Then, gradually, an
unholy curiosity seemed to enthrall the big tortoise-shell. He would
peer around corners at Cap'n Amazon, stare at him with wide yellow eyes
through open doorways, leap upon the window sill and glower at the
substitute storekeeper--in every way showing his overweening interest
in the man. But he absolutely would not go within arm's reach of him.
"I always did say a cat's a plumb fool," declared Cap'n Amazon.
"They'll desert ship as soon as wink. Treacherous critters, the hull
tribe. Why, when I was up country in Cuba once, I stopped at a man's
hacienda and he had a tame wildcat--had had it from a kitten. Brought
it up on a bottle himself.
"He thought a heap of that critter, and when he laid in his hammock
under the trees--an' that was most of the time, for them Caribs are as
lazy as the feller under the tree that wished for the cherries to fall
in his mouth!--Yes, sir! when he laid in his hammock that yaller-eyed
demon would lay in it, too, and purr like an ordinary cat.
"But a day come when the man fell asleep and had a nightmare or
something, and kicked out, cracking that cat on the snout with his
heel.
Pages:
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139