1.20 A CONVENTION BROKEN UP IN A BOW. 



bering up the boards that leaned up against the outbuildings, 

 and set themselves down, scores or less of them, in their old 

 trysting place, right opposite my chamber windows. To all 

 this I had in the abstract no objection. If a cat chooses to 

 take a quiet walk by moonlight, if he chooses to go out for 

 his pleasure or his profit, it is no particular business of mine, 

 and I have'nt a word to say. Cats have rights, and I have 

 no disposition to interfere with them. If they choose to hold 

 a convention to discuss the affairs of rat-and-mousedom, they 

 can do it for all me. But they must go about it decently 

 and in order. They must talk matters over calmly ; there 

 must be no rioting, no fighting. They must refrain from the 

 use of profane language they must not swear. There's law 

 against all this, and I had warned them long before that I 

 would stand no such nonsense. I told them frankly that I'd 

 let drive among them some night with a double-barrelled 

 gun, loaded with powder and duck-shot and I eant it. 

 But those cats did'nt believe a word I said. They did'nt 

 believe I had any powder and shot. They did'nt believe I 

 had any gun, or knew how to use it, if I had ; and one great 

 Maltese, with eyes like tea-plates, and a tail like a Bologna 

 sausage, grinned and sputtered, and spit, in derision and de- 

 fiance of my threats. ' Very well !' said I. ' Very well, 

 Mr. TOM CAT ! very well, indeed 1 On your head be it, Mr. 

 TOM CAT ! Try it on, Mr. TOM CAT, and we'll see who'll get 

 the worst of it.' 



" Well, as I said, the moon came up one night, with her 

 great round face, and all the little stars hid themselves, as 



