Puss Junior and Robinson Crusoe Part 14

BY and by Taffy stopped stroking Puss, Junior, and said in a kindly voice:

"Well, my fine little cat, what can I do for you?"

Puss, Junior, didn't know just what to answer. In fact, as he hadn't come for anything, he couldn't think of anything to fit the question.

But little Tom Thumb, however, called over from where he was sitting in the Welshwoman's lap, that they had come to call, and that they were strangers in town, traveling through on a journey of adventure.

"Did you hear what they say about me?" asked Taffy.

"Yes, we did," replied Puss, "but, somehow, I didn't believe it then; and I'm very sure I don't believe it now."

"Bless you for that," cried the little Welshwoman, "my Taffy is no thief. There has been a great mistake about it all."

"Yes, that there has," said Taffy, "but how can I prove it? Someone with a red beard stole the piece of beef from the butcherman, and then they said it was I. But I was never near his place, nor did I lay hands on meat or marrow-bone."

At that moment there came a loud knocking at the front door, and when the little Welshwoman opened it, whom should she find but the butcherman himself!

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"See what I have brought to you," he said, holding up a false red beard.

"I found this to-day behind a barrel in my shop. It's like your Taffy's beard." At this the little Welshwoman opened her eyes very wide and tried to speak, but she was so surprised she couldn't.

When the butcher went to say that perhaps the man who wore this beard was the one who had stolen his beef, the little Welshwoman began to cry softly, and the big butcher, who had a kind heart, said, "Don't cry, my good woman, I don't think now your Taffy stole the beef, and that's the reason I've come all the way up here to show you this beard. So you tell Taffy that I shall tell everybody in town that it wasn't he who stole my beef, but some thief who wore a red beard: and then, I'll show them what I found in my shop, and that will prove what I say. Everybody will be glad to know that Taffy isn't to blame."

As soon as the butcher had gone, she flew upstairs to tell Taffy the good news. And it almost made Taffy cry. If he hadn't been a man, he would have. But it was hard work not to, just the same. "My head feels better already," he said with a laugh that had a big catch in it.

"Take off the bandages, little woman. I'll come down to supper, and these two small friends of ours shall spend the night with us, for they have brought us good luck to-day, that they have."

ROBINSON CRUSOE

AFTER leaving Taffy, the Welshman, Puss, Junior, and little Tom Thumb walked along for many a mile until they came to the seash.o.r.e. Right there in a sheltered cove lay a beautiful sailboat, on the stern of which was painted in gold letters:

"Take, oh take me for a sail-- I can weather any gale."

"Shall we accept the pretty boat's offer?" asked Puss, Junior.

For answer Tom Thumb jumped in and, so without another word, Puss hoisted the sail and steered for the big blue ocean. All day and all night they sailed away, and when they woke in the morning they were surprised to find the little boat fast aground on a sandy beach.

"How did we get here?" asked Puss, sleepily, for it was still early in the morning, and the sun had just begun to climb up to the sky, and the dew dripped from the tall meadow gra.s.s that grew close to the water's edge.

"Through no fault of ours," replied little Tom Thumb, with a laugh.

"Captain Puss, Junior, fell asleep at the helm, and the first mate, Tom Thumb, did likewise," he added, running up to the bow and looking over the land. "Why, it's an island," he called out. "I can see water on the other side."

"You don't say so," said Puss. "Well, let's land." So they jumped ash.o.r.e and walked up the beach towards a clump of trees.

"Pretty nice sort of a place," said Tom Thumb. "Let's play Robinson Crusoe! I'll be your black man Friday. We can build a house under these trees, and as we have lots to eat on board ship, we can spend some time here without danger of starving."

And just then, all of a sudden, a voice began to sing:

"Poor old Robinson Crusoe!

Poor old Robinson Crusoe!

They made him a coat Of an old Nanny Goat; I wonder how they could do so!

With a ring-a-ting, tang, And a ring-a-ting, tang, Poor old Robinson Crusoe!"

"Who's that?" whispered Puss, Junior. But he needn't have asked the question, for just then a man dressed all in skins came toward them.

"Friends or enemies?" he asked.

"Friends!" cried Puss, Junior.

"Friends!" screamed Tom Thumb.

"Welcome, then, to my island. I am Robinson Crusoe!"

Puss and Tom were too amazed to answer for a few minutes. Then Puss, Junior, stretched out his right paw, saying: "I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr. Crusoe."

"And so am I," said little Tom Thumb, standing on tiptoe and reaching up his hand.

"Well, you're certainly as welcome as the flowers in May," said Robinson Crusoe. "Visitors are few and far between. Come with me to my house."

CRUSOE CASTLE

ROBINSON CRUSOE'S home was unlike anything Puss, Junior, had ever seen.

Notwithstanding that he had visited many strange places and met many strange people, he was greatly surprised at Robinson Crusoe's style of dwelling. It wasn't exactly like a fort, and yet it was one. Tom Thumb said it reminded him of some of the strange castles he had seen while with Good King Arthur.

It stood against the side of a small hill, surrounded by a high stockade. There was no door to it, but while Puss was wondering how they were going to get in, Robinson Crusoe placed a ladder against the wall and climbed up, saying, "Follow me, my friends; this is the way we enter Crusoe Castle."

After reaching the top they descended by the same ladder, which, of course, was pulled up and lowered on the inside. A very nice looking tent met their eyes, back of which was a large cave hollowed out of the rocky hill.

"Here is where I live, my little friends," cried Robinson Crusoe. "This is my dog, Snoozer, and my two cats, Caromel and Caroline."

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Puss had never been very fond of dogs, but Snoozer came forward in such a respectful way that Puss took a liking to him at once. I suppose there were so few visitors at Crusoe Castle that Snoozer would have welcomed even a strange cat.

With Caromel and Caroline, however, matters were different. Caromel from the first was jealous of Puss. You see, he had no fine, red-topped boots, nor a sword and feathered cap. Caroline, however, made up for him. She thought Puss, Junior, just about the handsomest cat she had ever seen. Poor Caroline! She had never been off of Crusoe Island.

For all that, however, I don't think if she had been all over the wide, wide world she would have met such a handsome cat as Puss, Junior. No, indeed! Puss, Junior, was the Prince of Cats; that goes without saying, though we have said it.

"And now that we have all been introduced, let us sit down and talk,"