With a long, flying leap he made it, landing right in front of a dog that chanced to be wandering along the dock just then. The dog made a bound for Button. But Button, contrary to the ways of most cats, stood his ground instead of running and before the dog knew what had happened to him, Button had slapped his face and scratched his nose, leaving a long, red mark down its length, and had disappeared up the path leading to the park.
“I heard Button spit as if he were mad, and then a dog barked,” said Stubby. “I bet he met a dog.”
“I know what we can do,” said Billy. “I can stand under the porthole and then, Duke, you and Stubby can get on my back and jump through the porthole. I am quite sure I am high enough so you can make the jump.”
“But what good will it do even if we can reach the hole? We don’t want to go ashore and leave you here alone.”
“That is just like you, Stubby, to spoil your whole day to stay with a friend that can’t get out. You are too generous. I shan’t let you sacrifice yourself like that for me. You and Duke go, and then you can come back and tell me what you saw. If you stay, I have to stay just the same, and lose the fun of hearing what you fellows do ashore. So jump up on my back and let’s see if you can make the hole.”
Stubby demurred, and so did Duke, but Billy at last prevailed on them to go.
The first thing Billy knew, he was rolling over something soft
that squealed like a stuck pig and that kicked like a calf.
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Stubby made the hole and landed on the wharf all right, but Duke was large and the first jump he made he hit his head and fell back into the cabin. He was so fat he made a tight squeeze for the hole but on the second trial he made it. Then he attempted to push and squeeze himself through the hole. To do this he had to go head first, which made him fall on the deck on his nose. But it did not hurt much and no one saw him. He barked back to Billy that he was all right and was going to run up into the city and visit some of his old haunts.