Concerning Cat Language 



turned on the gas in an attempt to commit suicide, 

 " Inspector Byrnes " hurried off and notified the 

 night keeper that something was wrong, and induced 

 him to go to the cell in time to save the prisoner's 

 life. He once notified the police when a fire broke 

 out on the premises, and at another time made such 

 a fuss that they followed him — to discover a woman 

 trying to hang herself. Again, some of the prisoners 

 plotted to escape, and the cat crawled through the 

 hole they had filed and called the warden's atten- 

 tion to it. In fact, there was no doubt that " In- 

 spector Byrnes " considered himself assistant warden 

 at the jail, and he did not waste much time in talk 

 either. 



The Pretty Lady had ways of her own to make us 

 know when things were wrong in the household, 

 although she used to utter a great many sounds," 

 either of pleasure or perturbation, which we came to 

 understand. I remember one morning, when my 

 sister was ill upstairs, that I had breakfasted and 

 sat down to read my morning's mail, when the Pretty 

 Lady came, uttering sounds that denoted dissatisfac- 

 tion with matters somewhere. I was busy, and at 

 first paid no attention to her; but she grew more 

 persistent, so that I finally laid down my letters and 

 asked: "What is it. Puss ? Haven't you had breakfast 

 enough .? " I went out to the kitchen, and she fol- 

 lowed, all the time protesting articulately. She would 

 not touch the meat I offered, but evidently wanted 



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