Free The Case of the Missing Cat by John R. Erickson Page B

I’ll bet your momma wears old tow sack drawers.”
    Seemed to me that Pete had a real short memory and real poor judgment, which I guess is standard equipment in your lower grades of cat, and the result was like throwing water on gasoline.
    Gasoline on water. Water on a fire. Whatever it is.
    Anyways, the brothers got a sudden inspiration to stump a fresh mudhole in the middle of Pete’s back, and here they came!
    Gasoline on a fire.
    â€œPete, do me a favor and shut your mouth, will you?”
    Fellers, if the chase had gone another hundred yards, we might have been looking at the possibility of throwing baggage overboard to lighten the load, which would have definitely put my new friendship with the cat to a stern test.
    But just as the brothers were getting close enough to shorten my tail section, we reached the county road. A truck was coming along and I shot the gap in front of him, made it with inches to spare, and the brothers had to give up the chase.
    We had made it!
    By that time we were within easy walking distance of ranch headquarters. I slowed to a walk and caught my breath and enjoyed the spectacle of a beautiful Panhandle sunset.
    I mean, it was a magic moment. The wind had died to the merest whisper. The western sky had become a fireworks display of red and pink and orange, while off to the north the caprocks were sinking into blue and purple shadows.
    I had just pulled off a very impressive rescue mission and had escaped being mauled by the coyotes and had made peace with my very oldest and staunchest enemy.
    Just for a moment, it seemed that the whole world stopped what it was doing and joined in on a song to celebrate peace and happiness and friendship and the beautiful sunset. As I recall, it went something like this:
    Prairie Vespers
    Day is done
    Twilight’s come
    Gone’s the sun
    And comes the night.
    We pray for wisdom
    And for health
    And for light.
    Day is now over
    The twilight has fallen
    And gone is the sunlight
    We’re left in the blackness of night
    We’re praying for courage and wisdom
    And for our safe passage from darkness to light.
    Yes sir, it was an evening to remember. Even Pete caught the feeling of it. “Well, Hankie, you’ve put me in a very awkward position. Since you saved me from the coyotes, I may be forced to say thank you.”
    â€œYup, you sure might.”
    â€œWhich cats don’t like to say.”
    â€œI’ve noticed.”
    â€œAnd I might even have to start thinking of you as a friend, which really depresses me.”
    â€œI know what you’re saying, Pete. I mean, just think of all the years we’ve invested in a lousy relationship.”
    â€œMmmm, I know. All the nasty tricks and hateful names.”
    â€œRight, and all the great fights we’ve had.”
    â€œAnd now it’s finished, Hankie, all gone.”
    â€œExactly, wiped out by one thoughtless act of kindness.”
    â€œWell, Hankie, we can always hope that it won’t last.”
    With heavy hearts, we strolled into headquarters. As we were passing the yard gate, I noticed that Pete’s head shot up and he said, “Mmmm!”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œOh nothing, Hankie. Thanks for everything and now you run along to your gunnysack bed.”
    â€œWell, that’s sort of what I . . .” I sniffed the air. Mercy, unless I was badly mistaken, the air had just acquired the fragrance of roast beef. “On second thought, Kitty, why don’t you run along and find somebody’s leg to rub.”
    â€œThose scraps are mine, Hankie, because I saw them first.”
    â€œUh no, wrong, incorrect, and wrong. Those are MY scraps.”
    He humped his back. I growled. He hissed. I barked. He slapped me across the nose and I made a snap at his tail and . . .
    All at once I remembered why I’d wanted to bump him off in the first place and things were back to normal and everyone was happy again. I guess.
    Fellers, if you