“I am sure it is more than kind of you to take all that trouble and interest in me and under the circumstances I don’t see how I can refuse to give a short talk.”
“Thank you so much! Now I am going to ask another favor, and that is that your friends Stubby and Button will also give talks and relate some of their hairbreadth escapes when on their travels.”
“Thank you very kindly,” replied Button, “but I am no speaker and I refuse to take up the time that would shorten Billy’s talk.”
“Oh, no! You don’t get out so easily, Mr. Button,” spoke up Billy. “You have to talk as well as I do. And you too, Stubby, so you need not try to sneak out of that gate, for you also have to speak or I won’t.”
“That is it, Mr. Whiskers! Bring them up to the scratch so I can count on you three being in the middle of the park at twelve o’clock sharp to-night. I hope your wife also will honor us with her presence.”
“Yes, we will all be there unless we are locked up in the police station or some other bad luck befalls us.”
“Au revoir then until to-night,” and with a profusion of thanks and scraping and bowing, the gray cat backed out the alley gate and disappeared to spread the news of the coming lectures to be given by Billy, Stubby and Button.
CHAPTER X
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE
AS early as eleven o’clock sneaking dogs and cats, galloping horses, mules and donkeys as well as slow walking cows could have been seen entering the park by all entrances and hurriedly hiding themselves behind and under bushes or in dark shady nooks. And it was a good thing that there were few policemen guarding the park at that time of night, and that what were, were mostly fast asleep on the benches in secluded spots, else all these loose animals without any owners would have excited comment and they would have been caught and carried off to the pound in the patrol wagon. But as they were only seen alone and not in groups and then only by disinterested autoists bent on getting home as quickly as they could, they were not molested. They kept coming and coming until scarcely a bush, tree or statue but concealed an animal hiding behind it waiting for the hour of twelve to strike.