said that Joe was a noted thief, and that he caught
their birds and their leverets also, and that they would shoot him on
sight. When the old lady heard this, she went straight to the keepers'
huts by the forest edge. Joe was trotting by her side, but as soon as
they were within fifty yards of the cottages, Joe got up on his
mistress's shoulder. She was a strong old lady, and armed with a
two-horse power umbrella in one hand, and a big book in the other.
"`Do you see this cat?' said Miss Simmonds to the head keeper.
"`Can't help seeing him, miss,' he answered, `besides, we know him; he
kills our birds and our leverets too, and we've seen him take a grilse
out of the river!'
"`Well, that is a pity; I just called to say that I was sorry, and that
I will do my best to keep Joe at home, though this is difficult
sometimes with a tom-cat, you know. But if he kills a bird or a
leveret, you must let me know the amount of damage, and I'll pay. But,'
she added, `you must not take the law into your own hands and shoot my
cat.'
"`Nonsense, miss!' cried the keeper, pointing to a board on which was
printed:
"Trespassers will be Prosecuted."
"Dogs will be Shot."
"`That's the way we serves dogs, miss, and it isn't likely we'll trouble
about sparing a cat.'
"Then Miss Simmonds stuck her big umbrella ferule down in the turf, and
took the big book from under her arm.
"`Listen,' she said. `Ahem! _Corner_ versus _Champneys_. 2 Marsh, 584.
A gamekeeper has no right to kill a dog for following game, even
although the owner of the dog has received notice that trespassing dogs
will be shot. In such a case as this, the shooter must pay the full
price of the animal shot.'
"`Didn't know that before,' said the keeper. `But, begging your pardon,
miss, cats are not dogs.'
"`The same law holds good, sir.'
"`Cats can be trapped, miss.'
"`Listen again,' said Miss Simmonds. `_Townsend_ versus _Withan_. In
this case it was ruled that the defendant was answerable to the
plaintiff for injuries sustained by his cat and dog in a trap, although
he had no intention of injuring plaintiff, and meant only to catch foxes
and vermin.'
"`Poison, miss, is a quiet way of getting rid of cats. I'll try that.'
"Once again, Miss Simmonds turned over the pages of her book, and proved
to the satisfaction of even those surly keepers, that the putting down
of poisoned flesh in a field laid the perpetrator under a penalty of 10
pounds.
"Well, although Miss Simmonds laid down the law to those men, she did
not part from them in an unfriendly way, and something bright and yellow
passed from her hand to that of the keeper.
"But in future Miss Simmonds restricted Joe's liberty somewhat.
"Well, one day, Warlock and I were sitting by the burn [a small stream
or rivulet is so called in Scotland] somewhat disconsolately, for we
hadn't had very much sport that day, only a few field mice and a mole,
when I heard a cat mew softly within a few yards of me.
"I looked quickly round, and Warlock pricked up his ears, and prepared
for instant combat.
"It was Joe.
"And very handsome he looked. I lost my heart to him at once.
"`Shall I give him a fit?' said Warlock.
"`No, no,' I cried hastily; `that is Joe.'
"`I'm a little afraid of your dog, miss,' said Joe. `Will he bite?'
"`Oh, no, sir,' I hastened to say.
"Then Joe advanced.
"All three soon got talking in quite a neighbourly kind of way, and the
conversation naturally enough turned upon sport.
"`We haven't done much this forenoon,' I said.
"`Ah! then why don't you catch trout?'
"Just at that moment fire seemed to flash from Joe's yellow eyes. His
nose was turned towards the stream; he was crouching low with his tail
all a-quiver. Next minute he had left the bank and disappeared with a
splash in the water.
"I was thunderstruck. So was Warlock. But Joe crept up the bank again
almost directly, with a beautiful crimson-dotted yellow trout in his
mouth.
"This he placed at my feet as a love-offering. Then he shook himself
once or twice, and seemed quite pleased to see me enjoy the trout, the
head and tail of which I gave to Warlock.
"`Delightful, isn't it?' he said.
"`Delicious!' I replied.
"`I've been a fisherman for over five years. You see, my late master
had always been a disciple of Walton's, and when only a kitten I used to
sit and sing beside him, when packing his luncheon for the river's side.
I jumped up when he took down rod and basket, and would trot off with
him all the way to the river. How eagerly I used to watch the skimming
fly, and my master can make a lovely cast, and I couldn't help being all
of a tremble, and squaring my mouth, and emitting little screams of
delight, when a fish rose to nibble; then when one was caught and thrown
on the bank, nothing could prevent my jumping on it and killing it with
blows of my paw. I did not put a tooth in it because master always fed
me well, and I knew there was luncheon in the basket for me as well as
for him.
"`But I soon learned to catch fish myself, and now I not only spring on
them as you saw me do just now, but where the stream is shallow, I fish
as I have seen schoolboys do; for lying down on the bank I stretch my
paw far in under it, and very often hand out a trout.'
"`How clever!' I said.
"`It is wonderful!' said Warlock.
"`Well,' said Joe, `you can do the same.'
"`Can I?' asked Warlock.
"`No,' said Joe smiling. `You're only a dog, you know, but you can sit
on a hillock, and watch and warn us if you see any fiend-boys coming
along with catapults.'
"So, as Joe's late master had been a disciple of Walton's, I became a
disciple of Joe's. I think, Shireen, that I have proved a very apt
pupil, though not quite as good yet as Joe. For Joe takes to the water
like an Irish spaniel, and he told me that he often caught eels and also
water rats.
"My fishing lessons have been an advantage to me and to Warlock too,
because previously I used to be rather afraid of the water, and more
than once when Warlock and I were out hunting, and he swam over a
stream, I had to go miles up or down till I found a bridge. But now I
leap in just as Warlock does, and swim to the other side."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shireen got up and stretched herself now.
"I'll go on with my story another night," she said.
Then she jumped upon Colonel Clarkson's knee.
"How fond that cat seems to be of you," said Ben.
"Ah! yes, poor Shireen! She dearly loves both me and my wife. As for
Lizzie and Tom, well, she adores them. But Tom here is such a good lad,
and never pulls her about, for I have told him that pussy is very old,
and, heigho! I daresay we'll miss her some of these days."
"But we can lift Tabby, can't we, uncle?" said Lizzie.
"Well, I do think Tabby rather likes being teased just a very little,
and I'm sure she would stand from you, Lizzie, treatment she would soon
resent if Uncle Ben or I were going to resort to it."
"Getting late," said Uncle Ben, starting up. "But," he added, "somehow
when the wind roars as it does to-night, and takes my thoughts away back
to the stormy ocean, I cannot help talking."
"Won't Cockie get wet?" said Mrs Clarkson. "Hadn't you better leave
him here to-night?"
"Bless your innocence, my dear Mrs Clarkson, the bird would break his
heart."
"Coakie wants to go home!" cried the cockatoo.
It will be observed that the bird called himself _Coakie_, not Cockie.
But Ben produced a big red handkerchief, and simply tied Cockie up as if
he had been a bundle of collars going to the wash.
He placed the bundle under his arm, bade everybody good-night, then
walked boldly forth into darkness and storm.