CHUM. 



333 



Again they halted, while the Kid 

 lighted a match. The puny flame re- 

 vealed a small, ill fitting door in the 

 wooden wall. They pushed it, but in 

 vain. Usually open, it was fastened 

 that night ; but the far seeing leader 

 had prepared for just such a set- 

 back. Groping in his pocket he 

 dragged forth a coiled piece of heavy 

 wire, which he straightened and in- 

 serted in the edge of the door. Work- 

 ing it carefully, he managed to lift 

 the fastening. The gate opened, 

 swinging toward him, and he passed 

 through, followed by his first and 

 second lieutenants. On the other side 

 the trio stopped to listen. Some- 

 one was dancing, with a sound of rub- 

 bing sandpaper. A banjo, played with 

 great velocity and strength of finger, 

 accompanied the shuffling. 



Cautiously they crossed the dimly 

 lighted yard, tiptoeing like dancers. 

 Passing under the heavy shadow of 

 an apple tree, the Kid dived headlong 

 over the prostrate form of a reeking 

 wretch whose head was pillowed 

 against its butt. Scrambling to his 

 feet, he made ready to fly ; but the 

 man, who was almost in a state of 

 coma, merely groaned. Suppressing 

 a desire to snicker, they stole up to 

 the kitchen porch, where the Kid, 

 walking on the points of his shoes 

 with extreme delicacy, ascended the 

 steps and peered in the window. He 

 saw something. He capered back, and 

 down the stairs, grimacing horribly. 



"He's there !" he hissed, exultantly. 

 "Oh, Lordy ; what a picnic ! Get 

 the bag ready, Jim." 



One of the pair lugged from under 

 his coat a feed bag of immense pro- 

 portions. He looked at the Kid ex- 

 pectantly, whereupon the suave ring- 

 leader again crept noiselessly up the 

 stairs. This time he turned the 

 knob gently and pushed the door 

 in a few inches. As he rejoined 

 his companions a gigantic brin- 

 dle cat appeared on the threshold 

 with the suddenness of an apparition. 

 He gazed at the 3 conspirators sus- 



piciously. Taking some small pieces 

 of cold roastibeef from his*coat pocket, 

 the Kid threw them at the animal. 

 "Pussy, puss, poor puss," he cajoled 

 seductively. The miniature tiger 

 swallowed the bait greedily. Then, 

 his distrust fading, he walked toward 

 them, purring hoarsely, as if he had a 

 cold. Confidingly he rubbed his gaunt 

 side against the Kid's arm ; but oh ! 

 the perfidy of man ! With a skill re- 

 sulting from long practice, the wily 

 Kid dexterously seized him by his 

 stump of a tail and swung him clear of 

 the porch, bent on inserting him in th'e 

 yawning feed bag. But his skill was 

 taxed to the utmost. Never before in 

 all his experience had he tackled such 

 a gigantic beast. Hissing and splut- 

 tering like a Katharine wheel, the cat 

 clawed. Spread out to the resem- 

 blance of a tanned skin, he seemed 

 yards too big for the sack. At great 

 expense to their skins they tried to 

 make him fold his forelegs, which 

 were gyrating like the planer of an 

 airship ; but he refused, and dug his 

 inch-long hooks deep into their hands. 

 The Kid's arms were rapidly growing 

 weary. Finally the 2 aides managed 

 to secure a grip on the cat's muscular 

 legs, and the battle was won. One 

 terrific, long drawn, protesting yowl 

 and he slid into the bag. Carrying the 

 imprisoned victim, yelling dismally, 

 they left Foley's with all speed. 



Retracing their steps across the 

 fields, the abductors regained the rail- 

 road track and hurried homeward. 

 The 2 sack bearers walked ahead for 

 much the same reason that a brass 

 band marches in the van of a village 

 parade. Piercing yowls intermittently 

 stabbed through the heavy tarpaulin. 

 The procession paid little heed to 

 the expostulating prize ; they were 

 too much occupied in a jabbering dis- 

 cussion of the adventure. Near home 

 they forsook the track, with its guid- 

 ing slats of grey steel, and marched 

 cross country with the same strategy 

 and caution that characterized their 

 movements when entering H . 



