ather was far from inclement,
November is never quite the month for people to be out of doors entirely
without leg-covering. Therefore, he marked with impatience that Sam and
Penrod, after lowering the trousers partway to the water, had withdrawn
them and fallen into an argument.

"Name o' goo'ness!" Herman shouted. "I ain' got no time fer you all do
so much talkin'. If you go' git 'at cat out, why'n't you GIT him?"

"Wait just a minute," Penrod called, and he came running to the stable,
seized upon a large wooden box, which the carpenters had fitted with
a lid and leather hinges, and returned with it cumbersomely to the
cistern. "There!" he said. "That'll do to put it in. It won't get out o'
that, I bet you."

"Well, I'd like to know what you want to keep it for," Sam said
peevishly, and, with the suggestion of a sneer, he added, "I s'pose you
think somebody'll pay about a hunderd dollars reward or something, on
account of a cat!"

"I don't, either!" Penrod protested hotly. "I know what I'm doin', I
tell you."

"Well, what on earth--"

"I'll tell you some day, won't I?" Penrod cried. "I got my reasons for
wantin' to keep this cat, and I'm goin' to keep it. YOU don't haf to
ke--"

"Well, all right," Sam said shortly. "Anyways, it'll be dead if you
don't hurry."

"It won't, either," Penrod returned, kneeling and peering down upon
the dark water. "Listen to him! He's growlin' and spittin' away like
anything! It takes a mighty fine-blooded cat to be as fierce as that. I
bet you most cats would 'a' given up and drowned long ago. The water's
awful cold, and I expect he was perty supprised when he lit in it."

"Herman's makin' a fuss again," Sam said. "We better get the ole cat out
o' there if we're goin' to."

"Well, this is the way we'll do," Penrod said authoritatively: "I'll let
you hold the trousers, Sam. You lay down and keep hold of one leg, and
let the other one hang down till its end is in the water. Then you kind
of swish it around till it's somewheres where the cat can get hold of
it, and soon as he does, you pull it up, and be mighty careful so's it
don't fall off. Then I'll grab it and stick it in the box and slam the
lid down."

Rather pleased to be assigned to the trousers, Sam accordingly extended
himself at full length upon the slab and proceeded to carry out Penrod's
instructions. Meanwhile, Penrod, peering from above, inquired anxiously
for information concerning this work of rescue.

"Can