Animal Heroes | Page 9

plenty of oily food and continued exposure to cold weather," said the
clipping. Winter was at hand, and Jap Malee put Kitty's cage out in the yard, protected
only from the rain and the direct wind, and fed her with all the oil-cake and fish-heads
she could eat. In a week a change began to show. She was rapidly getting fat and
sleek--she had nothing to do but get fat and dress her fur. Her cage was kept clean, and
nature responded to the chill weather and the oily food by making Kitty's coat thicker and
glossier every day, so that by midwinter she was an unusually beautiful Cat in the fullest
and finest of fur, with markings that were at least a rarity. Jap was much pleased with the
result of the experiment, and as a very little success had a wonderful effect on him, he
began to dream of the paths of glory. Why not send the Slum Cat to the show now
coming on? The failure of the year before made him more careful as to details. "'T won't
do, ye kneow, Sammy, to henter 'er as a tramp Cat, ye kneow," he observed to his help;
"but it kin be arranged to suit the Knickerbockers. Nothink like a good noime, ye kneow.
Ye see now it had orter be 'Royal' somethink or other--nothink goes with the
Knickerbockers like 'Royal' anythink. Now 'Royal Dick,' or 'Royal Sam,' 'ow's that? But
'owld on; them's Tom names. Oi say, Sammy, wot's the noime of that island where ye
wuz born?"
"Analostan Island, sah, was my native vicinity, sah."
"Oi say, now, that's good, ye kneow. 'Royal Analostan,' by Jove! The onliest pedigreed
'Royal Analostan' in the 'ole sheow, ye kneow. Ain't that foine?" and they mingled their
cackles.
"But we'll 'ave to 'ave a pedigree, ye kneow." So a very long fake pedigree on the
recognized lines was prepared. One dark afternoon Sam, in a borrowed silk hat, delivered
the Cat and the pedigree at the show door. The darkey did the honors. He had been a
Sixth Avenue barber, and he could put on more pomp and lofty hauteur in five minutes
than Jap Malee could have displayed in a lifetime, and this, doubtless, was one reason for
the respectful reception awarded the Royal Analostan at the Cat Show.
Jap was very proud to be an exhibitor; but he had all a Cockney's reverence for the upper
class, and when on the opening day he went to the door, he was overpowered to see the
array of carriages and silk hats. The gate-man looked at him sharply, but passed him on
his ticket, doubtless taking him for stable-boy to some exhibitor. The hall had velvet
carpets before the long rows of cages. Jap, in his small cunning, was sneaking down the
side rows, glancing at the Cats of all kinds, noting the blue ribbons and the reds, peering
about but not daring to ask for his own exhibit, inly trembling to think what the gorgeous
gathering of fashion would say if they discovered the trick he was playing on them. He
had passed all around the outer aisles and seen many prize-winners, but no sign of Slum
Kitty. The inner aisles were more crowded. He picked his way down them, but still no
Kitty, and he decided that it was a mistake; the judges had rejected the Cat later. Never
mind; he had his exhibitor's ticket, and now knew where several valuable Persians and
Angoras were to be found.
In the middle of the centre aisle were the high-class Cats. A great throng was there. The

passage was roped, and two policemen were in place to keep the crowd moving. Jap
wriggled in among them; he was too short to see over, and though the richly gowned
folks shrunk from his shabby old clothes, he could not get near; but he gathered from the
remarks that the gem of the show was there.
"Oh, isn't she a beauty!" said one tall woman.
"What distinction!" was the reply.
"One cannot mistake the air that comes only from ages of the most refined surroundings."
"How I should like to own that superb creature!"
"Such dignity--such repose!"
"She has an authentic pedigree nearly back to the Pharaohs, I hear"; and poor, dirty little
Jap marvelled at his own cheek in sending his Slum Cat into such company.
"Excuse me, madame." The director of the show now appeared, edging his way through
the crowd. "The artist of the'sporting Element' is here, under orders to sketch the 'pearl of
the show' for immediate use. May I ask you to stand a little aside? That's it; thank you.
"Oh, Mr. Director, cannot you persuade him to sell that beautiful creature?"
"Hm, I don't know," was