Billy Whiskers Adventures | Page 4

the small holes.
"The canary you see in the cage hanging out of that upper window, and
the parrot in the window of the next house sang and called out to us this
morning that celebrated travelers from the War had just arrived from
overseas and were shut in Grandpa Stubbs' back yard. Every one
around here calls Mr. Stubbs grandpa because he is so kind to little
children and to all animals. We are always glad to hear some things of
the outside world, and when we heard that you were fresh from the war
zone, we determined to make your acquaintance and invite you to
speak and tell us of some of your adventures on the other side. I am
president of the Dog and Cat Information Bureau, and we are holding a
meeting to-night in a big, empty warehouse that has just been finished
for the storage of ammunition. We have a very large membership--five

hundred dogs and cats belonging. Having no newspaper, we meet to
exchange the news of the day. If we did not, we would not know what
was going on in the world outside our city. As it is, we are well posted
for dogs and cats journey here from all over the world to speak at our
meetings and to tell us what is happening in the countries from which
they come. Now I hope all of you will favor us by speaking at our
meeting to-night. It begins at twelve o'clock, and I will come and escort
you to our place of meeting. We start rather late as it is easier for us to
steal away from our homes unmolested at that hour than at any other.
Many of our members are children's pets and can't get away until they
are tucked in bed as they keep such close track of them."
Billy stood up and bowing to the line of cats on the fence and to the
heads of the dogs under the fence, he began:
"Friends and countrymen, we thank you for your courtesy and kind
invitation to speak before your club this evening. This we will be
pleased to do provided we can escape our host and are not locked in the
shed. But I think I can promise you we will be there for if we should be
shut in the shed, my good strong head can butt down and make short
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 I think
you may expect us at the appointed hour if some one will kindly show
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 must
be seeing things, for surely there can't be that many cats and dogs in
this neighborhood." He rubbed his eyes to make sure he had seen a line
of cats sitting on top of the fence and a line of dogs peeping under the
fence. But when he looked again, there was not a single cat or dog to 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 to me
in my life! I distinctly saw dozens of cats and dogs and now I can'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 the Chums in the
shed, but seeing them all three fast asleep, he decided to let them sleep
on and not shut them in the shed that night.
[Illustration: Billy saw the man raise the mop to come after him (Page
35)]

CHAPTER II
THE NEW YORK DOG AND CAT CLUB
"He really is an accommodating old fellow, isn't he," said Billy, "to
leave us out all night? It will save him a broken shed door, though he
will never know it."
"What time do you suppose it is?" asked Stubby.
"From the height of the moon I should say it must be about half past
ten," answered Button.
"That will give us an hour and a half to think up what we are going to
talk about at the club to-night. What are you going to tell them, Billy?"
said Stubby.
"I really don't know. Guess I will wait for the inspiration of the
moment."
"You better think up something extra exciting. Why not tell them about
the time you were blown out of the trenches and lost a