Concerning Other People's Cats 



for copy unsurpassed in the annals of his race, and a 

 power and perseverance in vocality, chiefly exercised 

 in the small hours of the morning, that, together with 

 the appetite referred to, have earned for him the 

 name of the Mutilator. The picture herewith given 

 was taken when the animal was a year and a half 

 old. Up to the age of one year the Mutilator made 

 its lair in the inside office with the Snake Editor, 

 until a tragic ending came to their friendship. 

 During a fortnight's absence of the office cat 

 upon important business, the Snake Editor culti- 

 vated the friendship of three cockroaches, whom 

 he debauched by teaching them to drink beer spilled 

 upon his desk for that purpose. On the night of 

 the cat's return, the three bugs had become disgrace- 

 fully intoxicated, and were reeling around the desk 

 beating time with their legs to a rollicking catch 

 sung by the Snake Editor. Before the muddled 

 insects could crawl into a crack, the Mutilator was 

 upon them, and had bolted every one. Then with 

 a look of reproach at the Snake Editor, he drew 

 three perpendicular red lines across that gentleman's 

 features with his claws and departed in high scorn, 

 nor could he ever thereafter be lured into the inner 

 office where the serpent-sharp was laying for him 

 with a space measure. Since that time he has 

 lived in the room occupied by the reporters and 

 news editors. 



" Many hundreds of stories, some of them slander- 

 6i 



