NING CALL.]

The cats all know and love him, and are generally expecting him; but if
he opens the door of a store where one of his cats lives, and she is not
to be seen, he calls "Pss-pss-pss," and the kitty comes racing down
stairs, or from some distant corner, so fast that she nearly tumbles
head over heels in her hurry to get at her breakfast.

Some of the cats are only fed every other day, and they know just as
well as anybody when it is "off day," as the cat's-meat man calls it. On
these off days they lie perfectly still as he passes, paying no
attention to him; but on the days they are to be fed, these
"every-other-day cats" are the most eager of all, and travel the
greatest distances to meet their friend.

[Illustration: CARLO.]

Besides the cats, several dogs are fed daily by the cat's-meat man, and
of these the most interesting is Carlo. Carlo used to be a sailor dog,
but now he lives quietly in a store on Old Slip. His first master was a
sea-captain, with whom Carlo made voyages to many different parts of the
world. At last his kind master, who was as fond of Carlo as though he
had been an only child, became very sick with a terrible fever, and when
his ship reached New York, he was taken to a hospital to die. Carlo went
to the hospital with him, and just before the dying sailor breathed his
last, he begged a kind gentleman who stood beside his bed to take care
of Carlo. The gentleman promised to do so, and has ever since kept his
promise by giving Carlo a good home in his store, and paying the
cat's-meat man to feed him every day. Carlo repays this kindness by
keeping the store free from rats, and his reputation as a famous ratter
has spread far and wide through the neighborhood.

[Illustration: A CHARITY CAT.]

Many stray cats watch for the coming of the cat's-meat man, for they
know that he will befriend them, and many a tidbit does he give to some
lean hungry creature as he merrily trudges along through the winter
snow-drifts.

At certain corners the cat's-meat man is met by one of his assistants,
with whom he exchanges his empty basket for a full one. These
halting-places are well known to all the forlorn and homeless cats and
dogs, and at them a number of these always await his approach. He most
always throws them a few bits from his well-filled basket, for which
they seem very grateful, though they look as if they would be very glad
of more.

Besides feeding cats and dogs, the cat's-meat man c