and our good ole cat can look out from between the bars
and growl. It'll come in pretty handy if we ever decide to have another
show. Anyways, we'll have her in there, good and tight, where we can
watch she don't get away. I got a mighty good reason to keep this cat,
Sam. You'll see."

"Well, why don't you--" Sam was interrupted by n vehement appeal from
the stable. "Oh, we're comin'!" he shouted. "We got to bring our cat in
its cage, haven't we?"

"Listen, Herman," Penrod called absent-mindedly. "Bring us some bricks,
or something awful heavy to put on the lid of our cage, so we can carry
it without our good ole cat pushin' the lid open."

Herman explained with vehemence that it would not be right for him to
leave the stable upon any errand until just restorations had been made.
He spoke inimically of the cat that had been the occasion of his loss,
and he earnestly requested that operations with the clothes-prop be
resumed in the cistern. Sam and Penrod declined, on the ground that
this was absolutely proven to be of no avail, and Sam went to look for
bricks.

These two boys were not unfeeling. They sympathized with Herman; but
they regarded the trousers as a loss about which there was no use in
making so much outcry. To them, it was part of an episode that ought to
be closed. They had done their best, and Sam had not intended to drop
the trousers; that was something no one could have helped, and therefore
no one was to be blamed. What they were now interested in was the
construction of a circus-cage for their good ole cat.

"It's goin' to be a cage just exactly like circus-cages, Herman," Penrod
said, as he and Sam set the box down on the stable floor. "You can help
us nail the bars and--"

"I ain' studyin' 'bout no bars!" Herman interrupted fiercely. "What good
you reckon nailin' bars go' do me if Mammy holler fer me? You white boys
sutn'y show me bad day! I try treat people nice, 'n'en they go th'ow my
britches down cistern!

"I did not!" Sam protested. "That ole cat just kicked 'em out o' my hand
with its hind feet while its front ones were stickin' in my arm. I bet
YOU'D of--"

"Blame it on cat!" Herman sneered. "'At's nice! Jes' looky here minute:
Who'd I len' 'em britches to? D' I len' 'em britches to thishere cat?
No, suh; you know I didn'! You know well's any man I len' 'em britches
to you--an' you tuck an' th'owed 'em down cistern!"

"Oh, PLEASE hush up about your old britches!" Penrod said plainti