The Nomad of the Nine Lives | Page 8

paw on the glass, but he would not
deign to look up.
The next day I was allowed to go out for a walk and since he was in his
yard, and our adjoining gate was open, I made bold to walk in and
attempt to renew our acquaintanceship. He proved to be a snob, but did
not recognize me as his alley friend when in need. Of course I
understood that it was not my place to call first because he was very
haughty and showed that he was unwilling to make my acquaintance.
However, I wore a collar which was newer and more expensive than his,
and he knew that my people belonged to the "four hundred," so he
finally condescended to notice me and asked me a few questions
concerning my pedigree. I told him that my ancestors came over in the
Mayflower, for was not Carver a name of which to be proud? He said
that he belonged to the English aristocracy, but soon discovered that
my education was better than his, for he had learned his letters only
from playing around on the nursery floor and seeing them on blocks.
His lessons of life had been acquired from a Mother Goose book when
the children babbled, "Hi diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow
jumped over the moon," or some other such silly jumble of nonsense.
He put on a great many airs, but knew nothing. I had acquired a little
style myself, and finding he knew so little, took the upper hand and
patronized him shamefully. If he had remembered my picking him out
a choice bone from a garbage box and his dignified refusal, all would
have been lost, but he didn't.
My looks had undergone a great change, I was sleek and glossy, for one
of the maids had used some hair brilliantine belonging to the mistress
on my coat. Accordingly Lord Roberts asked me to call again and I
thanked him, saying that I should be pleased to do so. We saw each
other quite frequently after that and became firm friends, for he soon
found discretion to be the better part of valor, as my time spent in the
slums had not been in vain in one respect,--I knew how to fight.

CHAPTER VI
My owners finally recognized me as the cat who had saved their silver.
It happened as follows: One night in the winter a nurse was up with one
of the children, who was ill. She gently soothed it and carrying some
damp clothing into the sitting-room, placed it before the open fire to
dry. She returned to the child and I lay down by the fire. I must have
slept for some time when I was awakened by a suffocating sensation.
To my horror I saw that the clothes had caught fire and that the
wood-work around the fireplace was burning also.
What should I do? Oh, how my eyes smarted! I had a hard task to find
my way to the door and was very glad to find it not quite closed. I crept
through the small opening, rushed to my master's room and stood by
his side, giving the same cry of warning that I did when the house was
entered. He jumped up and touching the button exclaimed, "That is the
same cat who gave the alarm before!" At the same instant he smelled
smoke and made his way out into the hall where he found the fire. All
was confusion at first, but as the chemical engine was just around the
corner, the firemen were soon in the house and had the fire quickly
extinguished. One of them said that if master had not waked as soon as
he did, all would have been burned in their beds.
Perhaps I was not a hero! No one could do enough for me. I had an
entire chop for breakfast (I thought of Lord Roberts and his liver). I did
wish that mother and my nephew Tom, who, I had heard, was helping
mother keep the mice away from the store, could see me now.
They called me "Hero," I who had never had a name before! After the
fire the master and mistress did not want me out of their sight and I
heard master say, "Emily, don't you think we ought to get another cat
for the heavy work down stairs, such as killing the rats and mice?" She
said, "Yes." My heart gave a great bound for I thought of Tom, my
nephew, who was a fine young cat.
The next day I took a walk, unknown to the household. My collar gave
me prestige and no one dared molest me. I made my way to the old

provision store and