THE MURDEROUS CAT 221 



man lias a right to say what he wants an' what he 

 doesn't want, on his owti land. I took the birds 

 I 'd shot right up to his cabin. 



a 'There's yo' feather,' I said, 'now take yo' 

 tooth'!" 



''And what did the Feather Man sayT' asked 

 Shan. 



"He just laughed an' said a mistake was likely 

 to happen to any man an' two good shots hadn't 

 ought to quarrel. That's where I saw his cat, 

 though I've seen her in the woods, too, a right 

 smart 0' times." 



"What do you reckon he'll do when I show 

 him these prints?" asked the boy. "Shoot me?" 



"Reckon not," said Bull, after reflecting; "but 

 it 's more 'n likely he '11 shoot the cat. ' ' 



"Well," said Shan, "I'll take a chance and go 

 up there, anyway. But, Bull, was he called the 

 Feather Man, because of that?" 



' ' I reckon that begun it, ' ' was the reply. ' ' They 

 used to call him 'Tooth for a Feather' behind his 

 back. Then, one cold winter day, he came down 

 to the village with a big coat lined inside with 

 birds' feathers instead of fur, I reckon feathers 

 which have come from his tame pheasants, for 

 he 'd never kill a bird. So, bit by bit, folks took to 



