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They went running off, Button with a big lamb chop between his teeth and Stubby with a huge steak, while Billy contented himself with a head of lettuce. (Page 39)]
BILLY WHISKERS' ADVENTURES
BY
FRANCES TREGO MONTGOMERY
AUTHOR OF "BILLY WHISKERS," "BILLY WHISKERS' KIDS," "BILLYWHISKERS IN AN AEROPLANE," "BILLY WHISKERS IN CAMP,""THE WONDERFUL ELECTRIC ELEPHANT," ETC.
ILLUSTRATED BY PAUL HAWTHORNE
THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANYCHICAGO AKRON, OHIO NEW YORK
Copyright, 1920byTHE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I. THE CHUMS RETURN TO THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE BRAVE 7
II. THE NEW YORK DOG AND CAT CLUB 19
III. AN EXCITING EVENING 29
IV. AN UNEXPECTED SHOWER BATH 41
V. WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FOURTH OF JULY 49
VI. BILLY WHISKERS MAKES TROUBLE AT SCHOOL 65
VII. BUTTON'S DAY WITH BELLA 73
VIII. STUBBY TELLS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM 81
IX. THE CHUMS RUN AWAY 93
X. UP IN A DIRIGIBLE 103
XI. THE OLD CROW CARRIES A MESSAGE TO NANNIE 113
XII. BILLY WHISKERS' FAMILY START FOR CHICAGO 119
XIII. BILLY WHISKERS' FAMILY ARRIVE AT LINCOLN PARK 127
XIV. THE TWINS ARE LOST 133
XV. THE ELEPHANTS ARE ENRAGED AT THE GOATS 143
XVI. A PANTHER ESCAPES FROM THE CAGE 155
ILLUSTRATIONS
They went running off, Button with a big lamb chop between histeeth and Stubby with a huge steak, while Billy contentedhimself with a head of lettuce.
Billy saw the man raise the mop to come after him.
Billy overtook her and gave her a gentle butt that landed her inthe middle of the bed.
It was Stubby's and Button's frantic efforts to escape that hadcaused all the fun and laughter.
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself to take the baby's bottle awayfrom it!" reproved Nannie.
"Oh, oh! Where did you come from?" wailed one little girl whenthe kids jumped out of the shrubbery and grabbed her bag ofpopcorn.
_Billy Whiskers' Adventures_
CHAPTER I
THE CHUMS RETURN TO THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE BRAVE
Billy Whiskers, Stubby and Button sailed by the Goddess of Liberty andentered New York harbor after being in France ever since our troopsentered the War. They had gone over on one of the troop ships and itjust so happened that they returned on the same ship and with the sameCaptain and crew.
They were returning home covered with scars and wounds received whileperforming acts of bravery, but what cared they for scars and woundsso long as they had not lost an eye, ear or leg, and were feelingperfectly well and strong? To be sure, Billy had lost the tip of histail when he was blown up by a bomb, but that did not matter.
You never saw three such happy animals as these were to be able onceagain to lay eyes on their beloved country,--the United States ofAmerica, that glorious country of the free and the brave.
"Gee, I feel so happy I could jump out of my skin!" exclaimed Billywith glowing eyes as the three stood on deck watching the familiarshores slip by them and the skyscraper buildings grow taller andtaller and taller as they approached them.
"See!" said Billy. "We are about to dock. Now the next thing to settleis where we are going when we first land."
But the question was settled for them in a most unexpected way. Forbefore Billy's remark could be answered, all three of them felt ropesbeing slipped around their necks, and heard the loud guffaws of threesturdy sailors as they pulled the ropes tighter, saying, "This is thetime we caught you fellows off your guard!"
"We surely caught you slick as a whistle," remarked one of thesailors. "And now we have you, we are going to carry out the Captain'sorders and look after you until he hears from France whether we are totake you back to your regiments when we return with more troops orkeep you here."
"Return to France?" whined Stubby. "Just when we reach home safe andsound after braving all the terrors of submarines, sunken mines anddropping bombs? To be captured and sent back is really too much! Idon't feel as if I would survive the disappointment, do you, Billy?"
"Not on your life will I go back!" replied Billy. "Not unless theytake me over dead. For I shall fight to the last drop of my bloodbefore I submit to being shipped back."
"And so will I," said Button. "I'll scratch their eyes out first. Andfrom this day forward I shall begin to let my claws grow long andsharp for that very purpose. I'll see whether or not they take _me_back!"
"But they haven't started back yet, and 'There's many a slip twixt thecup and the lip.' We'll have two or three weeks to make a getawaybefore they sail as they have to coal the ship before even thinking ofsailing. And if in that time we three can't put our heads together andthink of some way to slip through their fingers, we are pretty stupidand deserve to be shipped back. Don't pull back or make any fuss,"counseled Billy, "but just go along with the sailors and watch for achance to escape. It may come any minute. And remember if any one ofus sees a chance, he is to take it and not wait for the others. Justget free and then wait around until the rest of us get loose."
"Seems to me you have a good deal of baaing to do this morning, Mr.Billy," said the sailor who was holding the rope around Billy's neckas he stood watching the ship tie up at the dock.
"Guess he must be giving orders to his Chums," replied a second sailorwho had Stubby in charge.
"Seems like it," said the one who held Button. "I expected them tofight like the very dickens, didn't you?"
"I surely did," answered the one who had spoken first. "But it is nottoo late for them to show fight yet, and I bet all that talking HisRoyal Highness, King Billy, has been doing has been orders to hisChums to fight later on. You just wait and see."
Just then the Captain appeared on deck and ordered the sailors to takethe goat, dog and cat ashore and tie them in the warehouse on thedock until he could find some place to board them until he heard fromFrance what to do with them.
"They are too valuable to leave just on the dock. They might get looseor be stolen. Feed and water them and when I go up to the city I willlook for some trustworthy person to take care of them. By the way,don't one of you know some one ashore who could house and feed themuntil we hear?"
"Aye, aye, sir!" replied one of the sailors. "I have an uncle wholives close to the docks. H
e keeps a small, cheap boarding-house forsailors. He is a very kind-hearted man and fond of pets. I could takethem there and I am sure he would give them the best of care for verylittle recompense."
"Just the thing! Just the place for them!" exclaimed the Captain. "Youmay take them over there as soon as the gangplank is out. And you twoboys go with him. He might have trouble trying to manage all threealone. Here is money to pay for the animals and to buy your owndinners. Tell your Uncle I'll foot the bill before we sail and throwin an extra dollar or two if he turns them over to me in good shapewhen we call for them."
"Aye, aye, sir!" replied the sailor.
"Well, this beats all the good luck I ever heard of," said Billy, "forwe can get away from that boarding-house as easily as a cat lapscream."
"You are right, we can, and have plenty of time too to lay our plansas to what we will do when we escape," agreed Button.
"It looks as if we would sleep on feathers and eat fowl," said Stubby.
The three sailors took the three Chums over to the chop-house, wherethey were given a hearty welcome by the sailor's uncle. He was so gladto have his nephew back from the War unhurt that he gladly took in theanimals to please him. And I really think that had his nephew askedhim to let the Chums sleep in his beds instead of in a shed in theback yard, he would have consented. As it was, Stubby and Button camenear having fits from the amount of meat they ate as the Uncle hadgiven them the scrapings from the plates, making a pile of beef andchop bones a foot high. He also gave Billy so many vegetables and somuch juicy fruit that he had cramps all night.
In the morning there was still plenty of food left for theirbreakfast, but the Uncle insisted on giving them a fresh supply offood and water.
"He is a mighty fine old man," said Billy, "and I feel like a villainplanning to run away from him, but we must or run the risk of beingsent back to our regiments in France, and I for one am sick to deathof war."
About ten o'clock in the morning the Uncle and the three sailors cameinto the yard to see how the animals were faring, and the sailorsseemed pleased with the way they looked.
"Now we can tell the Captain when we return to the ship that we sawthe animals just before we went to the boat and that they were safeand sound and in a good home where they will be well cared for untilhe hears what to do with them."
"I guess I'll leave the door of the shed open," said the Uncle. "Itwill make it more cheerful for them. And I think we had better takethose ropes off their necks as they can't get out of the yard withoutgoing through the house or jumping the fence, and it is much too highfor them to do that."
Little did those sailors and the old man know of the jumping powers ofthese three animals or he would never have had them untied. When thesailors and the old man had disappeared in the house, the three Chumswalked around the yard looking for a loop-hole to crawl through, orfor a weak board Billy might butt down. As for Button, all he had todo was to run up the fence and jump down on the other side. And didthey but know it, Stubby could do the same stunt as he had watched thepolice dogs in Paris run up the side of an eight-foot fence, balancethemselves on the top and leap down on the other side. As for Billy,when he was ready to go he could jump on top of an old packing boxthat stood beside the shed, and from that leap to the roof of theshed. From there he could spring into the alley. But what botheredthem now was where they should go when they escaped. The city was verylarge and it stretched itself out along the banks of the Hudson Riverfor miles and miles. They wanted to go in that direction, as 'way upnorth lived Nannie, Billy's little wife whom he was crazy to see afterhis long absence abroad. She was away up in Wisconsin on the dear oldfarm and it would take weeks and weeks to reach there if they traveledby foot all the way. But they expected to steal some rides as theyalways did when traveling. Stubby and Button had not a relative in theworld they knew of, but they loved Nannie and all of Billy's family asif they were their very own blood relations. They had known them foryears and years and had always been very kind to them, especiallyNannie and Daisy, Billy's son's wife, while the Kids, Billy's twingrandchildren, were their delight.
The three Chums were lying perfectly still, each engrossed in his ownthoughts and plans as how best to get out of the city when they werearoused by a loud meow over their heads. Looking up, they saw a big,striped cat sitting on the fence.
"Good-morning, friends and distinguished travelers!" said the cat. "Ihope I am not disturbing you, but the cats and the dogs of theneighborhood--and there is a goodly number of them--appointed me thehead of a committee to call upon you and welcome you to our shores."
As the cat had been talking, other cats had been appearing on top ofthe fence and now a line of them, all sizes, colors and descriptions,sat on the top of the fence winking down at the Chums, while throughholes under the fence appeared dogs' heads, as evidently they were toolarge of body to crawl through the small holes.
"The canary you see in the cage hanging out of that upper window, andthe parrot in the window of the next house sang and called out to usthis morning that celebrated travelers from the War had just arrivedfrom overseas and were shut in Grandpa Stubbs' back yard. Every onearound here calls Mr. Stubbs grandpa because he is so kind to littlechildren and to all animals. We are always glad to hear some things ofthe outside world, and when we heard that you were fresh from the warzone, we determined to make your acquaintance and invite you to speakand tell us of some of your adventures on the other side. I ampresident of the Dog and Cat Information Bureau, and we are holding ameeting to-night in a big, empty warehouse that has just been finishedfor the storage of ammunition. We have a very large membership--fivehundred dogs and cats belonging. Having no newspaper, we meet toexchange the news of the day. If we did not, we would not know whatwas going on in the world outside our city. As it is, we are wellposted for dogs and cats journey here from all over the world to speakat our meetings and to tell us what is happening in the countries fromwhich they come. Now I hope all of you will favor us by speaking atour meeting to-night. It begins at twelve o'clock, and I will come andescort you to our place of meeting. We start rather late as it iseasier for us to steal away from our homes unmolested at that hourthan at any other. Many of our members are children's pets and can'tget away until they are tucked in bed as they keep such close track ofthem."
Billy stood up and bowing to the line of cats on the fence and to theheads of the dogs under the fence, he began:
"Friends and countrymen, we thank you for your courtesy and kindinvitation to speak before your club this evening. This we will bepleased to do provided we can escape our host and are not locked inthe shed. But I think I can promise you we will be there for if weshould be shut in the shed, my good strong head can butt down and makeshort work of a board or two that would give us access to the alley.Should we be tied, we can easily chew the rope in two. Consequently Ithink you may expect us at the appointed hour if some one will kindlyshow us the way to where your meeting is to be held."
Just then Mr. Stubbs opened the back door, and stepped into the yard.
"Bless my soul! I never saw so many dogs and cats in my life. I mustbe seeing things, for surely there can't be that many cats and dogs inthis neighborhood." He rubbed his eyes to make sure he had seen a lineof cats sitting on top of the fence and a line of dogs peeping underthe fence. But when he looked again, there was not a single cat or dogto be seen. The only ones he could discover were Stubby and Button,both apparently asleep outside the shed door.
"Well, I declare that is the most peculiar thing that ever happened tome in my life! I distinctly saw dozens of cats and dogs and now Ican't see one. Heigho! My old eyes must be playing tricks with me."And that was all he thought about it. He had come out to shut theChums in the shed, but seeing them all three fast asleep, he decidedto let them sleep on and not shut them in the shed that night.
Billy saw the man raise the mop to come after him (Page 35)]