THE VICISSITUDES OF TOM 

 knows, but we found him crawling, piteously complaining, 

 with a shattered leg. With the help of the cook, who 

 followed the tradition of the establishment and | 

 was Tom's slave, the leg was set with strips 

 of firewood, the bone 

 being very success- 

 fully mended. It so 

 happened that the 

 Master of the House 

 had, about the same 



time, snapped his tendo-plantaris at tennis/ 

 and it was a sight to see them both when 

 they stumped down the wooden passages the master dot. 

 and-go-one on his crutches, Thomas following in his splints, 

 dot-and-go-three. 



The amateur surgery, however, was not completely suc- 

 cessful. Though Thomas' bone knit, the poor mangled 

 flesh remained unhealed, and at last the cook conveyed 

 her darling in a basket to the most celebrated London 

 animal doctor. Thereafter ensued a time of horrible 

 suspense. Telegrams went briskly backwards and for- 

 wards. Dr. Jewell " doubted if he could save the limb/' 

 Tom's adoring family could not contemplate the tragedy 

 therein implied. " Better euthanasia ! " we wired. " Will 

 do my best for little cat," the sympathetic ^S/sculapius of 

 God's humble creatures replied. Hope and devotion 

 triumphed. Tommy returned to us with three legs in 

 large fur trousers, the fourth as close as a mouse. The 

 fur thereon has never grown to full length again. We fear 

 it will never grow now. 



Dear old Tom is toothless, and he is getting a little bald 



15 



